You can play for hours in some live no-limit games without seeing anyone 3-bet preflop. Online 6-max games could not be more different—3-betting is an important part of many players’ strategies.
Generally, you 3-bet preflop for the following reasons:
- To recover the preflop from players that start with a range of hands
- Grab the momentum so you may steal
In other words, you can 3-bet for value, bluff, or semibluff. The more your opponents open with bad hands, the more often you should 3-bet. Increase your three-betting frequency by using both strong and weak hands.
For example, assume you 3-bet against a tight open raiser with JJ+ and AK, occasionally employing weak cards to bluff. To recover from a looser open raise, you should bluff more frequently, but you should also widen your value 3-betting range to 99+ and AQ+. Increasing your bluffing frequency without increasing your value raising frequency unbalances your range and leaves you vulnerable to a rebluff. Don’t let your ranges become uneven.
To keep your overall range balanced, broaden your bluffing and value betting ranges.
You should 4-bet instead of 3-bet for the same reasons: value and bluffing. The wider your opponent’s 3-betting range, the more hands you should 4-bet. Again, as your bluffing frequency rises, so will the number of hands on which you 4-bet for value.
The same reasoning applies when you 5-bet over your opponent’s 4-bet.
In a nutshell, this is a game with three, four, and five bets. The wider your opponent’s raising range, the more you should 3-bet. The wider your opponent’s 3-betting range, the more you should 4-bet. And the wider your opponent’s 4-betting range, the higher you should 5-bet. The game typically concludes with a 5-bet, bringing a 100bb stack all-in.
A Typical 5-Bet Situation
This is how a standard 5-bet pot works out.
It is a six-max game with a buy-in of $1 to $2. Everyone has a $200 stack. The first two players fold, and the cutoff is $7. The button folds, and the small blind three-bets $24. The cutoff then bets four times to $56. Finally, the small blind goes all-in for $200.
Take note of the 4-bet’s small size. The open raise and three-bet are both approximately pot-sized. However, the 4-bet is just slightly more than a minraise, as it adds $32 to a $50 pot. This 4-bet size is based on a simple no-limit bet sizing rule: if placing a bet or raising commits you to calling a push due to the pot odds, you should either make a smaller bet that does not commit you or go all-in.
If your 4-bet is pot-sized or larger, you nearly always have to call a shove, even if you’re bluffing. For example, if you made a pot-sized 4-bet of $74 and your opponent shoved, you would call $126 to win $274, with pot odds greater than 2-to-1. These pot odds are sufficient to justify (or almost justify) a call with a hand as weak as the 97.
In general, there is no reason to raise this much on a four-bet. Raising to roughly $56 forces your opponent to either commit or fold, making it nearly as effective as a larger 4-bet but risking far less money.
The 5-bet should often be a shove. There is no way to 5-bet without committing to a shove, therefore every time you 5-bet, go all-in.
These are the principles for playing the 3-bet, 4-bet, and 5-bet games. Now let’s talk about why you would want to play this game.
Why 3-Bet?
With high-quality hands, 3-betting preflop frequently increases profitability. When you 3-bet with pocket aces, for example, you often get more value. Top pair or a draw significantly increases your chances of stacking an opponent. You also ensure that you win at least a medium-sized pot if your opponent fails to flip.
The benefits of 3-betting premium hands are evident. These hands have more showdown equity than the average calling hand, so they benefit from every dollar that enters the pot prior to the flop. Furthermore, after a 3-bet, the pot will be relatively large compared to the remaining stacks, resulting in an SPR of 4 or less. Premium hands generate top pairs and overpairs and perform well at low SPRs.
So you want to 3-bet your premium hands to improve their profitability, but there is a potential disadvantage. If you 3-bet only your premium hands and nothing else, you are telegraphing your hand and allowing your opponents (those who aren’t living under rocks) to exploit your strength. This is where a light three-bet comes in.
The Light 3-Bet
A light 3-bet is one made with a hand that is not very strong. It is a type of semi-bluff. You raise with the intention of stealing the pot straight away, but if called, you still have a chance to win after the flop. Any value-based 3-betting strategy should include light 3-betting.
If the pot has been raised and the action is on you, you could 3-bet lightly. Obviously, you want to choose your positions because 3-betting every time would upset your strategy.
When selecting your venues, follow these principles:
Attack Players With A High Fold To 3-Bet Percentage
Modern poker tracking software keeps track of a statistic known as “Fold To 3-Bet Percentage.” This statistic measures how often a player folds when presented with a three-bet.
If your opponent’s Fold To 3-Bet Percentage (FT3B) is sufficiently high, 3-betting them with any two cards following their open raise can result in an automatic profit. Even if they don’t fold frequently enough to achieve a consistent profit from 3-betting, you can still attack their raises with small 3-bets. Players with FT3B stats of 75 or higher are more vulnerable to attack.
