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Steal (Poker)
A steal in poker is a play where a player raises with a hand that doesn't necessarily warrant the move, in the hope that other players will fold their hands, giving the 
aggressor the pot uncontested. The term steal refers to a player stealing a pot that he doesn't deserve to win, given the strength of his hand.
This is a common play in a game of poker, particularly in late position and short handed games, where there are fewer players to play. In this position is it common for players to try to 'steal' the blinds by putting in a raise.
In tournaments, steals are very common, particularly in the later stages where the blinds and antes are high, making the steal more profitable. This play also tends to happen when a player realizes that players behind them are very passive and don't often defend their blinds. In contrast a good player would recognize that a player was consistently trying to steal their blinds and would defend, by re-raising back to them.
It is also very common to steal when a player has a massive chip stack. This is often the case where a big chip stack is up against a smaller stack. The big stack would put in a big raise, potentially putting the small stack's tournament life at risk, should he call. If the big stack knows that the small stack won't call unless he has a real hand, this can be an easy opportunity to steal their blinds with a raise.
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