If you want to go deep into the game of Texas Holdem Poker, then you must practice the art of stealing blinds. Stealing a blind refers to a situation when a player in late position raises before the flop, hoping to win the blinds uncontested. This tactic is frequently used in the game of Poker.
Stealing blinds is one of the most effective techniques when handled properly in online poker. In fact, one of the important aspects that distinguishes a professional player from an average player is the way they apply this effective Poker tactic. If you want to become a skilled player too, then you must master this legal form of stealing. Here are some pro poker tips you need to consider when attempting to steal the blind.
The players in the big blind:
Before considering to raise the big blind, you must observe which players on your table are betting/calling/raising a lot more than others. This will help you understand who the tight players are. If a player is very loose or aggressive, then trying to steal their blind might prove foolish since most of the time they will defend it. Thus, it is more profitable to attack the blind of a tight or a weak player.
Position at the table:
There are three different positions where you can steal the blinds: the early, the middle, and the late position. To steal the blinds from the early position is usually not recommended as there are many players on the table to get through. For instance, if you try to steal the blinds from the first position at a nine-handed table, you would have to get through eight other players, expecting none of the players takes a call. But that’s very unlikely. The late position or the button position is better than an early position to steal the blinds, simply because you have the advantage of acting late and having only a few players to act after you, i.e. the small blind and the big blind.
Table Image:
A lot depends on your table image when it comes to whether you will succeed in stealing the blind or not. The opponents who are well aware of what’s happening on the table will react to your raises and will somehow play back at you. So, if you feel like your opponents are on you, it’s time to wait for a strong hand in order to bust them out. If you have a tight image, you will be more likely to succeed in blind stealing rather than if you have a loose image. But, don’t overdo it as it might risk your image. You should be aware of your image on the Poker table, as the more you steal, the more the players will be aware of what you are doing.
Stack Size:
You should always be aware of the stack sizes when you are considering to steal the blinds. If you find yourself short-stacked, you should be careful about stealing the blinds. When other players realize that you are not a major threat to their stack, they might play marginal hands against you in a hope to knock you out. So, ideally, if you are short-stacked, you should entirely avoid it. But, if you feel like you have a strong hand, you could take advantage of the situation and go all in. But things can always change. If you are sitting with a pretty big stack, collect more chips off the players with the shortest stacks.
If you want to be a proficient blind stealer and don’t want to get caught in stealing, you need to pay attention to everything that is happening on the table. As blind and antes increase so quickly in the tournament, you cannot wait for the best hands all day. To stay in the game, you need to get involved in stealing some blinds. Play free online Poker and you will get the hang of these pro poker tips.