Attack Players Raising From A Steal Position
A light 3-bet is more likely to be successful against a player opening from a steal position than an opening from the front. This is particularly true for raisers with a high Attempt To Steal (ATS) rate.
The ATS determines how frequently a player opens the pot from the cutoff, button, or small blind when everyone in front folds. For example, everyone folds to the button offering $7. He has an ATS of 45, which is relatively high for this measure. You can generously 3-bet this player from either the small or large blinds.
An ATS above 35 indicates a broad rising range, whilst an ATS below 25 indicates a tighter player.
Attack Players Who Tend To Call Rather Than 4-Bet
Most players will try to defend themselves if they suspect one of their opponents is 3-betting cheaply against them. Some players defend mostly by calling the 3-bet and watching the flop, while others use a modest 4-betting strategy. Both of these techniques can be abused if executed incorrectly, but players who call and witness a flip are generally more vulnerable.
Callers are weaker because their opponents always see the flop, and most callers utilize a fit-or-fold strategy postflop. For example, such a player could open from the hijack seat with pocket threes and place a three-bet on the button. They’ll call, planning to commit if the flop shows a set and fold otherwise.
This approach is mathematically terrible. The player with the threes will flop a set or better around 12% of the time. The remaining 88 percent of the time, they’ll lose their $17 preflop call on the 3-bet. To break even using this approach, the player with the threes must win at least $125 every set.
Unfortunately, the individual with threes will not average $125. Typically, when he shoves on the flop, the three-bettor folds. After all, he makes modest 3-bets, therefore he rarely has a strong enough hand to commit postflop. As a result, the set is usually not paid off in full. Overall, you should expect to lose a lot of money when you call a $17 3-bet with pocket pairs and then play fit-or-fold postflop. Indeed, even if you improve the strategy by inserting a few postflop bluffs, playing fit-or-fold in 3-bet pots is inherently bad and cannot be profitable.
Calling modest 3-bets with large cards and suited connectors may be more effective, but fit-or-fold remains ineffective. To call a 3-bet effectively with any non-premium hand, you must bluff aggressively after the flop. Because most players who call to protect against your modest 3-bets will not play aggressively enough after the flop, you can capitalize by going all out. Against these fit-or-folders, bet the flop frequently and, if called, respond with a high number of turn barrels. They will fold too often to make their strategy profitable.
If you observe a player who calls 3-bets frequently and plays fit-or-fold postflop, you should 3-bet them softly several times. The more you 3-bet them, the more you win—at least until they adjust.
Attack More Frequently When Callers Have Entered The Pot
Light 3-betting is sometimes more enticing when one or more players have called the first raise. These callers rarely place a three-bet. After all, if they had a strong enough hand to win a 3-bet pot, they would nearly always bet it themselves. A squeeze play, also known as squeezing, occurs when one or more callers place a three-bet in a pot.
Squeezing has obvious advantages: when successful, you win a considerably larger pot. The disadvantage is that you will succeed less often. Furthermore, good players are naturally suspicious of 3-bets placed in tight situations, which may prompt them to play back at you.
Overall, squeezing is fairly profitable. You should squeeze in a significant minority of the time you have available.
Examples Of Light 3-Bets
All examples take place in a $1–$2 6-max game with $200 stacks.
Example 1
Everyone folds to the player at the cutoff, who raises $7. This player is playing a 22/19 game with thousands of hands. His Fold To Three Bet statistic is 88 percent. His attempt at theft is 33%.
The button and the small blinds both fold. You’re in the big blind.
In this instance, you should make a hefty three-bet. After thousands of hands, your opponent’s fold-to-three-bet ratio is 88 percent, allowing you to reveal an automatic profit with any two cards. Feel free to three-bet with 72 offsuit. Just don’t make it too obvious; else, he’ll notice and change.
Despite this, most players who make the transition struggle because they are inexperienced with 3-bet pots. So, for example, he could start calling your 3-bets with weak hands and plays fit-or-fold postflop. If he does that, you may continue to 3-bet lightly.
Example 2
The under-the-gun player begins at $7. He plays a 17/13 game. His FT3B is 77%, but his ATS is 28.
Everyone folds to you in the small blind. You have 8♣ 6♣.
Typically, you would fold in this position. Your opponent usually folds to a three-bet, but he’s a tight player who’s starting from under the gun. In this instance, you could expect him to fold far fewer times than 77%. In general, don’t 3-bet too frequently against tight opponents who open from under the gun, even if their Fold To 3-Bet stat looks attackable.
Please feel free to experiment with it on occasion. In this situation, you would 3-bet premium hands for value, therefore to keep your range balanced, you should occasionally 3-bet light. Still, fold most of the time.
