Hey Folks,
So I'm obviously a beginner. I'm not sure what the difference is between stealing/defending blinds/re-stealing. However, at Advanced Poker Training, one of the videos said when it folds all the way around and nobody raises, that i s a steal opportunity for the CO or BTN, and a resteal/defend for the blinds. Also, that if you have something with some strength, you should bet aggressively (5-7BB) to convince others to fold out. Being dealt 88 on the SB, I thought this to be an opportunity to re-steal or defend my blinds. Thoughts? TIA.

PokerStars - $0.05 NL - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

CO: 20.8 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 6)
BTN: 64 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
Hero (SB): 90.2 BB
BB: 88.6 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
UTG: 100 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
MP: 99 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)

Hero posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has 8 8

fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 5 BB, fold

Hero wins 2 BB

If sounds like you may be applying what you learned wrong, or the advice you got was awful.

Blind vs blind you should just be making a standard raise of 3x

Same for any time you open a pot.

Okay first of all don't listen to 3X open any pot.

What the site meant was the Cut off/Button have a good spot to open with very weak hands to try to "steal" the blinds and antes if any. Defending means to call. Someone's raise from the Blinds, you are defending your Blind money put in. 88 is a Vgood hand Sb to Bb you should be opening 2x-2.5. If for example someone with a big stack opens to the minimum in the CO and you had 86Hh ( some hand that plays semi well post flop but not a hand to call with Out of position) in the small blind, you can try to re steal by rasing to 5-7BB or more as they explained. You should also Cbet most any flop for about a third pot when you open late position and someone defends their blind.

So at 2nl and 5nl you won't 3x vs the player pool blind on blind?

Just to clarify, by 3X you mean raise it BY 3X not TO 3x? i.e. in 0.02/0.05 I would raise to 0.20 not 0.15? Also, what does it mean to open to the minimum? Just call the big blind?

Open to 3x would be 0.15

If someone opens the minimum the min raise. This would be making it 0.10

Have you ever read crushing the micros by blackrain?
I think it would help you a lot at your current level.

'Stealing' is to raise first in from late position (CO, BTN or SB)

'Defending' is to call a steal from the blinds

'Re-stealing' is when you re-raise (3bet) a steal preflop

x3 looks good to me,dont open min bvb.

You're in the small blind. You have nothing to "defend". No one has attempted to steal the blinds, so you can't resteal.
When you raise in the SB in this spot, it's because you're trying to steal the 1.4bb in the pot. The BB is the only player that can stop you. He could defend by calling or 3-betting (restealing). Since you raised much bigger than necessary, he had little incentive to do either with marginal hands, so your steal was successful. A 5x open would be more typical for live games. Online, 3bb is more ideal.

Again just to clarify, if I'm going to go for 3X in an attempt to steal I would raise it TO $0.15 not BY $0.15?

Yes, to 15 cents. Yes to 3x. Not BY.

Wow, this whole time. What's the proper sizing for a re-raise? I've been told its 2X whatever they raise. So in .02/.05, guy raises to $0.15, I should double that ($0.30) and add it on to what he raised to ($0.45) and that's what I should raise to.

3x means "3 times the current bet size".

It usually works out well pre-flop and post flop.
e.g. when the current bet-size is 1bb (the price of limping), you can open for 3bb.
If someone opens for 3bb and you wanted to reraise, a 3x size would make it 9bb in total.

Post flop, if someone bets 4bb into 6bb, a reasonable raise size would be to 3x4bb = 12bb.

5NL is pretty nitty and the SB is less than half a BB, so you can actually open for 12c on the button to get a better price on your steals. I think you should probably move down to 2NL though, as it seems you have a lot to learn.

This thread is painful to read but it might help you too.