Learning how and when to steal the blinds is an important part of playing a freeze out tournament.  Everyone wants to steal the blinds, right?  I mean it’s great to increase your chip stack without showing your hand and learning how and when to steal the blinds just gives you another weapon to use.

First off when you think of stealing the blinds you think of the button.  It’s the obvious place to start.  Even the cutoff should have its fair share of steal raises.  If everyone has folded to you and you have a hand like J 10 from either the cutoff or the button this might be a good candidate for stealing.  From these 2 spots your hand strength does not have to be as strong as if you were to make a steal raise from, say, middle position.

The chances of someone having a great or premium hand acting after you is obviously greater so you should have a stronger hand according to the position you are in.  If you do raise from early or middle position you cannot just simply fold every time either.  Remember it’s all about your table image and if players get the idea you are just trying to steal the blinds more often than not you will be called or reraised.  That’s why you really have to pick your spots when you attempt a steal.  I’m not saying call your opponent down to the river but you should call a reraise once and awhile.  If you hit nothing on the flop and your opponent bets you can go into your acting mode (like waiting 10 seconds to give the impression your thinking about calling) and then fold.  

In another article I talked about playing more than one game at a time and how I thought it was not such a good idea.  I talked about using that extra time in the early stages of a tournament to accumulate information on the players at your table.  Well, this is one of the reasons why.  It’s when you start making attempts to steal the blinds that you use this information.  For example if you have identified a very tight player at your table he/she might be a good candidate for blind stealing.  I have written notes on many players that say “likes to bet out.”  To me that means after a flop, no matter what, this person likes to bet.  I often target these types of players for blind stealing because a high percentage of the time I can not only steal the blinds but pick up the extra bet as well.  You’ll notice that I say a high percentage of the time.  Its not full proof as the odd time they will wake up with a good hand or hit the flop hard but it’s been my experience that if they bet out after the flop and I reraise they fold most of the time.

A lot of players like to raise from the button with almost any 2 cards just to try and steal.  I think you should be a little more selective than that.  I like to attempt steals with any suited ace or suited connectors, any big ace or medium pairs are good to.  These hands have big potential and can usually bring you a lot of chips if you hit the flop hard.

One other point I wanted to mention is that if you attempt a steal, once and awhile someone will try to resteal and even resteal with junk!  For example if you try a steal from under the gun because you know the big blind is a tight player, someone in late position might reraise you because they have picked up on the same thing and have position on you.

Depending on whether you have information on this opponent you might want to reraise or simply call.  Doing this does a couple of things.  First off you will see the flop and if you connect with your hand you might have a chance to double up given your opponents inclination to bet.  Trapping him may be the way to go in this situation.  Secondly if you call or reraise players at your table they might not be as willing to call or reraise you in subsequent steal attempts without a very strong hand because they know your not willing to give up without a fight.  Again, your building on your table image.

Any one hand does not a player image make but you can certainly make a point by putting up a fight once and awhile.  A tournament is not won in the early stages but everything you do and see affects the next hand starting at hand one.  The early stages is where you lay the ground work for something like blind stealing.  You really have to pick your spots and it should fit in with the strategy you are mapping out in the early stages of the tournament.  I think stealing the blinds is an essential part of a successful formula for winning a tournament.  I hope this helps make you a better thief!!