Example 3
The cutoff begins at $7. He employs a 27/11 style, with an Aggression Factor of 0.5. His FT3B is 35% and his ATS is 24.
You are on track with K ♦7♦.
In this case, you can frequently lay a three-bet. Why? Because a wet noodle like this opponent, who seldom folds to 3-bets, is more likely to call and then play fit-or-fold postflop. His passive preflop and postflop statistics indicate that he rarely 4-bets and does not typically bluff postflop. If he doesn’t fold to 3-bets and isn’t 4-betting or bluffing after the flop, he’s most likely calling and playing fit-or-fold. (The third option is that he routinely employs weak hands during showdowns. This tendency is just as exploitable, therefore 3-betting preflop is still a good approach.
A light three-bet against this player is an isolation tactic. You’re seeking to get an advantage by utilizing position against a player who is likely to make significant mistakes following the flop. As a result, choose instances in which you have a position and your hand holds some value.
If you are out of position in the blinds, you will have a smaller postflop advantage. If your hand is sloppy, you’ll frequently have to abandon too many pots. So, against this opponent, K7s from the button is a three-bet, and T6o from the small blind is a simple fold. (As a side note, you should avoid this play if your stack is significantly less than 100bb. You will not have enough room to use your postflop advantage.)
Example 4
A 39/26 player starts at $7 under the pistol. His FT3B is 72% and his ATS is 46. A 21/12 player initiates the cutoff. His FT3B is 77%, but his ATS is 28.
You are on track with A♣ 4♠.
This squeeze position is quite appealing, and you should think consider 3-betting up to approximately $28. The starting player is under the gun, but he is quite loose and frequently folds when 3-bets. The caller is weak, typically holding a little pair or a slightly suitable hand.
If the blinds and the original raiser all fold, you’ll be in a strong position regardless of what the caller does. If the caller hangs up, great. If he calls, he most likely has a hand similar to a small pair, which will perform poorly in this three-bet pot as long as you continue to stake. He’s unlikely to make four bets.
Defending Against 3-Bets
You are not the only one who will place three bets. Every decent-playing opponent will 3-bet at least once, and some will do it repeatedly. Here’s how you can defend yourself.
For the purposes of this essay, let’s assume you’re playing $1-$2 6-max with $200 stacks and opened from the cutoff at $7. The button and small blind have both folded, leaving the big blind with three bets totaling $22.
No Fit-Or-Fold
You cannot profitably trade implied odds alone. Fit-or-fold is not effective against a three-bet. If you call with a small pocket pair or suited connector with the intention of folding, you have no chance unless you score a massive hand (two pairs or better or a fantastic draw).
You’re consuming too much stack and your SPR is too low. So, before you call, consider how likely you are to win the hand with fewer than two pairs. If the answer is “rarely,” fold regardless of the amount you have.
This is probably the most important 3-bet pot concept, so we’ll go over it again. Playing fit-or-fold versus a three-bet is a common and costly mistake. Don’t do it.
So fit-or-fold is out. Let’s take a look at which ways are advantageous depending on your opponent and cards.
Against A Tight Opponent
Assume your opponent has a fairly limited three-betting range. Even when confronted with a potential button theft, he only raises AA-TT, AK, and occasionally AQ. The solution to dealing with this type of opponent is simple. Fold.
Do not attempt to set my. Don’t talk yourself into a call with AJs. Simply fold everything but the premium hands.
The only exception is if you have a dead read on a certain quality he possesses, allowing you to steal the pot. For example, if he will almost always checkfold a flop bet with anything less than top pair or an overpair, calling and stealing can be profitable on rare occasions. However, his range is so limited that any theft strategy will only be somewhat rewarding.
When your opponent 3-bets, fold everything except the best cards.
Against A Loose Opponent
Assume your opponent is an aggressive player who 3-bets in a wide range against a possible steal. If you open with the button or cutoff, he reacts with:
- 22+, A2s+, KTs+, QTs+ JTs-54s
- ATo+, KQo
This is around 18% of his starting hands. If called, he places a c-bet for two-thirds of the pot on any flop.
Again, calling his 3-bet based only on implied odds is unprofitable. Most of the time when you hit a big hand, he will have nothing. If you lose the pot every time you have less than two pairs, he will rob you completely.
However, your opponent’s strategy is easily susceptible. By throwing in 11bb out of 100bb preflop with nearly 18% of his hands, he creates too many large pots with a limited range. In addition, he frequently adds another 16bb on the flop, for a total of 27bb with the same limited range. You can combat him in a variety of ways.
The All-In 4-Bet
One strategy to take advantage of your opponent’s loose 3-bet range is to 4-bet him more frequently. The key point here is how he adapts his range to a 4-bet.
