Stealing Blinds in Poker

[Micheal Jorden]

Blind stealing features a less defined purpose in no limit cash games than it does in tournaments and fixed limit games. In the latter two, you steal the blinds because the blinds are big enough to yield an immediate profit. The blinds are much smaller in no limit cash games which means you don't steal them for direct profit as much as you do to make the most of position and give yourself a looser table image.

Stealing the Blinds to Take Benefit of Position

While you possibly can make only a little money off the blinds in no limit cash games, nearly all your profits come from opponents trying to defend the blinds with weak hands from out of position.

Many people over-defend their blinds in no limit cash games in order to make the most of that by attacking the blinds every chance you get. As soon as your opponents defend from out of position, it's hard for them to play well against you because they're acting with little information regarding your hand.

They don't know whether you're stealing or just happened to truly have a good hand; they don't understand what you're going to accomplish since you act last every street; and they don't know how strong their hand is with regards to yours. In short, you get all of the advantages of position while they have to find out what the heck to accomplish next.

The one thing your over-defending opponents don't understand is that the blinds really aren't worth a lot of profit no limit cash games. Yes, it's important you know how to play from the blinds but it's not important you defend them to death https://www.feelif.com/. Just one all-in confrontation is worth 200 big blinds all by itself.

Ensure you don't fall under the alternative trap and try too hard to steal the blinds. The average preflop raise is 4BB so you're risking 4 to win 1.5. This isn't a bad deal though, because your opponents have to risk much more to defend their blinds. The thing is it's easy to get carried away on your blind steals. When someone shows true strength, get ready to pitch your hand.

Stealing the Blinds for Table Image

Table image is often over-estimated in low limit cash games nevertheless you still don't want to look like a complete rock. It's harder to get paid on your good hands whenever you seem like a rock. If you start only a little in late position you are able to kill that rock image from a secure place.

Some of your opponents will catch onto the fact that you merely get squirmy in late position but very few will act on the information. The human brain doesn't do very well separating specific facts when forming opinions. Your average opponent will only have a vague impression of you as a semi-loose player. Or at minimum they won't consider you as a total rock.