With basic poker knowledge becoming more and more commonplace you'll see players raising a lot from late position to steal the blinds, especially in tournaments. By learning when it's profitable to re-steal you'll be able to pick up that raise, plus take the blinds and antes for yourself.
How many players are yet to act? – a raise from the dealer button or blinds may just be an attempt to defend the blinds or foil a steal, whereas a raise from a player in early or middle position indicates a lot more strength. Gavin Griffin: 'Predatory' Poker Staking Group Attempting To Steal From World Series Of Poker Main Event Final Tablist. With the WSOP Main Event being one of the events attempted to be refunded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there detailed instructions on how to use the site?^Top
Yes! Please see our instructional videos that describe in detail how to use most of the features of the site.
Can I view a sample training report? ^Top
Poker Attempt To Steal
Our members receive reports summarizing where they should be focusing their training efforts. They also receive a detailed analysis every time they finish a playing session. You can view a sample report here.
On which types of computers and devices can I play your poker game? ^Top
Our poker game runs in the browser and there is no installation required. It will give an outstanding user experience on desktops, laptops, and tablets! We offer support for users with the latest versions of most popular browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and MS Edge).
We are currently not offering support on phones. However, many users have reported a good experience with the universal game on larger phones, such as the iPhone 6 and newer.
How Do I Become a Member? ^Top
You may join by clicking the Start Training button at the top right of any page. If you are already a member, you can log in.
What are the different game levels I can play? ^Top
Here is a listing of the tables for 9-max and 6-max games, with a brief description. You can select the table from the main game menu that shows up when you first start the game, or by clicking 'Change Tables' at the top middle of the game screen.
Free members can only play the beginning levels. To play higher levels with higher quality opponents, you must be a full member.
| Table Name | Number of Players | Typical Blinds | Game Level Description | Setting Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Going Fishing | 9 or 6 | 1/2 | This is your typical home game with poor, loose players. | A new casino just opened by the beach and the tourists have all come out to play. Why fish in the ocean when you can haul up pots by the netload at the poker table? |
| California Dreamin | 9 or 6 | 2/5 | This game is typical of what you would find from tourists who don't play much poker. | You'll be safe and warm at this table. The players are loose and the pots are large. Even better, there's not a pro, or even a savvy recreational player, in sight. Hang tight and you'll ride the wave to big profits! |
| Western Roundup | 9 or 6 | 5/10 | Another vacation crowd, this one slightly more serious, but still with a number of weaker players. | You sneak away from your Dude Ranch vacation to hit the tables at the local casino. Instead of a room full of fish, you find that the play is a bit tougher than you expected. Nothing you can't handle if you lasso your 'A' game. Enjoy matching wits with the local regulars. |
| Vegas Grinder | 9 or 6 | 10/20 | Players here know what they are doing mostly, although you would probably call most of them intermediate players. | On a Christmas visit to Vegas, you travel Downtown to check out Fremont Street and the old-time casinos. You walk into the Golden Nugget, expecting to play a soft holiday crowd. However, you find yourself in a room filled with tough regulars and pros. You're going to need to grind to survive. |
| Thieves Lockup | 9 or 6 | 20/40 | An aggressive game, with many solid players, some maniacs also. | While traveling in Eastern Europe, one of your business associates invites you to a 'friendly' poker game. The next thing you know, you find yourself in the dungeon of a crumbling castle matching wits with former Iron Curtain apparatchiks and descendants of Hungarian royalty. These guys are flush with cash and really know the game. You'll be lucky to escape the dungeon with anything but an empty wallet. |
Who are the different opponents I may face? ^Top
Here are pictures of some of the opponents you may face, from weakest to strongest. Mouse over their pictures to see their name, click on them for a biography and a full description of their playing style.
Larry 'Loose Larry' Stevens- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Larry is new to Omaha and has never seen a starting hand he didn't like.
- Loose, Passive Beginner
Sally 'Sweet Sally' Jones- Louisville, KY
- Sally likes to see the flop. And the turn. And the river. She only bets when she has the nuts, but will call you all the way down.
- Loose, Passive Beginner
Norman 'The Novice' James- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Norm hasn't been playing Omaha very long. It'll take him 5 minutes to figure out what he's got, and keeps forgetting he can only use three cards on the board.
- Loose, Passive Beginner
Alex 'Wild Man' Simpson- Sunnyvale, CA
- Alex just likes to bet. And bet. And bet. If you make it to the river, you may find all your chips in the pot. But Alex may also be sitting on a busted flush draw.
