Stealing The Blinds
March 27, 2009 | Comments Off
How do you steal the blinds?
In any of the poker games that utilize ‘blinds’ or ‘antes’ such as Texas hold ‘em, many players consider ‘stealing the blinds’ a standard move. The basic idea is to make a strong raise pre-flop while holding poor-medium strength. For a steal to work, every other player at the table must fold. If this happens you win (steal) the posted blinds. Stealing the blinds may or may not be considered bluffing, depending on the strength of the cards you are holding. This might sound pretty risky, after all you could be raising with a 7 8 suited to the small blind who is holding a pair of Aces. While there is no sure fire way to steal the blinds, there are some conditions that put the odds in your favor.
Wait Until The Timing Is Right is Key
Although you can steal blinds in a cash game, you really are better off using this strategy in tournaments or sit and go games. In these games the blinds get progressively bigger, which makes stealing the blinds more profitable. If that alone is not enough reason to save your steals until later in the game, remember that you need to deceive the other players to make the steal work. Don’t get a reputation as a loose player by getting called out on bluffs too early in the game.
Even though you are waiting until the later stages of the game to start stealing blinds, it is never too early to start learning about the other players at the table. When you finally decide it is time to make a move, you should know whether or not the remaining players to your left are loose enough to play weak hands (thus defeating your steal). Also some players will call any bet, especially after posting the big blind, just to see the flop. If you are unsure, you should take a look at their chip stacks. A player with a decent hand and a short stack is likely to go all-in because he’s playing with his back to the wall, and knows he needs to make a move or risk bleeding all of his chips. On the other hand, a player with a huge stack (in a no-limit game) might be willing to call your bet if he is suspicious of you.
The ‘bubble’ is the point in a poker tournament where the next player out is the last player to walk away without any of the winnings. For instance, if a tournament pays the top three players, the bubble occurs when only four players remain. As you approach this bubble, you will notice the other players at the table will begin to play more conservatively to avoid being the unlucky next player out. If you are ever going to steal the blinds, this might be the easiest time to do so because most players will shy away from any perceived risks at this point.
Position Is Everything
You should not even think about stealing the pot if any players have already called or raised the big blind. To steal the blinds you need to get everyone to fold, which is unlikely if you already know someone has put money down to see the flop. Ideally you will have seen lots of players fold before it is your turn, which takes us to our next point…
Every player who folds, calls, or raises before your turn gives you valuable information. Theoretically, the best position from which to steal the blinds is right before the small blind, in the dealer position. This used to be the case but now more players have learned about this stealing technique. If you are consistently raising pre-flop only when you are in the dealer position, the smarter players will have no problem seeing through your ruse and calling your bluff. Stealing while sitting one seat to the right of the dealer position could help keep your opponents off your trail, without exposing yourself to too much more risk.
Don’t Steal With Strong Cards
The beauty of stealing the blinds is that it does not matter what cards you were dealt. None of the other players can see anything other than the cards they are holding. If you do not think your cards are stronger than the rest of the cards at the table you should either fold or go for the steal/bluff (based on whether the other players have called or folded). If, however, you believe you have a strong enough hand to beat your opponents’, then you should not bet aggressively enough to scare away players who are playing the pre-flop timidly (as you would in order to steal the blinds). These players can contribute to the pot, and give you a bigger win. Stealing the blinds is not always your best option; in fact the situation rarely calls for it.
Being Better than your Opponents
April 13, 2008 | Comments Off
If you been reading my previous articles, you should be at a point now to understand some of the things it takes to be better than your opponents in poker. You must keep youself focused at all times by remaining patient and playing under control by leaving your ego at home and not bringing in to the poker table.
If you become distracted, you will give up a big edge to the other poker players who are more focused. You must know more about the game, the odds, be more observant, and continue to improve your skills. Let the other poker players sit back smugly and think that they are better than you, you continue to learn and pay attention. Their mistakes = your profits. If you are more skilled, you are the favorite, just like your own private house-edge.
If you are the least skilled, you will have to get lucky to win.
Poker isn’t about luck, so make sure you are better than your opponents.
Leave your Ego at Home when Playing Poker
April 11, 2008 | Comments Off
The poker table is no place for your ego. Sure, it’s a good thing to be confident and play aggressive poker. You believe in your abilities at the poker tables but if you walk around with a big ego you will make big enemies and pride like this can cost lots of money.
Remember, poker is just a game you are playing. You’re playing this game to win but your whole sense of self shouldn’t be riding on it, it’s the first step to playing poker with self control.
Some things to consider about the dangers of playing with a big ego:
- Ego is cruel – it makes you play with emotion rather than logic and reason
- Ego makes bluffers continue a bluff that is futile
- Ego will make you make plays based on factors other than the realities of the poker game
- Ego makes an early bettor continue to bet even when he knows he’s beat
- Ego makes you stay in the game too long, even when you are losing
- Ego makes you lose big
Ego goes hand in hand with anger sometimes. Ego will cause you to reraise that jerk at the table because you think you are better than he is.
Keep your ego at home.
Playing Poker Under Control
April 9, 2008 | Comments Off
Imagine this scenario, it’s the game of your life. You flop a set and are betting like crazy. The pot is massive and then, on the river, some bozo catches two running clubs to beat you with a flush. What do you do?
In loser poker, you blow your stack and tear him apart for calling those bets with such a weak hand. Yeah sure, it would feel great to tell this whack-job exactly what you think of him and his card play but ultimately, that will cost you money.
Here’s why.
Poker is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You need to keep this loose player at the table as long as you can. You want him sticking around and you certainly do not want to tip him off to the fact that he’s a poor card player.
So, what does the winning poker player do? You calmly muck you hand and get ready for the next hand. Do you bet like a wild man on the next hand? Of course not, you calmly sip your water and wait patiently for the next hand to be dealt. The odds of his flush hitting are 23-1 against a made set, you wait patiently for the next hand to beat him and get your chips (plus some) back.
Leaving Your Emotions at Home
Letting your emotions get the best of you is the worst things that you can do at the poker table and it’s the surest way to lose at poker. In poker, you stay in the hand because you feel you have the best odds of winning, not because you are angry, jealous, or want to defeat one particular player.
Emotions suck the rational and logical thoughts from your mind.
Here are some classic emotional poker blunders:
- Calling a bet on the river because you are afraid of being bluffed.
- Calling a bet on the river because you are afriad of looking bad.
- Calling with a drawing hand because the guy who is betting is a jerk.
- Taking it personally when someone raises you constantly, causing you to call with bad hands.
Whining, complaining, blaming rookies, or blaming the dealer for your losses shows weakness and lack of confidence and lack of confidence is one of the classic signs of a losing poker player. Good poker players are calm and in control, they take the good and the bad and never let the other poker players see them break a sweat.