The Sneaky Steal

The "Sneaky Steal" is one of my favorite moves when stealing blinds.
For those of you who are not familiar with this term (most of you should be because I made it up) then I will tell you the definition.

The "Sneaky Steal": noun: In a game poker, when a player limps in pre flop rather than raising pre flop to steal the blinds. Rather than stealing the blinds pre flop, the blinds are sneakily stolen on the flop when checked around to the player. This stealing technique must be done cautiously, because if your opponents picked up a hand on the flop, they may try to trap.
Warning: The "Sneaky Steal" may cause loss of tournament chips due to bluffing into a monster hand.

This technique I find to be very effective if you have been caught stealing blinds pre flop numerous times, and it is really a way to mix things up.

One should not use the "Sneaky Steal" every time or else it will become a pattern to your oppenents. You must mix up your stealing techniques.

Any thoughts or suggestions for the new "SNEAKY STEAL!"

!!

I call the the "big stack steal" late in MTT's

It's fine as a little switch-up, but all you're doing is letting your opponents see a free flop. The point of a steal is to represent a hand and push out some potentially worse ones.

It does have it's spots though.

super sneaky steel = do that on turn ldo

vanquish said:

super sneaky steel = do that on turn ldo

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no worries, that may come later in a later thread

This works well if you are in the small blind and heads up with a certain type of player (loose preflop, but weak/passive) in the big blind. But even then a raise can be more effective usually.

I do this almost every time from the SB with 0 or possibly 1 caller. Most of the time if I raise either I get a call from the BB or a raise, thinking that I'm just trying to steal. If they raise PF I fold and if I get re-raised postflop it's an easy fold (unless I hit a good hand).

If you're gonna try and steal, often giving the "stealies" a look at 3 cards is not a good idea.

One instance where this type of play is effective is if you're the button, and action folds to you. I will usually limp with ATC in this situation and fire a smallish bet if the blinds check post flop

There are certain players where "stealing" after the flop works well. Seems to be less of a challenge if you let them see a flop. Also, you may pick up a half bet from the SB too.

I try to vary this and pre-flop stealing early then lean toward what works best.

goldog

I think the good old raise pre-flop and bet flop if checked to is more profitable.

Gandalf said:

I think the good old raise pre-flop and bet flop if checked to is more profitable.

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i am not disagreeing with you, but, ?how so?

wkonevich said:

i am not disagreeing with you, but, ?how so?

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Well, for a start theres more money in the pot to 'sneaky steal'

your friend made this play up and told it to you

you little liar

and you talk about the play wrong

you only do it about 25 percent of the time when you are constantly being reraised by the big blind after a position raise to mix it up.

also the blinds need to be pretty significant compared to everbody's stack (average M orange or so)

also when you are button or small blind and its folded to you and the big blind is a short stack, a reraise might entice a push from him. The flop would have to give him reasons to NOT make a big bet, because he would have no reasons not to pf.

but mostly, especially in the middle stages of an MTT, raising from position is still the most profitable move heads up. usually its checked to you after flop, you bet, they fold, PEANUT BUTTER MONEY TIME.

i dont agree with this...if u let them see the flop b4 stealing blinds..they can catch something and win!

vaj18psu said:

i dont agree with this...if u let them see the flop b4 stealing blinds..they can catch something and win!

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they only catch a pair 30% of the time

this is used when your opponents re raise your steal attempts too much

by limping in and taking it away on the flop, then they do not feel like you are stealing their blinds as much

iwouldprefernotto said:

you little liar

and you talk about the play wrong

you only do it about 25 percent of the time when you are constantly being reraised by the big blind after a position raise to mix it up.

also the blinds need to be pretty significant compared to everbody's stack (average M orange or so)

also when you are button or small blind and its folded to you and the big blind is a short stack, a reraise might entice a push from him. The flop would have to give him reasons to NOT make a big bet, because he would have no reasons not to pf.

but mostly, especially in the middle stages of an MTT, raising from position is still the most profitable move heads up. usually its checked to you after flop, you bet, they fold, PEANUT BUTTER MONEY TIME.

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i didnt explain it wrong, i just didnt fully explain when it is best used

This tactic probably works best when you are trying to steal from a very short stack, such that if they re-raised your steal all in you would be committed to call w a crappy hand. By simply calling they might not shove preflop, thinking they are getting a "free" look. But your first action (bet) then puts the burden on them to "hit" which mathematically we know is about 2:1 against.

agreed.....that was another reason that was brought to my attention during an instant message conversation with the creator of the move (i made the name). He is a member here....you may know him as iwouldprefernotto.....


hes new here

I find this works well whenever an ace or a king hits the flop and i have lots more sucsess when they do using this method. If the flop looks like it may be the type of hand to hit a player in the blinds sometimes i will just give up the steal attemt. Also that way my opponent may think im limping with rag aces putting me on the wrong hands.