- Loose, Aggressive Beginner
Tim 'Timid Tim' Anderson- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Tim folds 95% of his starting hands. And unless he flops the nuts, he'll fold to any bet. If Tim is still in on the river, your are in a world of trouble.
- Loose, Passive Beginner
Freddie 'All In Freddie' Johnson- Edmonton, Ontario
- Got his nickname from his Hold'em play, but if Freddie hits anything in Omaha, he's betting pot. And he'll keep it up until all of his money is in the middle.
- Loose, Aggressive Beginner
Jasmine 'Jumpin' Jasmine' Chin- Paris, France
- Jasmine is a novice and picks her hands carefully. But when she hits, she's the first to jump in the pot.
- Tight, Aggressive Beginner
Jerry 'The Youngster' Lee- Oak Brook, IL
- Jerry is barely legal playing age but thinks he knows more than the 20 year Omaha veterans. The way he tells it, he never loses a hand because of his poor play.
- Loose, Aggressive Beginner
John 'What?' Williams- Pascagoula, MS, USA
- John is having some trouble figuring out the game. He can't figure out how to calculate pot, so he tries to stay out of the fray.
- Tight, Passive Beginner
Tom 'Hot Shot' Brown- Lubbock, TX
- Tom is a hot shot hold 'em player who has only been playing Omaha for a couple of months. He hasn't quite figured out yet that two pair is almost never the nuts.
- Loose, Passive Beginner
Sharon 'Simple Sharon' Bond- London, UK
- Sharon likes to keep it simple. If she's got it, she bets. If she doesn't... she'll pay to see if she's got it on the next card.
- Loose, Passive Average
Ken 'Tightwad' Mathers- Manchester, MO
- Ken likes to keep his money safe in his stack. He knows how to read a board, and he can see every draw you might have.
- Tight, Passive Average
Stan 'Stan the Man' Marsden- New York City, NY, USA
- Stan is a senior who hops in any Omaha game he can find. He wants to play as long as he can, so he hates to say goodbye to a chip.
- Tight, Passive Average
Charles 'Chipstack Charlie' Chi- SanAngelo, TX
- Charlie tends to limit his starting hands, but when he chooses to play, his favorite word is 'Pot!'
- Tight, Aggressive Average
Jason 'Move-in Miller' Miller- Joliet, IL, USA
- Jason plays all of the hands. And he raises them too!
- Loose, Aggressive Average
Fiona 'Foldin' Fiona' Simpson- Clinton, OK
- Fiona likes to see a flop. But if she doesn't hit her hand hard out of the gate she is quick to fold.
- Tight, Aggressive Average
Cal 'Calling Cal' Andrews- San Antonio, TX
- Cal picks his starting hands carefully. Even when he has the nuts, he's more likely to call than raise.
- Tight, Passive Average
Ralph 'Raisin' Ralph' Rummler- Winter Haven, FL
- Ralph likes all the hands. If he doesn't hit, he can see all his backdoor draws. He will raise, raise, raise on every street.
- Loose, Aggressive Average
Allen 'Average Allen' Larson- Las Vegas, NV
- Allen is of average average height, weight, and playing ability.
- Tight, Aggressive Average
Ron 'Hyper' Rodriquez- Paris, France
- Ron likes Omaha because of all the action, yet still has trouble staying in his seat. He calls too much when he gets bored.
- Loose, Passive Average
Nick 'Quick' Patterson- Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Nick knows when to hold 'em and knows when to fold 'em, and make decisions fast. If he's in the hand, you're likely in trouble.
- Tight, Aggressive Good
Steve 'Steamin' Norton- Rue de la Rulles, Belgium
- Steve's an expert in Hold 'Em. He's relatively new to this Omaha thing, but he knows his way around a pot.
- Tight, Aggressive Good
Sonny 'Sunshine' Garcia- Atlantic City, NJ, USA
- Sonny wants action, but he also likes to win. He's going to see a lot of pots, and do his best to bet you off your draws.
- Loose, Aggressive Good
Betty 'Bad Beat' Jorgenson- Andalucia, Spain
- Betty is a solid player, but every hand she loses she considers a bad beat, and let's everyone know.
- Tight, Aggressive Good
Stuart 'The Regular' Little- Newark, NY, USA
- Stuart plays Omaha almost every day. As a result, he's learned all the tricks and you won't get much past him.
- Loose, Aggressive Good
Joe 'Know-It-All' Martin- Miami, FL
- Joe always knows his pot odds. And if you are at a table with him, you will too.
