06- 1-06, LearnTexasHoldem:
How Important Is It To Steal Blinds In Cash Games?
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Answer:
It depends...
In a very weak game full of inexperienced players, I wouldn't try to steal much of anything. I would only raise the pot in situations where I thought it would be for value only. The main reason for this is because you have such a big advantage over them otherwise, there is no reason to get too tricky. Being tricky comes at a price.
Stealing blinds in other games is important, but probably not for the reasons you think. Strictly from a monetary standpoint, it isn't a huge gain. In a tougher game the players will be used to having their blinds attacked and won't give up easily. The main reason you do it is for future hands. Winning poker consists of betting with the best hand and getting paid off. In games with attentive players, getting paid off isn't always a sure thing. You hate to have AA and KK and raise and get no action. To get action, you try to buffer some of these powerhouse hands with some other ones, so that the opponents don't always know "where you are at."
Like I mentioned above, getting tricky comes at a price. So you don't cut into your profits too much, the safest place to play some extra hands is when you are in late position and no one has opened yet. This buffers your good hands some. Secondly, in tougher games it is important to force the other good players to play in spots where they don't have the edge. Being in the blind, with a marginal hand, and a good player with position on you betting, is an uphill battle. You do this to keep them offguard.
One thing I want to warn you against is doing it too much without having good postflop skills. I see players everyday who sit down and assume they have to raise every time someone folds to them and they are on the button. That combined with their lack of postflop skills makes them lose more a lot. You have to realize that the player in the big blind will expect you to try some loose raising, so be careful.
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