a different blind steal

[James.]

i've been doing this for a long time. i have been sort of reluctant to post it, but i guess it's not like it's a million dollar secret or anything. this is a different technique i use to steal the blinds that does not employ applying pressure preflop, but instead leaving my range open to "hit" the flop.

the first scenario i use it in is when i have a passive player to my right(the kind that usually calls pf whether you raise or not is okay, but we really like tightpassives for this). it folds to me in the sb, and rather than raise, i complete intending to bet out on any flop(the scarier the better). i mix this with my obvious raise/steals and they seem to complement each other. as with any play, moderation and timing is key(along with having an accurate read).

the other scenario i employ a similar line is when there is a very tight sb that often does not complete, and if he does he is very fit/fold(we really want him to NOT complete for this to work)and we have a similar weak passive in the bb again. if it folds to me i may limp with the intention of betting any flop when checked to me. once again, for this to be successful you MUST pick the right spots and even more importantly, the correct opponents.

these plays are usually viewed as "weak-tight" moves. against a less than aware opponent it can be a nice little addition to your blind "stealing" arsenal. of course don't overuse or misuse it. and it is also important to cover these steal limps with real limps, but i'll let you figure that out on your own.