Steal from CO

Overview

"Steal from CO" refers to a raise made from the cutoff (CO) seat—the position immediately to the right of the dealer button—when all earlier players have folded. The primary goal is to exploit the positional advantage and the fact that only the button, small blind, and big blind remain to act, making it easier to win the pot without a fight. Stealing is a fundamental part of aggressive preflop strategy, especially in tournaments where preserving chips and accumulating dead money (blinds and antes) is crucial.

When to Steal

Stealing is most profitable when:

• The blinds are tight or passive and likely to fold to a raise.
• You have a weak or marginal hand that would be difficult to play out of position postflop.
• Your table image appears tight, so opponents give your raise extra respect.
• Stack sizes are deep enough that a raise does not commit too much relative to your stack, but short stacks may also steal to survive.

Conversely, stealing becomes riskier against opponents who defend aggressively (e.g., frequent 3-bets) or when your own table image is loose.

Recommended Range

A typical stealing range from the cutoff is wider than from early position but narrower than from the button. A common guideline is to raise with approximately the top 25-40% of hands, depending on opponent tendencies. This includes:

• All pairs (22+)
• All suited aces (A2s+)
• Most offsuit aces (A9o+ or stronger)
• Broadway cards (KQo, KJo, QJo, etc.)
• Suited connectors (e.g., 87s+) and suited one-gappers (e.g., 97s+)

However, ranges should be adjusted based on the tendencies of the blinds and button. Against tight opponents, you can steal with a wider range; against loose or aggressive defenders, tighten up.

Sizing

Standard steal sizes are usually 2.2 to 3 big blinds (BB) when no antes are present. In tournaments with antes, a larger size (e.g., 2.5-3.5 BB) is common to compensate for the increased dead money and to discourage flat calls. The goal is to make the price for defenders unattractive while minimizing risk when you fold to a 3-bet.

Postflop Considerations

When your steal is called, you usually have position (unless the button calls), which is an advantage. However, your hand range is weak on average, so continuation betting frequency should be moderate. On flops that connect with your range (e.g., low cards when you hold suited connectors) or that miss the defender's range, a c-bet is often profitable. Against aggressive defenders, you may need to check back more or be prepared to fold to check-raises.

Related Concepts

• Defend the Blind: The action of calling or raising a steal attempt from the blinds, often with a wider range.
• 3-bet in Position: The button may 3-bet your steal attempt, forcing you to fold many hands.
• Limping vs. Raising: Stealing typically implies raising, not limping, because limping invites the blinds to see a cheap flop and reduces fold equity.

Example

In a 9-handed tournament with blinds 100/200 and a 25 ante, it folds to you (CO) holding 9♠7♠. You raise to 500 (2.5x BB). The button folds, small blind folds, and big blind calls. The pot is 1,325. This is a standard steal attempt—you risk 500 to win 400 (blinds) + 225 (antes) = 625, requiring a fold rate of about 44% to break even (ignoring postflop equity).