- Tight, Aggressive Good
Dennis 'Dennis the Menace' Reed- Atlanta, GA, USA
- Dennis likes to play loose, and he's too passive as well. But others at his table don't like how often he gets there on the river.
- Loose, Passive Good
Dominick 'The Don' Esposito- Split, Croatia
- Dominick likes to play the table captain. Woe to those who challenge him.
- Loose, Aggressive Good
Arlene 'Agile Arlene' Amundsen- Saginaw, MI, USA
- Arlene likes to play a lot of hands, but she knows when to get out of the pot.
- Loose, Aggressive Good
George 'Grandpa' Cameron- Yuba City, CA
- George is so old that you're not sure how he got to the table. And he's so passive that you might not notice he's there
- Tight, Passive Good
Jack 'Juke Box' Jones- Roanoke, VA, USA
- Jim likes to belt out old lyrics while playing a lot of hands. By the end of a session you'll be begging him to stop betting and singing.
- Loose, Aggressive Expert
Paul 'The Player' Patterson- Angleton, TX
- Paul knows when to fold pre-flop, but builds big pots when he has the nuts. Get deep in a hand with him and you'll have little to show for it.
- Tight, Aggressive Expert
Tony 'Tricky Tony' Thomas- Houston, TX, USA
- Tony plays all the right hands and has great board vision. If you're not sure why he bet, get out of the way.
- Tight, Aggressive Expert
Sarah 'Sneaky Sarah' Smith- Flint, MI
- Sarah is quiet and unassuming. You won't even realize she's in the pot until all your chips are in her hands.
- Loose, Aggressive Expert
Ben 'The Teacher' Bellows- Cape Town, South Africa
- Ben loves to see a new player at the table. He will teach them everything he knows, whether they like it or not.
- Tight, Aggressive Expert
Stan 'Solid Stan' Li- Roanoke, VA
- Stan has a reputation for solid play. Secretly, he's an expert who is very careful not to show it.
- Tight, Aggressive Expert
Alex 'Action Alex' Santiago- Accra, Ghana
- Alex likes his action. But he also knows when to get out or the hand.
- Loose, Aggressive Expert
Jennifer 'The Beauty' Brady- Alcala, Spain
- Jennifer's striking looks disarm her opponents. When she scoops the pot, you won't see it coming.
- Loose, Aggressive Expert
Antoine 'Action' Jackson- Hai Phong, Vietnam
- Antoine knows what he's doing. When you're playing with him, you won't know what hit you.
- Tight, Aggressive Expert
Liam 'Little Liam' McDonnel- Barbers Point, HI
- Liam looks so young you'll want to send him back to junior high. But if you don't watch out, he'll be schooling you.
- Loose, Aggressive Expert
George 'HORSE' McLaren- Tampa, FL, USA
- George gets his nickname not from his looks, but from his favorite game. No surprise, he has a complete game.
- Loose, Aggressive Pro
Tatiana 'The Pro' Timovich- Quaker Gap, NC
- Tatiana went pro a decade ago. And when you sit down with her, you'll see why.
- Tight, Aggressive Pro
Mateo 'Magic' Sebastian- Kansas City, MO, USA
- Mateo has some tricks up his sleeve.
- Solid, Balanced Game
Ivan 'Ivan the Great' Popov- Wichita, KS
- He may not be a Tsar, but he'll expand his territory like one.
- Intimidating, relentless
Qui 'The Enforcer' Wei- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Qui runs the table like the pro he is. Seizing control from him is no easy task.
- Deep Thinking, Loose Aggressive
Sam 'Slammin' Sam' Steinback- Los Angeles, CA
- Sam generally leaves the table a winner. But when he doesn't, he's gonna slam his chair on the way out.
- Disciplined, crafty pro
Carol 'The Empress' O'Leary- Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Carol is always dressed to the nines. Her bankroll is always well appointed too.
- World-class pro
Terrell 'Talented Terrell' Thompson- Savannah, GA
- Terrell knows his way around the table. His instincts are unmatched.
- Instinctive, deceptive pro
Jimmy 'The Kid' James- Ames, IA, USA
- Jimmy went pro at 18. Omaha has been his specialty from the beginning.
- Brilliant, complex strategy
Harold 'Elder Statesman' Simpson- Serbia
- Harold is rumored to have played in the first Omaha game in the 80s. If you sit down with him, you'll believe the rumors are true.