For example, if he 3-bets with around 18% of his cards and then calls an all-in with just AA-TT and AK, you can profitably 4-bet push with a variety of hands.
Assume you have ace-queen and $200 stacks. Raise to $7 on the button. Your opponent places three bets totaling $22. If you simply go all-in, your line will return approximately $5.20 in average equity for you and -$4.20 for your opponent.*
The poorer your hand, the less equity you have in a four-bet push. A push with pocket fives nets you approximately $3 and your opponent loses $2. Six-five suited generates approximately $0.60 for you and $0.40 for your opponent. Even at 32o, a push produces approximately -$5.40 in equity for you. That beats folding to his 3-bet, which is valued -$7.
In conclusion, if your opponent 3-bets very loosely then tightens up significantly to a push, you can successfully 4-bet all-in with a variety of hands. But, before you start opening with 32o and going all in, keep one thing in mind. Your opponent can (and will likely) adjust to your continual pushing. He may begin calling you lighter, or he may narrow his 3-bet range. As he adjusts, so should you.
The Small 4-Bet
You can also place four bets that are smaller than all-in. If your opponent folds the same number of hands to a smaller 4-bet as he does to a push, you have a strong incentive to 4-bet smaller.
For example, you open for $7 with 6♥ 5♥, and your opponent makes it $22 with around 18% of his hands. If you 4-bet $56, he will call or push with TT+ and AK while folding everything else. Now, your best bet is to raise it to $56 with the intention of folding to a push. Using that line with 6♥ 5♥ results in approximately $5.40 in equity for you and -$3.40 for your opponent. That’s significantly better than the $0.60 payout from 4-bet pushing with 6♥ 5♥.
When you 4-bet with the intention of folding to an all-in, your cards become useless. You are completely bluffing. And with 100bb stacks, like in the example above, you are frequently bluffing for one-third of the effective stack. As a result, you should avoid making this play unless you have a strong understanding of your opponent’s 3- and 4-bet tendencies and are convinced you will not make a mistake. Folding incorrectly in such a large pot is a big mistake.
When 4-betting little, one recommendation is to use outstanding and suspect hands rather than pretty good ones. If you 4-bet modest with A♥ A♦ or 7♠ 4♠, you have a simple decision in case your opponent pushes. However, using A♣ Q♥ can lead to significant errors. For example, if your opponent pushes with A♠ J♠, you may erroneously fold.
The Flat Call
Another strategy for exploiting your loose-aggressive opponent is to flat call preflop with powerful cards. This takes advantage of his sloppy 3-betting by keeping him in the pot despite his limited range. It also makes use of his flop aggression.
When he c-bets the flop with hands that would normally fold to a preflop 4-bet, you not only profit from his bet, but you may also pot commit him. Remember that when he 3-bets preflop and c-bets the flop, he has already used around one-third of his stack.
For example, suppose you open for $7 on the button with pocket aces and your opponent three-bets to $22. His 3-betting range is around 18% of the aforementioned, and he folds to a 4-bet unless he has TT+ and AK. If you flat call his 3-bet, he c-bets on every flop, but he only moves on with top pair or better, a solid flush draw, or an 8-out straight draw.
In that situation, 4-betting all-in with aces preflop gives you around $43 in equity, whereas flat calling him preflop and pushing any flop gives you roughly $58.40. The latter is a lot more profitable.
You might be shocked at how effective it is to flat call and push any flop against a loose-aggressive 3-bettor and c-bettor.
Assume you have ace-queen in the same case. If you 4-bet all-in preflop, your equity is roughly $5.20. If you push any flop with top pair or better, an 8-out straight draw, or a flush draw, but otherwise fold to his c-bet, your equity will be approximately -$1.60. Remember that calling 3-bets just to make a large hand is rarely lucrative with 100bb stacks. Add gutshot straight draws to your flop pushing range to increase your equity to $1.40. With overcards, you’re up to $10.80. However, if you flat call preflop and push any flop, you will have $14.40 in equity.
Flat-calling with powerful hands is an excellent strategy for exploiting a loose-aggressive 3-bettor. The normal caveats apply. Know your opponent well before making a clever play, and remember to adjust as the opponent does. If your opponent narrows his 3-bet range while you experiment with ATo, you will end up trapping yourself.
Final Thoughts About Defending Against 3-Bets
Playing against a three-bet is similar to any other no-limit position. Correctly utilizing hand ranges, equality, and commitment is critical. As is typically the case, hand reading will ultimately determine your success.
Some Points About 4-Betting
Overuse of little 4-bet bluffing makes it particularly vulnerable to 5-bet rebluffing. Small 4-bets must work most of the time to be successful. For example, if you open for $7 and your opponent three-bets,
$24, and you 4-bet to $56, you are risking $49 (the amount over your original $7) to win between $32 and $34, depending on whether the 3-bettor is in the blinds. That leaves you with large odds ($49-to-$34), and because you don’t get to see the flip if your opponent shoves over top of you, your bluff must succeed frequently in order to be successful.
