10 More Essential Hold’em Moves: The Re-Steal

Recommended Poker Sites – Editor’s Pick
Image
Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: January 21, 2025

Table of Content

There’s no simple fix for becoming a winning poker player.

But there are a handful of simple, easy-to-execute poker moves that can make a world of difference to your bottom line.

By fine-tuning these tactics you’ll have more tools to put to work at the poker table. You’ll be able to better understand your opponents and how to manipulate them, and that will translate directly to money in your pocket.

We already wrote the book on the 10 Essential Texas Hold’em Moves and now we’re back to bring you 10 more.

Today we explain the re-steal. A close relative of the light three-bet, the re-steal is a move that will make you more money by turning your opponents’ aggression against them.

How to Re-Steal in Poker

With basic poker knowledge becoming more and more commonplace you’ll see players raising a lot from late position to steal the blinds, especially in tournaments. By learning when it’s profitable to re-steal you’ll be able to pick up that raise, plus take the blinds and antes for yourself.

The What: The re-steal refers to three-betting when you suspect a loose, aggressive player has raised to steal the blinds.

The Why: Good players know that if it folds to them on or close to the button they can raise profitably with a wide range of hands. This makes them vulnerable because much of the time their hand isn’t strong enough to call a three-bet.

The When: The re-steal is used most often in tournaments and sit and gos when the blinds become big enough to be worth stealing.

The Where: The re-steal is often used from the blinds to defend against a late-position raiser but can also be used when you are in position.

The Who: Re-steals work best against good players since they are more likely to raise-fold marginal hands.

How to Re-Steal the Right Way

To be clear: If you are re-stealing, you are bluffing, meaning you believe you have a worse hand than your opponent.

Three-betting when you think you have the best hand is simply raising for value.

So, if re-stealing is a bluff and requires your opponent to fold for you to win the pot, it’s essential to understand the factors that contribute to you getting the fold you’re looking for.

When looking for spots to re-steal you should consider the player you suspect of stealing, as well as your table-image, position and what kind of cards you’re holding.

Another important point for beginners is that you must have a plan for the rest of the hand if you get called. It’s easy to get lost when you’re out of position in a three-bet pot.

Related Reading:

How to Re-Steal from the Stealers

The re-steal relies on your opponents’ malicious intent to rob the table of its blinds and antes. Being able to spot a thief is the name of the game.

Look for players who are generally good. Chances are if they’re playing a winning strategy, they’re raising a lot from late position.

Looser, more aggressive players are better but it’s important to differentiate between maniacs who will auto-shove when you three-bet, calling stations that will call with anything and your target:

  • Thinking players who are willing to raise-fold with marginal hands.

Pay attention to everyone’s preflop behavior and go after the players who are always raising from the button and cut-off.

Related Reading:

How Not to Suck at Poker: Pay Attention

Table Image, Credibility and the Re-Steal

Like any good con man, you have to be believable to get away with your bluff. 

That’s why you must be aware of your own table image, just as much as that of the player you’re targeting with your re-steal.

If you’ve been on a heater raising and three-betting with big hands for the last few orbits, people are less likely to believe you when you decide to do it as a bluff.

Generally a competent, tight-aggressive table image is best suited for re-stealing.

Be Careful Re-Stealing with Rags

Once you’re able to recognize good spots to re-steal, there are a few other factors you should consider before making your final decision. Position is very important, and although the most common place to re-steal from is the blinds, the best place to do it is on the button.

People will be far less likely to call if they have to play the pot out of position. This is especially true of the competent players you’ll be targeting with this move.

And even though you’re looking for a fold, the cards in your hand still matter. After all, if you get called you’re going to have to play the rest of the hand with them. Be careful re-stealing with hands like ace-rag and K-Q, because when you do get called you’ll usually be dominated.

Lower suited connectors and small pocket pairs are good hands since you’ll either hit the flop hard or miss it completely, making you less likely to lose more money with the worst hand on later streets.

Related Reading:

3 Keys to Re-Stealing

  • 1. Target players that open a lot of pots from late position
  • 2. Target players who can fold weak hands 
  • 3. The Re-steal works best when you have a solid table image

Re-Steal Bet-Size Guidelines

The re-steal is a bluff so it’s important that your raise is big enough to make your opponent fold marginal hands. If your raise is too small you could price players into calling with hands they’d fold to a larger raise.

