Button Stealing Range

Context: Term article: Button Stealing Range

Concept Explanation

In Texas Hold'em, the Button Stealing Range refers to the range of hands a player on the button (dealer position) uses to raise (typically 2-3 big blinds) to increase their win rate when all previous players have folded. The button is the last to act preflop, giving it significant informational and positional advantages, making it the best position for stealing blinds.

Range Composition

The stealing range is generally wider than the standard raising range, including many medium-strength and marginal hands. Typically, the button's stealing range can include about 40%-50% of hands, for example:

• All pairs (22+)
• All ace-high hands (A2s+, A9o+)
• All suited connectors (54s+)
• Some suited gappers (e.g., J9s, T8s)
• Some high cards (KTo, QJo, etc.)

Considerations

The actual stealing range should be adjusted dynamically based on the following factors:

• Blind players' style: Against tight-passive players, widen the range; against loose-aggressive players, tighten it.
• Stack depth: With deep stacks, the range can be wider; with short stacks, be more cautious.
• Opponent's fold-to-steal rate: A high fold rate allows a more aggressive range.
• ICM impact: In tournaments, tighten the range near the money bubble or final table.

Example

Typically, when the action folds to the button against the small and big blinds, the button can raise with the following range: all pairs, all ace-high hands, all suited connectors (including gappers), and some K/Q high offsuit hands. The specific range should be adjusted based on historical data on opponents.