The math behind the 5-bet shove is more forgiving. In the preceding example, a shove for $200 risks an additional $176 to win approximately $83. At first look, it may appear that you are laying high odds, but keep in mind that when you shove, you will always get to see a showdown, thus you will always have both showdown equity and steal equity. When your light 3-betting hand is up against a typical 5-bet calling hand, you will usually have roughly 25% showdown equity. So, on average, you’ll make around $100 off a $400 all-in pot. Thus, the 5-bet shove is essentially risking $76 ($176-$100=$76), and you are not laying odds because you are risking $76 to win $83.
With the possibility of winning when called, your 5-bet shoves can work fewer than half of the time while being profitable. As a result, don’t be afraid to try a 5-bet shove bluff on a player you suspect of 4-betting light regularly. If you catch your opponent bluffing too frequently, you can gain a lot. And if you are mistaken about your opponent’s bluffing approach, your equity when called will soften the damage.
Thus, the majority of your little 4-bets should be placed on hands that you expect to go all-in with if you 5-bet. As a general rule, don’t allow more than one-third of your little 4-bets to be bluffs that you intend to fold to a 5-bet. To go all-in, you don’t need to hold the greatest or likely best hand. Rather, you should expect to have enough showdown equity to justify calling the 5-bet shove.
When utilized excessively, four-bet bluffing becomes costly. To protect yourself, make at least two-thirds of your four-bets with the hands you intend to use to call a shove.
When you’re up against a player who 3-bets light a lot and you’re tempted to 4-bet bluff more than the rule of thumb allows, start calling the 3-bets with hands like suited connectors and large cards that play well postflop. Save your 4-bet bluffs for situations in which your hand has little to no postflop value. Remember to play aggressively postflop, often semibluffing with draws as weak as two overcards or a gutshot. In addition, to balance your calling range, call with premium couples on occasion.
Basic Outline For An Open/3-Bet/4-Bet/5-Bet Strategy
Let’s combine all of these elements to develop a fundamental strategy for playing 3-bet/4-bet/5-bet pots. This issue is extensive enough to fill a book on its own, therefore we can’t possible cover everything here. However, we can provide you with the knowledge required to take control of a typical $1.
The online 6-max game costs $2.
We’ll begin the outlining from the perspective of the player who opened the pot, then shift to the perspective of the player defending against the opening raise.
When Making The Opening Raise
If your opponent usually calls your opening bet and plays fit-or-fold after the flop:
- Most flips are continuation bets, followed by second and sometimes third barrels.
- Raise frequently as a steal, and choose a large raise amount to maximize your winnings.
- If your opponent consistently calls your opening raise and calls bets with inferior hands until showdown:
- Focus on betting the continuation bet reasonably regularly, but be more likely to fold on the turn and river if you don’t have a good hand.
- Avoid stealing with your worst hands. Don’t waste time opening offsuit rubbish and poor suited cards against this player because showdowns will occur frequently.
- Reduce your threshold for value betting. When your opponents choose to call a showdown with the second pair or worse, the top pair, regardless of kicker, is usually worth three good value bets.
If your opponent often calls your opening raise and then plays back at you postflop:
- Players like this are rather unusual. Check to be sure this is the tactic your opponent is implementing. It’s likely that he’s playing fit-or-fold and just got a few good cards in a row.
- Avoid stealing with your worst hands. You won’t see showdowns very often, but you will have to make massive semibluffs. Bluffing with greater equity is more profitable.
- Prepare to bluff again. For example, suppose you open with the button and this player calls from the large blind. The flip is T44 Rainbow. He checks, you bet half the pot, and he makes a tiny checkraise. Sometimes reraise with nothing. Sometimes people call the raise with the goal of bluffing the turn or river. You can and should fold to suspected bluffs on occasion, but you must also rebluff opponents that play in this manner.
When you receive a 3-bet, if you do not believe you will be able to contend for a large percentage of pots following the flop, simply fold.
Do not try to play back frequently against players with large 3-betting margins. For the most part, you’ll be giving them the advantage. To keep your range reasonably balanced, try 4-betting or calling the 3-bet to make a postflop play every now and again. However, when your opponent is strong and you are weak, folding is usually the best option.
If your opponent 3-bets mostly strong hands with the occasional light 3-bet:
- The same as above. Fold. Your opponent is free to include some mild 3-betting into his plan, and there is little you can do about it. As long as the general range remains strong, you can mostly just fold.
