Understanding Blind Stealing and Stealing Positions in Poker

When to attack the blinds is one of the hottest topics in poker, and any discussion on the subject will lead to numerous different answers. Back in the day players use to attack the blinds from the button and sometimes the cutoff positions, that was it! All of that changed when poker blew up, and more and more information became available; no longer were players unaware of why it seemed certain players always got raising hands in late position, now even the most casual players realize these raises are more than likely to be an attempt to steal the blinds.

So what has happened is that people have become aware of their opponents’ propensity to steal from these positions, and now players are defending their blinds against these raises, which has caused some players to start stealing from farther and farther out -it’s gotten to the point that raises from Under the Gun are given little respect nowadays!

So what are the steal positions? The steal positions are now known as: The Button, The Cutoff, and The Hijack. If it’s folded to you in these positions you can consider -I said consider-stealing the blinds. Of course, your table image, the players in the blinds, and the players remaining to act are just as important as your position and your cards.

In addition to the three considerations I listed above, you have to balance two factors when determining if a blind-steal is appropriate: The closer you are to the button the more like a steal attempt your raise will appear to be; and the farther away from the button you are, the higher the likelihood that a player will have a good hand -since there are more players still to act– and could possibly have position on you since it’s not just the blinds you are betting into.

For example, if you raise from the button you only have to contend with the small blind and the big blind -both of which you’ll have position on. However, your raise looks like a steal!

On the other hand, if you raise from the Hijack you have to get through the Cutoff and Button -who both have position on you-as well as the blinds. But, your raise looks less like a steal attempt and more like a legitimate raise.

Because of this you can pretty much play the same hands from any of the three stealing positions. The strengths and weaknesses of the different steal positions basically offset each other. So if you raise J7s from the Hijack your raise will be more respected by the remaining players and their calling/raising range will be higher. And if you make the same play from the button, even though your opponent’s calling range will be lower, you only have two opponents to deal with, both of which you have position on.

Remember, the position is only one factor in a profitable steal attempt; your table image, the players’ tendencies who are in the blinds, and any potential players still to act play a big role in when you should attempt to steal the blinds.