BC Exclusive (Volume 2): Blind Stealing

Hey everybody,

The BC Exclusive series is here to give a quick-and-dirty introduction to some of the more aggressive tactics used in today's games. While these aren't the be-all end-all, they can give you a general idea of what's going on so that you can be one step closer to learning how to handle today's hyper-aggressive online games. Make sure to check out Volume 1 here if you missed it.

Blind Stealing

If it folds to you in late position before the flop, you are given an added incentive to put in a raise because if only a few people fold, then you get to take down the blinds for a quick profit. If you want a little bit more detail, then this post covers how profitable it can be against normal opposition, but it also covers how to start opening up if you don't currently steal blinds often.

Defending Against Blind Stealing

If you want to defend against people who are stealing blinds a lot, then your best option is going to be to start 3-betting them more often. This opens a can of worms because 3-betting is such a complicated topic. However, there's a really, REALLY good introduction to it here that shows you exactly what you need to know to get started 3-betting more often.

Both of these threads I have linked to are about six years old, but because they cover the basics of how to make these plays, they are always going to be relevant. The basics never change! :cool:

If you have any questions about these topics, ask here and I'll get with you!

Very nice threads Jesse. Thanks for the links. :)

You can also go a long way in countering blind stealing by defending a wide range by calling, especially vs less than 3bb opens. The important thing to understand about it is that you're defending getting an attractive price and do not need to make a play at every pot to extract an advantage. OOP postflop play is all about keeping your range strong and realizing the equity of your hands. For example, if the button opens and you call from the BB with KQo with intention of c/fing every flop you miss, you will still make a lot of money because your hand is simply very strong and dominates a lot of his opening range.