If your opponent 3-bets light regularly, and if called, almost always follows up with a flop continuation bet:
- When your opponent bets almost every flip with a limited 3-betting range, he’s simply wasting money. You already know he has a weak range, and betting the flop does not imply that his range is any stronger than it was before the As a result, flat call the 3-bet with the purpose of shoving the flop whenever you snag a piece of it. You’re calling the 3-bet rather than the 4-bet because you want your opponent to risk more money before you drop the hammer.
- Remember that you need to play very aggressively. If you flop a gutshot or anything stronger, you should often shove the flop. If you don’t aggressively challenge many pots, you’ll be playing too close to a fit-or-fold approach, making your preflop calls unprofitable.
- Because you’re calling the 3-bet, select hands with value. Suited connections are in good hands for this play. Lower offsuit two-gappers do not work well.
- You can almost as readily call from out of position as from within it. You can check-shove the flop because your opponent will bet it for you.
If your opponent 3-bets light frequently, but is selective with flop continuation bets:
- When small 4-betting against a knowledgeable opponent, make sure you have at least two-thirds of the time a hand that you want to go all-in with. If you 4-bet and fold to a shove more than roughly one-third of the time, you become exploitable. A clever player would start 5-betting you almost every time you 4-bet. To 4-bet, you only need a hand with some showdown equity, not necessarily a strong one.
- Employ a hybrid strategy of tiny 4-betting and calling the 3-bet.
We tend to 4-bet with good hands and sometimes with poor hands. Because 4-betting is mostly a bluff, hand strength is less important, except that you must be willing to go all-in with at least two-thirds of these hands in 100bb games. cards including aces, such as A3o, are particularly effective weak cards for 4-betting. Weak aces have a remarkable amount of equity versus limited ranges, usually exceeding 30%. They are also bad at calling 3-bets with the intention of pushing any draw or pair on the flop, as they rarely flop draws.
- Call with both very strong and postflop-valued hands.
- When calling with poor hands, remember to challenge many pots aggressively. Fit-or-fold isn’t profitable.
- When tiny 4-betting, make sure that at least two-thirds of the time you hold a hand that you intend to play all the way. If you 4-bet and fold to a shove more than roughly one-third of the time, you become exploitable. A clever player would start 5-betting you almost every time you 4-bet.
- To balance your approach with both lines, use AA and KK to call and 4-bet as necessary. Your four-betting range should be stronger on average than your calling range, but you should still mix in some premium calls.
- You can 4-bet tiny more frequently as a bluff against players who seldom 5-bet. Call more frequently with inferior cards while dealing with players that frequently 5-bet.
- When out of position, players tend to 4-bet or fold more frequently, and when in position, they tend to call more frequently.
If your opponent 3-bets light very frequently, approximately 18 percent of hands or more:
Consider 4-bet shoving as an alternative to tiny 4-bets. This strategy ensures profit, although it may be less profitable overall than tiny 4-betting or calling. Nonetheless, if you’re unclear how to go against a crafty opponent who frequently 5-bets over your tiny 4-bets and plays well postflop in 3-bet pots, you can always rely on 4-bet shoving as a bluff.
When you receive a 3-bet, if you do not believe you will be able to contend for a large percentage of pots following the flop, simply fold.
When Defending Against A Possible Steal Raise
If your opponent’s stealing range is relatively tight:
- Usually fold. Do not attempt to defend against openers with short ranges. Being out of position with a weaker hand usually renders it unsuitable for involvement.
- Consider calling with some “implied odds” hands, preferably little pairs. Small pairs do not work well in loose ranges, but they do better when your opponent is anticipated to have a powerful hand. When playing for set equity, avoid calling a large raise with a pocket pair. In general, set mining with pocket pairs becomes profitable when you expect to win at least 12 times the amount you called when you flop a set or better and win the game. Your opponent will not always go all in with you, so don’t overestimate your implied odds.
If the steal raise is 3.5 times the big blind or more, and this magnitude is common for your opponent:
- When defending, you’re more likely to 3-bet. You want to rest. When your opponent makes a large steal raise, it reduces your immediate pot odds while boosting the payoff for restealing it. As a result, calling loses appeal while 3-betting light gains popularity. 3-betting, on the other hand, is a bad idea if you’re not going to win preflop or postflop.
- Keep an eye out for opponents that raise both modest and huge amounts. They frequently raise their stronger hands more than their weaker ones. If your opponent plays in this manner, 3-bet the little raises and often fold to the large ones. You can call small pairs in order to stack them with a set. Calling single raises to try to flop a set is generally acceptable.
If the steal raise is small, 3 times the big blind or less, and this size is typical for your opponent:
- Be more prone to flat-call the steal raise and less likely to 3-bet lightly. The raise is minimal, so it’s inexpensive to enter the pot. Because the pot is smaller, it is less appealing for immediate use.