- Successful, tricky player
What do my statistics mean? ^Top
On some pages, such as the 'My Hands Played' and 'Session Report' pages, you may find your statistics listed. If you've never looked at poker statistics before, the names may be unfamiliar to you. The statistics calculated and stored are as follows:
VPIP - Voluntarily Put $ In Pot (%) - This is the percentage of hands where you either called or made a raise preflop. A check from the big blind or fold from the small blind does not count, because the bet was mandatory. This statistic determines whether you are a loose or tight player. Good players have a wide range of VPIP figures - within the range of 14-28% in a 9 player game.
PFR - Pre-Flop Raise (%) - The percent of hands in which you raised preflop (to call another player's raise does not count). This characteristic often divides players into passive/aggressive. A good rule of thumb is that this value should be 1/2 of your VPIP figure or more. Raises from passive players should be respected, whereas raises from maniacs with high PFR can be counteracted with aggressive play back.
AF - Aggression Factor - This is calculated as the total number of bets and raises you made after the flop, divided by your number of calls. It compares how often you bet and raise, versus how often you just call. The higher the number, the more aggressive you are. The average factor of aggression for winning players in a 9 player game is 2.7 (with a range of 2 to 3.4).
WTS - Went to Showdown (%) - The percent of times you went to the showdown after seeing the flop. Average figure is 24%, with a range of 19-27%. This statistic helps define tight/loose play after the flop. It also is good for determining the effectiveness of a bluff against a player. A player with high WTS is often a “calling station”. A player with a lower value is afraid to lose, on dangerous flops they might fold any cards except for the nuts. Against these tight players, a bluff is an effective play.
W$S - Won $ at Showdown (%) - The percent of times you won money at the showdown, out of those times you went to the showdown. For example, if you went to the showdown 10 times, and you won 8 of those, this number would be 80%. This number tells you how often you are showing down the best hand, and you certainly want it to be at least 50%. Note: 'Winning money at the showdown' is defined as ending the hand with more chips than you started it with. Sometimes in split pots and all-in situations, you might win some chips at the showdown, but lose money overall.
CBET - Continuation Bet (%) - This is calculated as a measure of aggressiveness on the flop when you were the pre-flop aggressor. It is calculated as the percentage of times you bet on the flop when it was checked to you and you had also raised pre-flop. Your desire to CBET is strongly affected by board texture. Some flops are so favorable to the pre-flop raiser's range that you might choose to CBET nearly every time. On un-favorable boards, you might be cbetting as little as 25% of the time.
Did not fold BB to steal - this is the percent of hands when you were in the big blind and you defended against someone attempting to steal the blinds (an attempt to steal is defined as any raise from the Cutoff, Button, or Small Blind if no other player has entered the hand first). The best 9-max players on OPT average about 30%. This gives you a good idea about how tight someone plays from the blinds, and is often used as a guide for whether to attempt a steal. Note that at lower stakes games, this statistic is rarely meaningful because it is rare to have no one in the pot by the cutoff when the game is loose. However, if you find your percent falling to a low range, you can be sure other players will notice and try to take advantage of your tight play.
Attempts to steal blinds - How often you attempted to steal the blinds when given the opportunity. The previous statistic showed protection of blinds, this is the attacking side of it. The best 9-max players on OPT average 27%, because blind stealing is not as common in PLO as it is in Holdem. The higher this number is, the more it is necessary to protect against such a player more actively, because he can attack with hands much worse than yours. This is not as important in a low stakes game, again because opportunities are not as common.
BB/100 - The average number of big blinds won (or lost) per hundred hands. This is often used as a measure of the success of a player at a given level. It is important to note that there are huge amounts of variance in this number, and even large numbers of hands cannot accurately tell you your precise win rate. For example, even after 20,000 hands, your true long term BB/100 might be only 1/2 as much, or on the other hand it might be double. It really takes a long time to get an accurate assessment of this one.
Attempt To Steal Poker Tracker
Chips/100 - The average number of chips won (or lost) per hundred hands. This is the same as BB/100, only it is measured in total chips, not big blinds.
Do you have a suggestion for a statistic that would be great to store? If so, just contact us and we'll respond to your suggestion.
How do I view my statistics? ^Top
Statistics are saved for all registered users, but they can only be viewed by full members. If you are not a full member, you can sign up for a membership package.
Pokertracker Attempt To Steal
If you are a member, your statistics can always be viewed on your My Hands Played and My Sessions Played pages. However, the My Reports page is the best ways to track your progress!
