Being able to play poker effectively and profitably in the long term requires a number of different things. Dedication, good play, bankroll management, and maximizing your profits. Being able to maximize your profits might seem like a pretty simple idea to understand but the logistics of not leaving money on the table is not as easy as the idea behind it. There are many different things that you need to do in order to maximize the amount of money that you take away from the table but one of the easiest tricks that you can utilize to help add to your take away is stealing the blinds.
Stealing the blinds is, essentially, raising from a late position after having the table fold to you in hopes of having the players who are the blinds also fold and collect that money. Obviously, it is not a lot of money that you are collecting but the key to remember is that over a long session, stealing the blinds a number of times can add up. Because of its lack of difficulty, almost all poker players employ stealing tactic. Being able to use the skill effectively is more difficult than merely raising any time you are folded to in late position.
One problem that players on Ultimatebet.com run into when they are trying to steal the blinds is not committing enough chips to force the blinds to fold. The strength of the blinds’ hands are unknown so making a small move in hopes of taking the blinds can often result in getting called from one or both of the blinds. This can lead to a messy flop because the strength of their hands are masked and you are faced with the difficult decision or whether or not you want to make a continuation bet or give up on what was supposed to be a quick blind and a half.
Another difficulty people have with stealing the blinds is that they do it too often and with completely unplayable hands. Because so many people steal the blinds, everyone has a good idea of what is happening when you make a decent raise out of late position when the table has folded around to you. You can get away with it the first time, usually, as the blinds will respect the raise but if you continue to do it with regularity, it is very common to be reraised from one of the blinds and find yourself with a tough decision to make. That is why it is important to use the tool sparingly and not go overboard with stealing the blinds every time and use the times when your hand is absolutely trash to get some folds in so people do not think you are always trying to steal the blinds.
Overall, stealing the blinds is an effective way to add a number of big blinds per hour to your chip stack and help to increase your return over the long term. With its extreme ease of use and relatively high success rate, it is a skill you should never be without at the poker table.