Stealing Range from Cutoff

Overview

Stealing Range from Cutoff refers to the range of hands a player chooses to raise with when in the cutoff (the position before the button) in order to exploit positional advantage and steal the blinds. This strategy is common in cash games and tournaments, especially when blind levels are high and opponents have high fold rates.

Range Composition

Stealing Range from Cutoff is typically wider than early position but slightly narrower than the button. A typical range includes:

• Strong hands: All pairs (22+), high cards (A9o+, KTo+, QJo+), suited connectors (A2s+, K9s+, Q9s+, J8s+, T7s+, 97s+, 86s+), etc.
• Marginal hands: Some offsuit connectors (e.g., A8o, K9o, Q9o, J9o, T9o) and weak suited hands (e.g., A3s-A5s, K7s-K8s, Q7s-Q8s, J7s, T6s) depending on opponent's fold tendency.
• Blind-stealing specific hands: Using table image, you can add more trash hands like suited gappers (e.g., J9s, T8s, 98s) or even weak offsuit hands (e.g., K2o, Q5o), but with caution.

Influencing Factors

Adjusting the stealing range from cutoff requires considering:

• Opponent's fold frequency: If the big blind folds often, widen the range.
• Blind size: Larger blinds increase the reward for successful steals, allowing a wider range.
• Stack depth: Avoid over-investing with marginal hands in deep stacks; be more aggressive in shallow stacks.
• Table image: A tight image can steal more pots successfully; a loose image is likely to get re-raised.

Strategy Example

Assume you are at a 6-handed table, blinds 100/200, effective stack 20000. In the cutoff with JTo:

• If the big blind folds more than 30%, raise to 500.
• If the big blind frequently 3-bets, fold and wait for a better opportunity.

Notes

• Stealing range should mix strong hands (value raises) and weak hands (steals) to balance the range.
• When facing a 3-bet, decide to call or fold based on opponent tendencies and hand strength.