Tournament Thief
Texas Hold ‘Em poker online tournaments differ from cash games in that the blinds increase at periodic intervals while they remain fixed in a cash game. The escalating blinds force players to act because the blind will simply erode the chip stack of any player who passively waits for a good hand.
If you don’t rake in at least the amount of the blind for every round, you will never make it far into the tournament. You’re not just up against other players, you’re competing with the clock. Stealing the blinds is an essential tactic in tournament online poker.
The only way to steal the blinds is to make a substantial pre-flop raise. Often this will get everyone to fold, especially if the raise comes out of early position.
Players will often try to steal when a chip stack is getting a low. A short stack player only has one move and this is to go all-in with any marginal cards. This presents an opportunity for a player with strong pocket cards to re-raise and attempt the steal. Most likely, the re-raise will elicits folds all around and then it’s a heads-up contest between the two would-be blind thieves.
When you are playing in a casino online tournament, recognize that you will have to attempt to steal the blinds and look for the right opportunities. And be on the alert for other players trying to steal and either stop or isolate them with a re-raise.
