Stupid Question

[andy609]

How should limpers ahead of you affect your decision to try to steal the blinds?

[IowaSkinsFan]

a lot, unless you have a loose weak limper I don't try to steal the blinds.

[zenbitz]

It's not a stupid question - but one that you need to think about.

Why is it BETTER to try to steal the blinds after limpers?
Why is it WORSE?

[biondino]

Hmm.

BETTER: mo money; it looks less like a steal and more like a kosher hand; you have position if your steal is called.

WORSE: limper has a hand he wants to see a flop with, and it's probably a better one than yours - if it's a PP (fairly likely) he is very likely to call or raise; if either blind, who have better odds to call because of the limper, call your bet, then the limper is almost certain to call as well; he might re-raise you all-in with a slow-played monster.

[very_sneaky]

horribly stupid in most situations to steal with limpers especially online. when you have 3-4 limpers and ur on the button, that is 3-4 players acted and the blinds to act behind u so after u raise thats a total of at least 6 people to act, chances r half or so will call u..

Steals - should happen about once every hour
Steals should be against the least amount of people possible
Steals should primarily be when blinds/antes are high ( When your on the button and you have 4 limpers with 10/20 blinds your raise to 100 or even 120 will maybe get a handful of folds.
Blinds should be considered "stealable" primarily after 75/150 blinds (any arguements?)

[dsmrolla06]

Steals - should happen about once every hour
(any arguements?)

Theres no way you can survive a tournament stealing blinds once every hour... Try more like once an orbit.

[zenbitz]

Steals - should happen about once every hour
(any arguements?)

Theres no way you can survive a tournament stealing blinds once every hour... Try more like once an orbit.

This is literally true in the sense that if you don't win 1.5 BB per orbit your stack shrinks.

I usually start stealing at 50/100... although I will occasoinally test the waters at 25/50

[JeffreyGB]

Call me crazy, but I just steal when my stack and table dictate it. That means when I'm either short enough or big enough to do so. In some regard, I never steal - if I'm raising it's with a hand that I think has potential (or in a spot where my opp is likely to fold almost every hand). It may be once an hour that I raise a "potential" hand, or it may be 5 times an orbit...just depends on the situation.

In a vacuum (where no poker actually exists), it's better to try steals against unopened pots. Against aware opps, it's better to do this from CO or CO-1.

[jdubs]

your question isnt really about stealing the blinds any more is it? It's about stealing a pot bigger than just the blinds. actually, I like this move in a couple situations:

A) I am short stacked, in late position , perhaps even on the SB or BB, none of the limpers are in early position ( I am a little hesitant to make this move with an UTG , +1, +2 limper). This is a prime situation to take this pot with any two, IMO. You must NOT be too desperate however, as pot odds would then be very easy for someone to call. With an M of 4-5 or so, you still have FE. Also, you must of course take the limpers ( and blinds) stack size into consideration- any monster stacks and I wouldnt probably wouldnt do it, unless that player has been very tight, same for the ultra shorties- although in both of those cases, you likely have a decent shot of winning even if called, as their calling range will be wider. Here is a situation that I think is definitely +EV because

1) everyone will probably fold (75-80% of the time, if you avoid extreme stacks)

2) even if called, you are likely up against a hand that isnt that strong. (I made this move a couple days ago, with a M of around 4, 2-3 middle and late position limpers, I have 2 8s on the button- I push. Blinds fold, first limper calls, other limpers fold. Caller turns over K 10 o, and guess what? I'm still 37% to win... )

B) same position, but with a big stack. Instead of pushing, make a 1 1/2x the pot bet. If called by a shorty, you most likely have a very decent chance to take them out, and if called by a mid/bigger stack you have the option to make the c-bet, and win the pot outright still.

Of course, this is also assuming none of the players who have called, or the blinds, have been ultra aggressive, I'm making this move mostly on people who seem to be relatively tight most of the time.

The point here is that usually speaking, mid and late position limpers indicate weakness, and this pot is now vulnerable to aggression. With a short or big stack, you can make a move here with anything.