- If you flat call the raise, you won’t bet on implied odds. Instead, devise a strategy to attack the pot postflop. If your opponent raises from a wide range, he is generally vulnerable to a flop checkraise or other pot play.
- Delaying your steal by flat-calling preflop helps your opponent to increase the pot size with a flop continuation bet before you drop the hammer. This additional bet will increase the pot’s value and make your steal more profitable than a preflop three-bet.
If your opponent has a high Attempt To Steal percentage or a high Fold To 3-Bet percentage or both:
- Don’t be afraid to place a light 3-bet. More than 75% of players will fold their steal raises to a 3-bet. With that success percentage, 3-betting light is beneficial regardless of the cards you possess.
- If you three-bet the same player several times, attempt to anticipate any adjustments your opponent may make to counteract your theft. Do not assume that your opponents’ play will always match their stats. Just because a player’s Fold To 3-Bet percentage is 80 does not guarantee that he will fold 80 percent of his hands to your 3-bet.
- When 3-betting light, attempt to select hands with postflop value. Suited hands, connected hands, and compact pocket pairs are all preferable options than offsuit rubbish. If your 3-bet is called, your hand will have higher postflop value, and you will be able to continue your aggression more frequently.
Having saying that, don’t pass up lucrative prospects simply because your hand isn’t very strong. For example, if a loose player opens in the cutoff and two weak players call on the button and in the small blind, you have a perfect squeezing opportunity. Don’t be scared to make a small 3-bet even if you have offsuit rubbish. However, be more selective in the less appealing, more common cases.
If your opponent likes to make small bluff 4-bets over your 3-bets:
- Use 5-bet shoving liberally. If your opponent folds his little 4-bet to your push half of the time or more, 5-bet shoving results in an automatic profit with almost any 3-bet hand. Most $1-$2 players who bluff 4-bets do so too frequently, leaving them vulnerable to 5-bet shove bluffs.
- If your opponent’s tiny 4-bets are evenly balanced between bluffs and solid hands, employ a mixed defense strategy of light 3-betting and flat calling the initial steal raise. If your opponent’s 4-betting strategy is balanced, he will not 4-bet you frequently since a balanced strategy demands a large number of premium hands in his 4-bet range. So you may 3-bet lightly and generally get a fold or call. However, you should incorporate calls into your defense strategy to prevent having an uneven and weak 3-betting range.
If your opponent has a loose stealing range, and you decide to defend your blind by flat calling:
- Remember that in order to defend your blind, you must attack your opponent. You are defending since your opponent’s thieving range is limited, which will leave him with inferior hands following the flop.
- Your postflop strategy should focus on stealing pots when your opponent is likely to have missed the flop. As a backup, if your opponent appears to have hit a pair and refuses to fold, value bet aggressively on weak top pairs and better.
Above all, keep in mind that protecting your blinds puts you at a significant disadvantage if your opponent open-raises. You’re out of position, and you usually have a marginal or weak hand. Many times, you should simply fold your blind to a steal raise, even if you know the stealer has a large range. To help defend your blinds, try some sensible light 3-betting and an attacking mindset postflop.
A Series Of 3-Bet Situations Against A Solid Opponent
You’re playing a 6-handed $1-$2 game with $200 stacks. In the cases below, you are up against the same opponent. He is a reliable regular who can be belligerent at times. He plays in a 25/20 style. You don’t know much more about him.
Example 1
You open for $7 in the cutoff (6♥ 6♦). The button and small blind fold, while your opponent raises to $22 from the big blind.
You don’t have the implied odds to call for a set, and you’re not ready to play a big pot with one weak pair or make a big bet just yet. You’re not sure of your opponent’s tendencies. Calling 3-bets from strong players with little pocket pairs might be a costly mistake. Please let this one go.
Example 2
You open for $7 at the cutoff with K♣ T♥. The button and small blind fold, while your opponent raises to $22 from the big blind.
He has once again caught you with a marginal hand. This is the second time in a short period that he has 3-bet you. He might just be picking up good hands. You’re not sure yet. However, at this stage, you should avoid playing for stacks with a somewhat poor big card hand. You fold.
Example 3
You open for $7 in the cutoff (6♦4♦). The button and small blind fold, while your opponent raises to $22 from the big blind.
This is the third time in a few rounds he has 3-bet you. That, paired with his aggressive increase %, suggests that he may be reraising light. You decide to play back at him and see how he reacts. You 4-bet to $56 with the intention of folding on a push. He folds.
Example 4
You open for $7 at the cutoff with A♦K ♥. The button and small blind fold, while your opponent raises to $22 from the big blind.
