Blind Stealing

In Texas Hold 'em poker, knowing how and when to steal the blinds can help you save your money. Blind stealing isn't a strategy for winning money. Rather, blinds can help you save money you would

Imagine a poker game in which you're in the dealer position (also called the button), and all of the players except you and the blinds have folded, raising so that the other players will fold is called blind stealing. Frequently, because you are acting after the blinds, you have a better idea of what their hands might be, and by raising, you can ensure that the blinds will fold unless they have an excellent (nuts) hand. It's called blind stealing because you're trying to win only the blinds when there is no other money in the pot. When you're blind stealing, it's important to keep your raises small, because if your raise is too high, too much of your raise will go to the rake.

If you're at the button, and all the other players have checked, a small bet may cause much of your competition to fold rather than meet your bet. In Texas Hold 'em, the blinds will usually stay in at this point, because there is no advantage to folding. This will get you to the blind with a minimum of opponents.

If the blinds are aggressive poker players, you'll need to play tight. Only play good hands. If you have a nothing hand after the flop, fold.

If you're playing against a loose but aggressive player, it's okay to get into a raising war if you have a decent hand. Don't get into a raising war with a bad hand, but a high pair with a good kicker is reason enough to stay in.

If you're a good blind stealer, you'll generally break even on your blind steals, a significant improvement over folding each time and losing the whole blind.

Usually ace high or two royals is a good enough hand in Texas Hold 'em. If you want to decide whether to go for a blind steal, you'll have to estimate whether you're likely to have a better or worse hand, and whether your opponents are likely to fold if you raise. If you think that they won't fold and that they might have a better hand, it's better to fold than to raise.