Stealing Poker Blinds the Right Way
A valuable strategy in poker is stealing the blinds. Even before your opponents know what cards they are holding, there's already money in the pot. You can grab the pot if you're willing to take the big risk.
Stealing your opponents' blinds, like any other poker strategy, has its own advantages and disadvantages. With effective blind-stealing, you can gain more chips, fool your opponents and create a false table image.
On the other hand, blind-stealing also has its own disadvantages. You might lose more than what you're aiming for and you won't even see the flop. You might even destroy your table image.
However, stealing the blinds is a risk that is worth taking, especially when the blinds have reached a higher level. It's a risk that will pay big dividends in the end if done correctly.
For example, suppose you play the role of the small blind on the pre-flop. The big blind is to your left. It's just you and your lone opponent since everyone else has folded. Before you attempt to steal the blinds, you should analyze your opponent's playing tendencies.
Is your opponent aggressive or passive? Does he have the tendency to call? Is he paying any attention to what's happening at the table? Is your hand good enough for the flop if he calls? Are the other players paying attention to you?
If your opponents are not paying attention, they might be waiting for the blinds to get higher or they might be waiting for the playing field to narrow down. In this case, it's perfectly alright to aim for the pot and steal the blinds.
Your most important consideration is to find out your opponent's playing tendencies. You should be able to accurately guess what their reactions will be. If he is passive you will have a good chance to succeed but if he is aggressive, he may call, re-raise or even bluff. You then weigh your chances of succeeding on the steal.
For instance, your opponent is good enough to defend his blinds one out of five times. If the blinds are 10/20 and your raise is 40 on the steal, you can win 40 chips (4 x 10) but you lose 40 chips when your opponent successfully defends his blinds. You have gained nothing in your attempts to steal.
But don't let this situation discourage you. Even if your blind-stealing attempts fail, you have already made a false impression. You can pretend to steal using your pocket aces and catch your opponents off-guard.
Blind-stealing is effective in changing your table image. You can create a loose table image. Alternatively, a tight table image and playing few hands will allow you to steal successfully when the blinds get high.
If you attempt to steal blinds often enough, you can project a false impression to your opponents which you can use to your full advantage. Just remember to be cautious and size up your opponents before you attempt to steal.