Pre-flop: Middle Phase

Basic Chart

You have more than 13 BB and less than 24 BB and are consequently in the middle phase. In the middle phase there is no room for passive play. There is too much at stake so you can’t take any chances with questionable hands. When you play you do so aggressively but you choose the occasions with great care. This is a phase where you tighten up your basic playing style but at the same time you add two special moves to your repertoire that ultimately extends your action horizon beyond that of the early phase. These two moves are known as blind steals and steal re-raises. We will begin with the basic chart for the middle phase and then move on to the special moves.

Click here for printable version of the complete Sit N Go handout (including the chart below).

Size of your raise: You raise to 4BB + 1BB per caller. Should this raise exceed more than 50% of your stack you go all-in.

Blind Steal

Now we come to the first of the two special moves: the blind steal. This is, just like the name implies, an attempt to steal the blinds. This is something you only can pull off under special circumstances. You need to act late in the betting round and everybody before you must have folded. The chances are slim that somebody would call or re-raise after you under such circumstances and this leaves you with the pot consisting of the blinds.

Requirements for a blind steal

►You must be in one of the three following three positions:
LP1 (CO)
LP2 (BU)
SB

►Everyone must have folded before you.

When you do a blind steal you always raise to 4 BB. Please observe that you can not do a blind steal with just any starting hand. In the event that someone calls your raise you need a reasonable chance of winning.

Click here for printable version of the complete Sit N Go handout (including the chart below).

Steal Re-raise

Finally we come to the second special move: the steal re-raise. This is when you go all-in after another player has raised. You steal the raise by betting so much that you discourage everyone else from playing, including the player who raised before you. This move only works when a single opponent has raised before you and nobody has called before or after him. Few if any would stake their entire stacks when facing the unfavourable pot odds that your steal re-raise has created. Chances are that everyone will fold after such a vulgar display of aggression. Especially considering that a position in the money is likely around the corner with the middle phase well underway. However, you will need strong hands to pull this off and it is your opponent’s position rather than your own that decides what hands you can go all-in with. Even though not all players are familiar with the concept of table position most of them will intuitively play tighter in earlier positions and looser in later positions. It is a matter of simple psychology. People in general like to wait and see what everyone else does before making up their minds. Players are not likely to take the initiative with questionable hands before they have seen what everyone else is up to. And believe it or not, most players can tell the difference between a very good starting hand and a very bad starting hand.

Requirements for a steal re-raise: Exactly one player has raised before you and nobody has called before or after him.

Steal Re-raise Chart