Defending your blinds against steal attempts is a critical tournament skill. The key is choosing the right spots to fight back without overcommitting.
Identifying Steal Attempts
Late position raises (CO, BTN, SB) are often steals with wide ranges. Recognize this to find profitable defense opportunities.
Counter-Strategies
3-bet light: re-raise with a mix of value and bluffs to put the stealer under pressure
Call and play postflop: with hands that play well in position or have good implied odds
Push all-in: with a short stack (15-20 BB), the resteal shove is the most effective counter
Which Hands to Defend With
Defend with hands that have equity when called: suited connectors, suited aces, broadway cards, and medium pairs.
Avoid defending with weak offsuit hands that will be dominated postflop.
Sizing Your 3-Bet Defense
With 20-30 BB: 3-bet to 6-7 BB (leaves room for fold equity)
With 15-20 BB: 3-bet all-in (maximizes fold equity)
