When learning poker, many players think that success at the table depends on winning big pots.
“I just need to wait for a strong combination and take my opponent’s money” they think.
Over time, beginners understand that small pots heavily also influence the overall result. A few extra blinds per 100 hands separates a winning player from a losing one.
What does ATS mean in poker? You’ll know in a few seconds.
What is ATS and Why is it Important?
ATS stands for Attempt To Steal. Not that kind of stealing. You don’t need to cheat or smuggle anything into your local casino. ATS is a heads-up display (HUD) stat used for extra info on opponents in online poker games.
An attempt to steal is when a raise targets the players in the SB and BB positions, trying to “steal” their blinds.
The technique is used at cash tables and in MTT tournaments.
- In cash games, stealing blinds goes a long way. Sure, some players feel like missing 1.5 blinds isn’t a big deal. Over 100,000 hands, they’ll inflate the bankrolls of many savvy regs.
- In MTT, stealing blinds allows you to maintain a healthier stack. As a result, you can spend more time comfortably outside the push/fold stage. You cannot play without steals, especially in Spins. Extra chips can decide the entire outcome and make a massive difference to your longevity in the event.
Is a Steal Just Another Preflop Raise?
Here are 3 differences between a steal and a regular raise or a preflop open:
- Difference #1: When stealing the blinds, the aggressor aims to take only the mandatory bets and end the hand preflop.
- Difference #2: Hand strength does not always matter – in the right situations, even a raise with 72 is acceptable. The success of a steal depends on the personality of the opponent. You can steal blinds from tight opponents on any two cards. Against loose-aggressive opponents and maniacs, it is better to keep steals to a minimum.
- Difference #3: You can steal the blinds from late positions. Raises from UTG or MP are not considered steals. Steals from the CO, BTN and SB count. The logic is simple – the fewer opponents there are after us, the lower their chances of getting a good hand.
The indirect benefit of stealing is a more aggressive image in the eyes of opponents. Regular blind thefts irritate other players and they begin to respond.
What does this mean to you? Aside from making adjustments and exploiting the wide range they think you have, you can benefit when two factors align:
- You are dealt good cards preflop.
- The irritated opponent wants to fight back.
Systematic pressure will unbalance your opponent and he may widen his preflop range, plus his calling range later on when you have a value hand.
And now, we’ll explain how you can apply this in your online poker sessions.
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How is the Attempt to Steal Stat Used?
ATS stands for "Attempt To Steal".
All modern poker tracker programs use it. Many coaches list ATS as one of the top ten stats and recommend adding a steal stat to your HUD.
During multi-tabling, it is not easy to track those cunning blind stealers on your own. A poker tracker will help here. A quick glance at the ATS in the HUD and we have a rough idea of our opponent's steal range and then, we can consider our reaction.
An indirect benefit of ATS is that the statistical indicator helps identify advanced players at the table.
Beginners or fish often do not understand that they should attack more often from late positions. Inexperienced players open the same ranges both on UTG and on BTN.
Skilled opponents know the benefits of steals, so they actively raise from late positions. At the same time, both a beginner and an advanced player can have the same VPIP/PFR indicators.
How to Use ATS in Poker Games
There are 2 ways to use the ATS stat to your advantage.
- 3-bet and re-steal
- Call more often.
The second option is more difficult, as it involves good postflop play without position. A beginner will often lose more by calling than by folding to a steal. This is not the best option for fighting steals. It's easier to punish one of these blind thieves with a re-steal, or a sensible fold.
What is a Re-Steal in Poker?
Re-steals are 3-bets in response to a steal.
A re-steal is possible from the BTN, SB and BB positions. If we sit on the button and 3-bet against MP, then this is not a re-steal. Good targets for counter-aggression are opponents who fold often to 3-bet from late positions. Some opponents can steal 70-80% of the time and then give up to a 3-bet 65-70% of the time.
We do not recommend restealing players with low ATS often.
Whether against a fish or against a regular, it will be difficult. In most situations they don't understand the point of stealing the blinds and open decent hands. We risk ending up with a weak hand out of position.
The Best Trackers to Collect Data and Analyze Hands
There is no need to track the statistics of steals and resteals yourself. The poker tracker programs will do all that routine work. The software collects all played hands, imports them into the database and displays the statistics. Proper use of the tracker increases income from the game and makes it possible to improve your skills.
Make better decisions; make more profit.
HM3 has a clear graphical HUD, provides advanced reports, and relieves your system of unnecessary processes during the game. The program supports 14 languages and the developer provides a free trial for 14 days.
A convenient HUD design, deep filters, and support for the Mac operating system have allowed the developers to remain relevant for 10 years. You can evaluate the software for free for 14 days.
The most advanced and complex tracker. Professional players use H2N. Among the main advantages we highlight: fast import of huge amounts of data, the ability to analyze the field using Range Research and automatic notes. The basic version of Hand2Note works for free and without time limits.
Any tracker can be purchased in the GipsyTeam Shop. For each purchase, we award bonus points, which will allow you to save on your next poker tool.
