Im expanding my horizons a bit and am learning to bluff more and steal some pots. Until this week I dont think iv ever bluffed, but I know it can pay off when used correctly and not over used.
My current strategy is to attempt a pot steal if im last to act after the flop and its checked to me, AND I have 2 over cards so I still have a few outs if I get called. I will bet the pot or slightly overbet it. If I get called I bet the pot again on the turn, if I get called I check the river and make sure I have auto muck on I did have 1 person go all in after I bet the pot on the turn today and had to fold my At os.
Im interested in hearing how you steal pots and if my pot bet on turn is too much or should i just check/fold the rest of hand if I get called on the flop bet?
So far Iv stolen 13 pots and been forced to fold 2. 2 hands actually caught a card to win on the turn/river w/ 1 pair and are not counted in that number

I rarely continue to keep betting if I get called on the flop. I do it now and then if I know the caller likes to see theu turn wuth mediocre hands, but other than that its one bet and Im done.

Heres a link to an article I wrote on the subject.
stealing-small-pots-page76.html

If you haven't read it already, read Iceman's article about this on the main page.

stealing-small-pots-page76.html

I would suggest using gt+ because that will give you stats on plays so you know when you can steal from them. If they are loose preflop but have low aggression and doesn't see the showdown often, you can either take it from them preflop or on the flop in some shorthanded pots. Obviously, its best to do it in postion or if you are in the blind and the board is something that would hit a blind hand while the others won't chase overcards.

What do you do on the next round if your pot-stealing bet is called by a player and nothing hits on the turn? If you check and they bet into you, do you lay it down? Isn't that going to be a pattern they can quickly catch onto?

In one of the examples, if you bet into K83 with AT and get 1 caller, and an Ace hits the turn, to do you like it? AJ, AQ or AK is still going to beat you...

Definitely check fold the turn if called. The steal only has to work > 50% of the time to be profitable, even if you lose every hand in which you're called. And you get a nice aggressive image ready for when you lead out with a monster.

The whole pattern thing isn't too much of an issue, since your opponents don't know whether you have a hand when you bet the flop (so it would be a big move for them to call with nothing, on the off-chance you then check the turn!).

Generally if you catch on turn or river, it's worth calling a pot-sized bet if you beat what they might have called with on the flop (especially with position, when the river is likely to be checked down).

In the example you gave, AJ and AQ are unlikely, since why would he have called the flop? And AK is unlikely as he probably would have raised pre-flop.

If I have position *and* turn and river are checked to me *and* there was a flush draw on the flop, I'll sometimes bet at the end to knock weak hands off (player dependent). If I'm feeling adventurous I occasionally do this out of position. But then I often play TPTK like this (bet flop check turn bet river) as well.

Yeah, I'll keep those in mind. Good strategy. Just have to remember that bad players don't always fold (see PartyPoker w/8 callers preflop, etc... Just gotta wait for the monster...)

If I got called on the flop and then hit an ace at the turn, I would sometimes check the turn and call any reasonable river bet and sometimes bet the turn again.

Smokin Al is right though. The beauty of the strategy is that you only have to take the pot down 50% of the time to break even. If everyone checked to you, they most likely have nothing so in my experience the flop bet wins the pot about 70-75% of the time.

Usually I like to steal small pots, where it's very short-handed (ie. im in the BB, and only on person limped, along with the SB.) and in most cases it ought to be either a board with all rags and a rainbow, or one high card and 2 smaller cards.