This time, you have a hand that you feel comfortable going all-in on before the flop. You can place another tiny 4-bet in the hopes of eliciting a bluff push. The problem is that few opponents, even aggressive ones, will go all-in as a bluff, especially if they do not know your habits well. The third issue is that several of his bluff hands have significant equity against yours. For example, you are only a 58-to-42 favorite over 8♠ 7♠, and a minor underdog in small pairings. Your best chance is probably to go all-in on his 3-bet. That manner, you provide him the option to fold a large number of hands with significant equity against you.
While your equity with ace-king is high versus your opponent’s range, you do not dominate it as much as you would with pocket aces. If you had pocket aces, you would seriously consider placing a tiny 4-bet since you would appreciate a push. You might also flat call a 3-bet with aces against opponents that are hesitant to go all-in preflop, allowing you to trap them postflop.
Example 5
You open for $7 during the cutoff with J♠ J♣. The button and small blind fold, while your opponent raises to $22 from the big blind.
Your hand is too good to fold. Four-betting small with the intention of folding to a push is ludicrous since it effectively transforms your hand into a pure bluff. Bluff with 6♦4♦ rather than pocket jacks. Four-betting small with the intention of calling a push is acceptable if your opponent will push from a wide range. However, many will not.
The greatest strategy is frequently to call the 3-bet. You keep him in the hand by utilizing the weakest area of his 3-betting range. Furthermore, the SPR is low enough to give you a good chance of bringing him all-in postflop with hands he would have folded if you had 4-bet. If you 4-bet push, you’ll lose money against his better preflop hands anyhow, so you might as well call to get the most out of his weaker hands.
For example, suppose you call the $22 and the flop is T♣ 5♠2♥. If you go all-in and he has pocket queens, you are no worse off than if you went all-in before the flop. But if you go all-in on the flop, he may have ace-ten, king-ten suited, ten-nine suited, or even pocket nines.
He would have folded several of these hands if you had 4-bet before the flop. Additionally, you have a position. So, by flat calling preflop, you can occasionally steal. For example, if the board shows ace-high, you may be able to force pocket queens to fold.
Another Situation: 44 On The Button
You open on the button for $7 with 4♥ 4♦. The little blind folds, but the big blind raises to $22. What should you do?
Consider the huge blind’s range. Assume he’s a tight player who will only reraise with AA-TT, AK, and AQ. You don’t have implied odds to call against that range. Furthermore, he’ll frequently have great cards on the flip, so you won’t have much steal equity. You should fold.
Assume your opponent is a loose, crafty player who reraises with more than simply premium hands. You still don’t have implied odds to go for a set because he won’t always have a great hand on the flip. However, your steal equity may be decent. If you call preflop, your main goal should be to steal the pot rather than making a hand and getting paid off.
Even if you’re stealing, you want to have as much pot equity as possible. One disadvantage of flat calling preflop with the purpose of stealing the pot postflop is that your hand has little pot equity versus even a broad range. The more pot equity you combine with your folding equity, the more overall equity you have.
Another option is to place four bets totaling $56. If your opponent will 3-bet light but fold the majority of his hands to a 4-bet, you can raise to $56 with the goal of folding to a push. This converts your hand become a bluff, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Your showdown equity is not worth much to begin with.
How broad your opponent’s 3-bet range is determines the profitability of 4-bet bluffing. You might be shocked at how large it needs to be to make a respectable profit. Even when facing an opponent who 3-bets 11% of his cards, 4-bet bluffing is just marginally more profitable than folding to his 3-bet. The break-even mark is around 10%, and many opponents do not 3-bet as widely. For example, 10 percent of hands would be in the following range:
- 88+, ATs+, KJs+, QTs+
- No suited connectors AJo+, KJo+
This assumes that your opponent will go all-in preflop with only AA-TT or AK. If he goes all-in with a larger range than that, your equity suffers. If he goes all in with a tighter range, your equity is slightly higher.
When you open on the button with pocket fours and your opponent makes a pot-sized 3-bet, your instinct should be to fold.
Squeezing From The Small Blind
Stacks cost $140. The cutoff opens for $7, and the button activates. Both players are direct and predictable. You’re in the small blind with 7♠ 5♠. What should you do?
This is the normal squeezing situation. The opening player is in late position, thus his raise contains numerous non-premium hands. The button’s flat-call also implies a rather poor hand, as he would have reraised with something substantial. He probably thinks the cutoff is stealing, so he’s calling to keep him honest.
If you make a strong reraise, say to $28, you’ll win the pot frequently. This move’s value comes from compelling opponents to fold. If you knew either opponent was a calling station, you might not make this move. Even if one of them calls you preflop, you can usually win on the flop with a continuation bet. And, as a backup in case your steal fails, you’ll occasionally make a large hand.
Suited connectors and one-gappers are excellent for preflop squeezing and stealing since they frequently flop at least something semibluffable.
