How to Play Versus Short Stackers and Knowing when to Steal

When stealing is a good thing

Taking something that doesn't belong to you without the consent of the rightful owner is generally regarded as a bad thing to do. One of the few exceptions occurs at the poker table, where those who are skilled enough to steal blinds are rewarded by the game itself. Pretty much any method that enables the player to increase his chip stack at the expense of others is encouraged and stealing blinds is one of the procedures that involves low risks.

In cash games you need to be extra cautious when attempting to steal blinds, because you wouldn't want to risk committing too much money into a pot that you can't actually win. Position is what matters the most at these tables and unless you are in late position, it is not advisable to push your luck. Things change dramatically in tournaments, where the size of the blinds increases constantly and in the later stages of the competition, stealing these blinds is what keeps many players alive.

The act itself is simple and involves nothing more than a pre-flop raise, but these articles will teach you when to make a move and how much to bet. This strategy changes depending on how big your stack is and how much your opponent is playing for, because you need to make sure that the attempt of stealing blinds doesn't degenerate into a confrontation.

Pay attention to short stackers

The fact that you play deep stack at stakes you are very comfortable with, shouldn't make you feel full of yourself or grow complacent. A good poker player will always be aware about what happens around him and with immediately notice a major change when it occurs. They say that the devil is in details and that's why it’s vital to pay attention to short stackers when they join the table and adjust your game accordingly.

These guys have just one thing in mind and this is to the lure big stacks into traps, or at least trigger an inescapable confrontation when they have the same chances. Depending on how well they play and how much experience they've got in playing short stack, these guys will enjoy lower or higher chances when their all-in is called. What deep stacks should know is that these players are never risking their chips with a mediocre hand and antagonizing with them with anything less than a premium hand would be a mistake.

Players should not try to steal blinds, especially when the short stacker chose to limp in, because in most cases he has a devious agenda. Many of them simply wait for someone to play his hands aggressively while they slow play their cards and quickly moved all in, inducing the idea that their opponents are pot committed. For more details about poker strategies, visit https://www.pokerinusa.net/ and learn how to use them against all types of opponents.