This article is for those players who are using HUD software or planning to use one. If you are a novice player, continue reading to find out how Fold to Steal HUD stats help you to steal blinds effectively.
What is Blind Stealing?
Blind stealing is a tricky preflop move that helps you to win uncontested blinds. It is usually attempted from late positions in a situation where everyone has folded before you. You raise in an attempt to force both the players in the big and small blinds to fold and steal their blinds. In this article, we will see how Fold to Steal HUD stats help you to steal blinds in online poker.
Why is Blind Stealing Important?
Blinds are forced bets you need to pay in cash games and tournaments. If you are playing a 6-max game, you will have to pay 1.5 big blind every 6 hands. This means that you will have to pay 25 big blinds every 100 hands, even if you don’t enter the pot even once. So, when you steal the blinds, you can cover your blind cost up to a certain extent. Blind stealing will have your stack balanced even if you play very tight. However, you need to be certain of your opponent folding to your raise. With the help of the Fold to Steal HUD stats, you will be able to make accurate decisions on how successful your attempts to steal will be in online poker.
If you don’t know how to steal blinds, click to learn: Blind Stealing in Poker Explained
Fold to Steal HUD Stats
Different HUDs have different names for the stats. The most common name is Fold to Steal%, which has two components.
SB Fold to Steal
Also known as SB Fold Vs Steal in some HUDs, this stats shows at what percentage the player in the Small Blind folds to an open raise from the Cutoff or Button. For example, if a player has SB Fold to Steal of 90%, he has folded 90% of the time to an open-raise from the Cutoff or Button when he is in the Small Blind.
BB Fold to Steal
Also known as BB Fold Vs Steal in some HUDs, this stats shows at what percentage the player in the Big Blind folds to an open raise from the Cutoff, Button or Small Blind. For example, if a player has BB Fold to Steal of 20%, he has folded only 20% of the time to a raise from the Cutoff, Button or Small Blind when he is in the Big Blind. He usually defends his big blinds against an open-raise from these positions.
How to Use Fold to Steal HUD Stats?
When you are on the button, you need to look at the Fold to Steal HUD stats of both the players in the small and big blinds to decide whether they will fold to your raise. For example,
Small Blind: Fold to Steal% – 93
Big Blind: Fold to Steal% – 79
You need to calculate the stats of both the players to get an accurate read.
Total Fold to Steal% = 0.93 X 0.79
= 0.73 or 73%
This means that your steal will be successful 73% of the time. You can widen your range in your attempt to steal as you are more likely to succeed.
Let’s Look at More Examples
Example 1
Small Blind: VPIP 24/ PFR 14/ SB Fold to Steal% 86
Big Blind: VPIP 18/ PFR 7/ SB Fold to Steal% 94
The Small blind is a tight-aggressive player who folds around 86% to a raise in an unopened pot. The Big Blind is a NIT who will give up his Big Blind around 94%. So, let’s calculate the total Fold to Steal%.
Total Fold to Steal% = 0.86 X 0.94
= 0.81 or 81%
This should be an easy steal as you have such good Fold to Steal percentage. You can open with a wide range as you are most likely to succeed. In case the Big Blind makes a re-raise, you should probably fold as he must be re-raising with very strong hands.
Example 2
Small Blind: VPIP 24/ PFR 14/ SB Fold to Steal% 72
Big Blind: VPIP 40/ PFR 31/ SB Fold to Steal% 40
The Small Blind is a TAG who gives up his small blind at around 72% in an unopened pot. However, the Big Blind is a LAG who does not give up his big blind so easily. You may force the Small Blind to fold, but it will be difficult to force the Big Blind to fold.
Total Fold to Steal% = 0.72 X 0.4
= 0.29 or 29%
Even the Total Fold to Steal is only 29%. So, if you are planning to steal, you must attempt with a strong range so that you can hold a better hand than the Big Blind if he calls.
Good Fold to Steal Stats
Anything above 50% as the total Fold to Steal of the big and small blinds combined is good. If it is above 70%, it will be much easier to steal. Always multiply both the small and big blind steal percentages to get a better picture of how successful your attempt is likely to be.
Conclusion
Look at the VPIP and PFR stats of the players in the blinds to understand their playing style. Compare them with the Steal percentage to get a better picture. Calculate the total steal percentage of both the blinds before stealing. It is easier to steal if both the players in the blinds are tight players. If one of the players is loose, it is better to steal with a strong hand. Fold to Steal% are great HUD stats that you should include in your HUD for better chances at stealing.