A good rule of thumb: Make your raise bigger than the sum of the blinds, antes and the initial raise. 3x your opponent’s bet is standard.

Eg. if blinds are 1k/2k and your opponent makes it 5k, 15k is a reasonable 3-bet. Watch the video below to see how it works:

The Re-Steal in Action

In perhaps the most extreme example of re-stealing ever caught on film, Phil Ivey shows us why the re-steal works so well against good, aggressive players. The hand begins with a re-steal from Ivey in the big blind and spins out of control shortly after.

Additional Concepts for Effective Re-Steals

Developing a solid re-steal strategy can increase your profitability in both tournaments and cash games. As the general player pool has become more knowledgeable, incorporating a few extra layers of analysis and range balancing can help you stay ahead of the curve. These concepts become especially significant when you face tougher fields, where simple aggression is not enough.

Understanding how to adjust your ranges and react to various playing styles is critical. You should be able to identify situations where a player’s late-position raise is truly weak, or spots where your re-steal might be too obvious. Balancing your three-bet bluffs and value hands keeps good opponents guessing, while also ensuring you don’t make yourself an easy target for four-bets or calls from suspicious players.

Applying GTO Principles

Using Game Theory Optimal (GTO) principles can help you re-steal more effectively by ensuring your play is balanced and difficult to exploit. When you three-bet for value and balance it with enough bluffs, opponents have a tougher time reading your exact hand strength. This approach also reduces the likelihood that an observant player can profitably four-bet or flat-call to trap you.

GTO-based re-stealing involves analyzing your opponent’s opening ranges and frequency of continuation plays after three-bet pots. If you believe your opponent is stealing too often and folding too much to re-steals, you can expand your bluffing range. If they adjust by calling more, you can tighten up and include stronger semi-bluff hands that can stand a call. The key is to remain unpredictable, which is essential in modern poker environments.

Adapting to Table Dynamics

While GTO principles provide a solid foundation, understanding table dynamics and specific player tendencies is what makes an expert re-stealer truly dangerous. If you notice a player has been forced to fold multiple times after opening, they may start calling light. In that case, you might choose to re-steal only with hands that have more post-flop playability. Conversely, if an opponent over-defends, you can exploit them by using a more value-heavy three-bet range.

Watch how the table reacts to your three-bets, especially after showdowns. If you’ve shown down a bluff, your re-steals might lose credibility. If you show down a strong hand, you might gain even more fold equity in subsequent re-steal spots. Adjusting on a hand-by-hand basis is critical, and it separates skilled professionals from those who follow a rigid formula without responding to changes in the game.

FAQ

What is a re-steal?

A re-steal is a bluff in which you three-bet against a late-position raiser whom you suspect is raising with a weak or wide range of hands.

Do I need to worry about my table image when re-stealing?

Yes. Your table image affects your credibility. If you’ve been showing down strong hands or playing a tight-aggressive style, opponents are more likely to fold to your re-steal.

Which kinds of hands are best for re-stealing?

Suited connectors and smaller pairs can be effective because they either connect strongly with the flop or miss it completely, making post-flop decisions more straightforward. Be wary of re-stealing with hands like ace-rag or K-Q, as you can be dominated when called.

How important is bet sizing for a re-steal?

Bet sizing is critical. Making your three-bet large enough to encourage folds is essential since you usually want to win the pot immediately without seeing a flop. A typical sizing is around three times your opponent’s initial raise.

Can GTO strategies improve my re-steal success rate?

Yes. Balancing your re-steal range using Game Theory Optimal principles can make it harder for opponents to exploit you. It involves mixing enough bluff hands with your value hands so that your opponents cannot easily read your strength.

Are re-steals only for tournaments, or can they work in cash games?

Re-steals can work in both settings. They’re most common when blinds and antes are large compared to stack sizes, which happens frequently in tournaments. However, in deeper cash games, using a re-steal approach against frequent stealers can still be profitable with the right reads and adjustments.

How do I adjust if my re-steal gets called frequently?

You may need to narrow your three-bet range or switch to more value-heavy hands. Observing opponents’ calling ranges and willingness to four-bet will help you fine-tune your strategy and avoid unnecessary losses.

Read More Essential Texas Hold’em Moves:

Recommended