Stealing The Button :

[Kramer]

The dealer position (known as the "button") is the
best position at the poker table.

The reason is because when you're on the button,
you get to act LAST after the flop... giving you
the chance to see what your opponents do first.

This lets you get a "read" on your opponents at
the table... and decide who has a strong hand, who
has a weak hand, who's bluffing, and so on.

OK, so that's common knowledge.

What's also common knowledge is the fact that LATE
POSITIONING is preferred over EARLY POSITIONING...
because once again, you get to see what your
opponents do first before it's your turn to bet,
raise, call, or fold.

Of course, being on the button is BETTER than just
plain late positioning... because the button
GUARANTEES that you will be LAST TO ACT post-flop.

OK, now here's what is NOT common knowledge...

Once you understand positioning and its enormous
implications, you can begin "improving" your
positioning and setting yourself up for more pots
each game.

The technique is called STEALING THE BUTTON.

It's simple... it's practical... and right when
you're done reading this you can
immediately start using it.

Stealing the button is LEVERAGING your late
positioning when you're NOT on the button... but
getting all the same benefits as if you WERE on
the button.

Remember, the dealer position is SO POWERFUL
because it means you're LAST to act post-flop.

Being SECOND TO LAST to act isn't nearly as good,
especially considering there's usually only three
or four players to a flop at an 8-man table.

So what you do is make a reasonable pre-flop RAISE
when you're in late positioning... and therefore
force the player on the button to fold.

Having done this, you'll be last to act after the
flop... the same as if you actually were on the
button. (Hence the name, "stealing the button").

OK, let's look at an example so you can see what
I'm talking about:

Let's say you're sitting two seats to the RIGHT of
the button at a 10-man table. The game is $1-2 no
limit Holdem.

Two players limp-in... and you look down at your
cards: J-9 of clubs.

I call hands like these "semi-connectors"--
they're not quite connected... but almost.

The great thing about semi-connectors is that
they're a "hidden hand". When they HIT (straight,
flush, two pair...) your opponents NEVER see it
coming.

You decide to play your Jack-9 suited. Now
remember, there are two players BEHIND you that
will act post-flop if they both call the blinds.

So it's YOUR JOB to make sure they DON'T limp-in.

The solution is to crank up the pressure...

You make it $15 to play. Nothing crazy (after all,
you don't exactly have a monster). You simply want
to force the two players to your left to FOLD...
which will happen most of the time.

Of course, they won't always fold... because
sometimes they'll pick up a big hand. But odds are
they'll fold.

The RESULT, of course, is now YOU have the button.

Well, not the button exactly... but all the
advantages that it brings.

Sure enough, the two players to your left fold,
and Josh-- who's in the big blind-- is the only
caller.

The flop comes out:

10h-8d-Ks

No flush possibilities for you here, but BINGO,
you've just flopped an open-ended straight draw.

This is the type of flop you hoped for.

Now it's on Josh to act first. And this is where
your positioning is so important. Not only do you
get to see what Josh does first... but you also
have the CONTROL in this situation.

Since you made the pre-flop raise, Josh will
likely check the flop to you... giving you the
opportunity to play aggressively and take down
this pot.

No matter what happens after this, you've set
yourself up to win this pot. Sometimes Josh will
pick up a real hand and come out firing... but
usually not.

Sure enough in our example, Josh checks.

You throw out a $30 semi-bluff. This is a bet you
should make even WITHOUT the open-ender... because
you made the pre-flop raise.

Josh mucks it, and you rake the chips... leaving
the table wondering what you had.

That's how you "steal" the button. It's a simple,
surefire way to gain control at the table by
improving your positioning.

There are five main steps you need to know...

1. You need a playable hand.

If you're going to bluff, make it a "semi-bluff"
by raising with a hand that can hit... something
like semi-connectors.

I personally don't like raising with 7-2 offsuit
or crap like that. It seems to me like an "ego
raise" more than a logical play.

Remember, the key is to gain that extra bit of
control and power by acting LAST after the flop.

2. Force out the player on the button (and
possibly the player to his right).

The whole point to stealing the button is to
ACTUALLY STEAL THE BUTTON. If you make a wussy
raise that doesn't scare anyone, you've failed.

If you're one seat to the right of the button, you
want to raise enough to force the player on the
button out. If you're TWO seats to the right, then
you've got to force out both players to your left.

One of the "secrets" to this process is to ALWAYS
pay attention to the pre-flop betting patterns of
your opponents on the left.

If you're sitting on the right of "Tight Tim" who
only sees flops when he's got pocket pairs, then
you can steal the button quite often.

On the other hand, if you're on the right of a
LOOSE player, you won't be able to steal the
button nearly as much.

So pay attention.

3. After the flop, your opponents will usually
check to you.

Notice if someone bets into you, beware. That's a
red flag. Usually players will check into you
since you raised pre-flop.

When players check into you that gives you the
power to either BET and try to steal the pot right
there... OR... get a free turn card by also
checking.

While I normally recommend a bet, you can check to
mix it up once in awhile or in the case that
you're getting short-stacked.

4. Don't get pot-committed.

Remember, stealing the button is a simple
technique that improves your position and sets you
up to have a BETTER CHANCE at winning the hand.

Don't get stupid. Don't get stubborn and bet any
amount in hopes of bluffing out someone with a
real hand.

Like I said, you need a PLAYABLE hand to steal the
button in the first place.

Don't become pot-committed... Never bet so much
that it's PAINFUL to fold your cards after the
flop.

5. Sometimes you don't need to raise to steal the
button.

Often the blinds will be high enough where you
figure simply CALLING the big blind will get you
the button (this is especially true when you're to
the right of a tight player).

Also, someone in front of you might raise the pot
enough that all you have to do is CALL THE RAISE
and you'll get the button.

OK, so that's the process...

Here are the two types of situations where you DO
want to steal the button...

DO STEAL THE BUTTON WHEN:

1. You sense weakness and want to steal the pot on
a bluff or hidden hand.

2. You have a good hand that you want to play
post-flop.

On the other hand...

DO NOT STEAL THE BUTTON WHEN:

1. You have a poor hand and you sense someone
else has a strong hand.

2. You think someone to your left will call a
raise no matter what (that defeats the purpose).

The MOST IMPORTANT lesson you can get from all
this is to realize that winning poker depends on
ALL THE LITTLE THINGS.

Stealing the button is just a little technique for
setting yourself up for better positioning... it's
not a "game changing" strategy that will double
your poker profits or anything.

But when you combine it with ALL THE OTHER LITTLE
THINGS-- like establishing the right table image,
throwing out feeler bets, representing the flop at
the right times, buying free cards, picking up
betting patterns, spotting tells, and more-- then
you will become a DYNAMIC and POWERFUL poker
player...

AND THEN your poker profits will Increase

A lot of amateurs base their games on the "big
hands" and might get lucky once in awhile. But
over time, the REAL MONEY always goes to the
GRINDERS... the guys who know how to CONSISTENTLY
take down pots.

Roy Rounder

[Seanie Mac]

any 2 cards on the button look like gold

[Kramer]

Originally Posted by Seanie Mac

any 2 cards on the button look like gold

take the poker quiz sir