What if I only play Hold'em? ^Top
You're in luck! Our Hold'em site, Advanced Poker Training, is the World's #1 poker training site, with over 50,000 members from 175 countries since 2009!
How much does membership cost? ^Top
Please see our Prices and Guarantee page for a list of package prices.
How do I change my password or update my email address? ^Top
Visit the My Account page and click on 'Change Password/Edit Profile'
Can I export and download all the hands I've played on Omaha Poker Training?^Top
Sorry, currently that feature is not available.
I just configured the game to deal me only a specific type of hand for a session. Won't this affect my reports?^Top
When viewing your reports, you'll notice a checkbox that says 'Show randomly dealt hands only'. This box is checked by default, meaning a session such as the one you described (or, a session where you froze the button) would not influence your reports. Please see a more detailed discussion here.
In order to be a winning tournament player, you have to include blind stealing as apart of your overall strategy. Stealing the blinds will help you to keep your stack above average, so that you can avoid having to resort to a push/fold strategy. It also gives you a moderately active image. That way you can still get some action when you want it.
That said, stealing, much like taking something without asking in the real world, comes with risks. Consequences too. If you want to minimize your risks, and avoid getting caught, there are a few things you should be aware of when stealing in tournaments.
You won’t see a sophisticated jewel thief shaking down a kid for his lunch money. It’s not worth the risk of having to spend years in prison over a couple bucks.
You should approach the early stages of a tournament with a similar mindset. Poker tournaments will start players with 2k, 5k or 10k chip stacks, and the blinds will start at 10/20 or 25/50. The blinds will only represent 1% (or less) of your stack.
1% isn’t worth your time, especially when considering the consequences. One consequence would be having to deal with the awkward situations you might find yourself in post flop. Stealing early on will also give a loose image. You’ll be given less credit in the later stages, making your steals less effective, not to mention less profitable.
I’m certainly not saying that you shouldn’t steal the blinds in the early stages. What I am saying is that you should focus on stacks of cash, gold or diamonds — not milk money. Pick your spots wisely early on.
Stealing the Blinds with Min-Raises
Once the antes kick in, then you can start to mix in some blind steals. With the antes added in, the pot can represent as little as 10% or as much as 40% of your stack. That’s money worth stealing.
The approach I take when stealing blinds is to min-raise. Not everyone agrees with this. Let me explain why I like it though.
It all comes down to pot size. For example, when stealing the blinds, the idea should be to invest as little as possible while trying to maximize your returns. If the pot has 750 in it at 100/200/50, and you decide to 3.5x to steal, you’re trying to win 750 by investing 700. You have to win the blinds approximately 1 out of 2 attempts (50%) to breakeven. However, if you min-raise to 400, you only have to win approximately 1 out of 3 attempts (33%) to breakeven.
Which is easier to accomplish — winning 33% of the time or winning 50% of the time? 33%, all day long.
When you min-raise, your c-bets are smaller too. Think about it — raise up to 700, and say that you’re called by the big blind. There is 1950 in the pot. Your c-bet will have to be something like 1100 chips. However, if you min-raise instead, the pot will only be 1350. Your c-bet can be 650 here, almost 500 chips less.
My whole idea behind the min-raise is to reduce the risk of losing a lot of money. When I min-raise, I reduce the amount I can lose stealing, c-betting the flop and I also reduce the amount of times I’m restolen from, since there is less dead money in the pot.
Being Aware of Your Opponents When Stealing the Blinds
It should go without saying, but if you don’t want to get caught stealing, you really need to pay attention to your opponents. Look for two things — image and stack size.
Image is easy. Pay attention to what your opponents do. Do they play a lot of hands or only the nuts? Do they give up their blinds without a fight, or do they constantly defend them? Don’t only consider the images of the blinds either, consider the players on the button and in the cutoff too (depending on where you’re stealing from). The more players that you have to go through, naturally the higher the risk. You can reduce this risk by adjusting your stealing frequency and value/bluff hands, depending on how you perceive your opponents.
Stack sizes are important too. During the late stages of a tournament, you’ll find that a lot of players are hovering right around 15-25 big blind stacks. These are perfect stack sizes for resteals, because the pot will make up so much of their stacks.
If you want to avoid the awkward spots of having to call off with 98s because you got cute and tried to steal, you’ll want to narrow your range to more hands that you’re willing to call shoves with (than not). That’s the only way to avoid getting caught stealing with resteal stacks to your left, and having to pay the consequence — a sizeable chunk of your stack.