This advice was written for 200NL or lower 6Max games. It applies when effective stacks are 80-125BB preflop. Please deviate from this strategy as necessary when you have either developed good reads or know your opponent has certain assumptions about the way you play.

A 3-bet is when there has been a raise and then another raise after that. Simple enough, but let me give you one quick example to drive it home: After the SB and BB post the $1 and $2 blinds, lets say there is a raise to $8 from a player in MP. If another player in LP raises it again to $24, this is called a 3-bet. Aug 27, 2020 In this 10-part beginner poker strategy series we’ll show you exactly how to use these powerful poker moves to make more money. Today we’re talking about the light three-bet. This is another way to pick up pots even when you don’t pick up a big hand. Jan 03, 2014 Expert 3 Bet Strategy Home Uncategorized Expert 3 Bet Strategy Learning to implement expert 3bet tactics as part of your poker game is critical to your success. We all know we should pound on opponents with high fold to 3 betswith our junk hands, and pummel fish with big pocket pairs. The 2.01 percent house edge is the percentage of that wagering total that the house expects to keep. That makes the Three Card Poker ante-play combination one of the better casino bets. Blackjack basic strategy players face a house edge of less than 1 percent, and so do craps players who bet the pass-plus-odds combination. The house edge of 1. Poker 3-Bet: Cutoff & Button. We are currently at a point in poker where 3-bets from the cutoff and button appear weak because they are often assumed to be positional raises. Here’s how I play it. I will 3-bet from those positions with marginal or even weak poker hands early in poker tournaments. By doing this, I can win two ways.

Continuation bets should be anywhere from 2/3-3/4PSB, depending on what sizing is best for getting all in on the turn. As a note, if you feel you are better at playing after the flop than your opponent, 3betting to a smaller size preflop and making a smaller c-bet on the flop is a good way to set the hand up to play 3 streets, allowing you the greatest opportunity to exercise your skill advantage.

The Rules

1). If an Ace/King hits the flop, bet nearly 100% of the time, regardless of position. These flop types are highly polarized (a.k.a. 'hit or miss') and your opponents aren’t going to be calling/raising your flop bets lightly. The other good polarized flop texture to bet on is when the flop comes all of the same suit.

2). If your hand is as strong as a pair of Kings or better, bet/call the flop.

Note: Pair + draw hands are considered as strong as a pair of Kings or better in a reraised pot. Nut flush draws are also considered as strong as a pair of Kings or better

The Flop

Out of Position…

1). 2-2 – 9-9 or suited connectors, check/fold.

2). K-xs/A-xs, bet/fold if you have a backdoor straight, backdoor flush draw, or a gutshot. Otherwise, check/fold.

3). A-10 – A-Q, bet/fold.

However if you flop a pair of Tens, Jacks, or Queens AND it is top pair, check/call flop and check/fold turn.

4). A-K, bet/fold.

5). 10-10 – Q-Q, check/call x-x-x flops and check/fold the turn unimproved.

Also check/fold (A/K)-x-x flop. The reason not to bet Ace/King high flops with these pairs is because our hand has a lot of showdown value if our opponent doesn’t have an Ace/King. It also helps to lower our c-bet frequency from ~100% on those flop types.

6). K-K+, bet/call.

If you flop a weak draw (7 outs or less), alternate between check/folding and check/raising all in depending on your table image. Bet/fold a blank turn if the flop is checked around.

In Position…

1). 2-2 – 7-7 or suited connectors, check behind.

2). K-xs/A-xs, bet/fold if you have a backdoor straight, flush draw, or a gutshot. Otherwise, check behind.

3). A-K, bet/fold.

4). K-K+, bet/call.

Check behind on the flop if you are holding a draw with 7 outs or less. Fold to a turn bet unimproved, bet if checked to.

Turn/River Play:

If your hand is…

– Worse than a pair of Kings, you are generally finished betting or calling bets.

– A pair of Kings and an Ace comes on the turn, you are generally finished betting or calling bets.

– A pair of Aces, two pair, or a set and an Ace comes on the turn, check/raise all in. If a straight or flush completes, you are generally finished betting or calling bets.

– A straight/flush and an Ace comes on the turn, check/raise all in. If a flush completes and you are holding a straight, you are generally finished betting or calling bets.

– A pair of Kings or better and a non scare card comes on the turn, go all in.

Extra:

– Monotone flops are great to stab at since they are a good hit/miss flop type, but they are not good to float on. If you have an overpair (smaller than Q-Q) on a monotone flop and are faced with a bet, folding is generally your best option.

– Slowplaying on occasion is necessary to help balance the range of hands that you will check with on the flop.

