How To Steal Blinds In Texas Holdem
Stealing blinds is one of the core fundamentals of playing texas holdem. In loose games with a full table, the blinds won’t matter much. It’s far easier to make money by playing tight and waiting for a strong hand before going after the pot into the flop. But, if you’re in a shorthanded game and your opponents are playing tight, knowing how to steal blinds is valuable. It’s a great way to go after chips uncontested and add to your stack while waiting for your monster hand.
The challenge is that it requires finesse to do it right. Let’s get started.
Know Thy Opponent
Your success in stealing blinds has a lot to do with the type of players you’re up against. For example, calling stations are usually a bad bet. They just want to stay in the game and are always willing to risk a few chips to call your bluff. Even if you’re in a late position, steal attempts often end badly.
By the way, we recently covered texas holdem position strategy. Be sure to go back and read that post if you missed it.
On the other hand, an opponent who’s playing weak-tight is a fantastic candidate. They’ve probably read a few poker books and know something about texas holdem starting hands. They’ll be less inclined to risk their chips on anything but a high pair. That means you can slip through and take the blinds easily.
Bottom line: know your opponents and how they’re playing.
Cultivate Your Image
If other players see you as a loose cannon, it’s going to be a lot tougher for you to steal blinds. The same is true if they consider you to be a perpetual bluffer. It’s like the boy who cried wolf; at some point, your opponents are going to start calling your steal attempts. Your raises will begin to lose credibility.
Now, let’s suppose you’ve been able to build an image as a tight aggressive player. When you raise, your opponents will think you’re holding a good starting hand. They’re less likely to call your bluff. That credibility clears the path for you to steal the blinds.
Cash Game Versus Tournament Blind Stealing
Stealing blinds is usually less important in cash games than tournments; it’s especially true if you’re playing no-limit holdem. In no-limit ring games, the blinds are usually small and seldom worth the effort. It’s easier to play tight and go after the pot with strong hands. Of course, if you’re in a late position and everyone is folding to you, the blinds may be sitting ducks. If that’s the case, it’s silly to say no to free chips.
Tournaments are different. The blinds rise as the tournament advances. Stealing them in the early stage may not be important, but going after them later can add significantly to your chip stack.
Here’s what you should take away from today’s post: you won’t get rich from stealing blinds in texas holdem. But, depending upon the type of game you’re playing and the type of players you’re up against, you can preserve – and even build – your chip stack.
And that can make the difference between going bust and surviving.
If you’d like to sharpen your blind stealing skills, visit PokerStars and use bonus code “stars50“. They have a lot of table traffic with plenty of fish at the lower stakes. Plus, when you’re ready to put your skills to the test, you’ll find top-notch players at the higher stakes. And if you haven’t watched our free Poker Stars Strategy Video, make sure you do that, too.
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