By Alton Hardin

Introduction

For beginners, 3-betting can be a confusing concept to understand and properly apply at the poker tables. With so much theory being discussed in books, forums, and training videos its easy for beginners to get lost in a fog of poker haze, not knowing when to 3-bet, what range of hands to 3-bet and why. The purpose of this article is to provide a basic framework that beginning and struggling poker players can use to effectively 3-bet.

What Is The Pre-Flop 3-Bet?

First off, lets level set what a pre-flop 3-bet is. A 3-bet occurs when someone open-raises and another person re-raises pre-flop. The re-raise is a 3-bet. This might be a bit confusing to some people because the 3-bet is the second raise, why is this? Well, in Texas Holdem the posted blinds are considered the first bet, the initial open raise is considered the second bet, and the re-raise is therefore the third bet, hence the term 3-bet.

Linear and Polarized 3-Bets

In poker, there are two main categories of 3-bets, linear and polarized 3-bets:

Linear 3-Betting Range

A linear 3-betting range is one composed solely of value-bets. When we 3-bet a linear range, we are 3-betting for value. For example, the image below shows a linear value 3-betting range of JJ+, AQs+, AKo.

Polarized 3-Betting Range

A polarized 3-betting range is one composed of a combination of value hands and bluffs. So, unlike the linear 3-betting range, when we 3-bet a polarized range, we are sometimes betting for value and other times bluffing. The below image shows a polarized 3-betting range composed of value hands and bluff hands. In this example, we are 3-betting TT+, AJs+, AQ+ for value and 44-22, A4s-A2s, 87s, 76s as a bluff.

Why Do We 3-Bet?

Hopefully you’ve already noticed this from the section above, but we 3-bet for two specific reasons:

1. When we have a hand that is too good to call, such as KK or AA for value
2. When we have a hand that is too bad to call, such as A2s or 33

If we have a hand that fits within these two different reasons, then we have a hand we can “potentially” 3-bet.

Linear or Polarized?

So which should you use, the linear or polarized 3-betting model? It depends on our opponents.

Can We 3-Bet Bluff?

You probably heard the phrase, “never bluff the calling station”. Well the same goes for 3-bets. You should only apply the polarized 3-betting model with 3-bet bluffs if your opponent(s) are folding to a lot of 3-bets. If they aren’t, then 3-bet bluffing will only cause you to unnecessarily spew off a lot of chips pre-flop. Conversely, if your opponent(s) are folding to a high frequency of 3-bets, approximately 67% then you can 3-bet bluff profitably.

Therefore, 3-bet bluffing and the polarized 3-betting model works best when you have a lot of fold equity. When your fold equity is low, don’t apply this model and stick with the linear 3-betting model.

Poker 3 Bet Strategy Video Poker

How Wide Should We Value 3-Bet Bet?

Again, this is dependent upon how your opponent(s) are reacting to 3-bets. When you are 3-betting for value, the most important factor is your opponent’s 3-bet calling range and 4-betting range.

When you are 3-betting for value, you goal is to maximize your long-term expectation in the hand by having your opponents call your 3-bet with worse hands. For example, if your opponent is folding to 100% of 3-bets (this isn’t really realistic but proves a point), then it does you no good to 3-bet KK or AA. Against this specific opponent it is more profitable to flat his or her pre-flop raise. Conversely, if your opponent is folding to next to no 3-bets, then it is highly profitable to 3-bet a very wide range for value!

So here are some general guidelines on 3-betting for value:

• Always adjust your 3-bet value range to how your opponents react to 3-bets
• Consider your opponent’s 3-bet flatting range and 4-betting range
• The less your opponent is folding to 3-bets, the more you can widen your value range

Low versus High Fold Equity

Therefore, if you have high fold equity you should employ the polarized model. If you have low fold equity, use the linear 3-betting model.

Poker 3 Bet Strategy Challenge

3-Bet Sizing

When sizing your 3-bets, I recommend beginner start with the 3x rule: raise three times your opponents initial open raise sizing.

• When you are out of position to the raiser, make your sizing a bit more, closer to 3.5x. Why? Our positional disadvantage in the hand.
• When you are in position to the raiser, make you sizing a bit less, closer to 2.8x. Why? Our positional advantage in the hand.

Summing Up

This short poker strategy article on 3-betting 101 covered the basics behind 3-betting and linear versus polarized 3-betting ranges. While this article is far from being a comprehensive 3-betting strategy guide, it should help guide beginners in the right direction with their 3-betting game.

For a more comprehensive overview of 3-betting, be sure to watch our The Three-Betting 101 Course!