Poker 3 Bet Sizing
All About 3 Betting in Poker The Three Bet. One of the common definitions you will hear as you play poker is “3-bet”, or “three-bet”. A 3-bet as most players use the term means the act of putting in the third bet, technically the second “raise”, the “3-bet” during any given round of action. By Alton Hardin. 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.
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:
- When we have a hand that is too good to call, such as KK or AA for value
- 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.
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.
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.
Poker 3 Bet Definition
For a more comprehensive overview of 3-betting, be sure to watch our The Three-Betting 101 Course!
Bet-sizing tells are one of the core tools of the live no-limit player. Players leak so much information in the amounts they choose to bet that it’s no overstatement to say that mastering bet-sizing tells may be the most important live small stakes no-limit skill.
Here are three hands where bet-sizing tells can influence you to make better decisions. All of these hands are played at $2-$5 with $1,000 stacks.
Hand 1
In the first hand, a player limps, then an active player raises to $25. The cutoff calls, and you call on the button with 8 6. The blinds fold, and the limper calls. There are four players to the flop, and $107 in the pot.
The flop comes J 8 4. The limper checks, as does the preflop raiser. The next player bets $35.
Poker 3 Bet Sizing Chart
This flop is loosely connected and features a possible club flush draw. A typical player with a strong hand like A-J or K-J would feel a specific way about the situation. After the preflop raiser checks, they would typically assume they likely held the best hand. But the board has some straight and flush draw possibilities, and with three opponents, the player would want to bet solidly to protect their hand.
So if the flop bettor held one of these strong hands, I would expect a bet shaded to the bigger size—at least $50 and maybe $60 or $70.
The $35 bet is more likely to be a hand like J-9 or 9-9 or an eight or a draw than one of the stronger hands.
You just have middle pair, and there’s a good chance you’re behind, but I would call. You could possibly raise immediately to challenge the bettor, but against many opponents, it’s unnecessary. Calling lets you see how the action develops behind you without committing too much to the pot. If the big blind check-raises, you can get away cheaply. If, say, one of the other two players calls, you then get to see the turn action before you have to commit to something.
Some cautious players I know would fold in this situation, but I think the bet-sizing tell along with the cheap price makes calling better.
Hand 2
Two players limp, and you raise to $25 from two off the button with K Q. The big blind calls, as does one of the limpers.
The flop comes K 8 7. Your opponents check, and you bet $60 into the $82 pot. The big blind calls, and the other player folds. The turn is the 8. Your opponent bets $80 into the $202 pot. You call. The river is the 5, making a final board of K 8 7 8 5. Your opponent bets $250 into the $362 pot.
The small turn bet could be one of two things. First, it could be an eight. Second, it could be a player with a weak hand like K-10 or a draw looking to freeze the betting for a cheap card.
For some players, the small bet would be significantly more likely to be one of the weaker hands than the eight (perhaps because you’d expect the player to try a check-raise with trips). For other players, the small bet could be more likely to be trips because they’d play the weaker hands more passively. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you don’t have a strong read which way this opponent leans, so you decide to call the turn.
The sizing of the river bet inclines me to believe that this player has trips, and I would fold. On the turn, the player bet $80 into $202, or less than half the pot. Also the bet is less than $100, which is something of a magic number in these games—bets bigger than $100 tend to be a bit more serious in general than those less than $100. So this turn bet I’d characterize as small.
On the river, however, the player bets more than two-thirds of the pot and way, way more than the $100 threshold. This is a large bet in this context.
In general, the betting pattern of small bet leading into a large bet is a strong pattern. Players at this level who bet small, and then when called, decide to bet substantially larger on the next street tend to have hands they’re trying to get real value with. Holding K-Q as a preflop raiser, you have exactly the sort of hand your opponent would expect you to have. If he’s going to value, he probably has you beat. So I would fold.
It’s the small-to-big pattern that really seals this fold for me. The flop contained a lot of draws that bricked out. It’s not an unreasonable board for an opponent to try to bluff on. So I wouldn’t automatically fold K-Q to any old betting from this opponent. But this particular pattern suggests strength often enough that I don’t think it’s worth calling getting less than 3-to-1.
Hand 3
A player open-raises to $20 from five off the button. A player calls. You call with Q J in the cutoff. The button calls. The blinds both fold. There’s $107 in the pot and four players.
The flop comes J 10 6. The preflop raiser bets $60, and the next player folds. You call. The button folds. There’s $207 in the pot.
The turn is the 7. Your opponent bets $100, and you call.
The river is the 3. Your opponent checks.
Poker 3 Bet Sizing Odds
The bet-sizing in this hand tells a fairly clear story about what the preflop raiser is likely to have. Betting $60 into $100 on the flop isn’t a massive bet, but it’s a very solid bet into three players. Hands like K-J, A-J, K-K, and so forth are all in play. Of course, the preflop raiser could also hold K-Q, A-K, a flush draw, or some other hand as well. The $60 bet isn’t definitive one way or the other.
The $100 bet on the turn, however, is decidedly small, given the situation. It suggests the preflop raiser is now playing defensively. Since the flush came in, there’s a good chance he’s got one pair. He doesn’t want to give a free card to a hand like a lone diamond or a straight draw, but he also doesn’t want to commit a ton of money to the pot in case you already have a flush.
The check after the river bricks is further confirmation of this hypothesis. It would be a relative longshot for this player to first have a flush (already uncommon), and then to play it with this strong-to-weak betting pattern.
There’s a good chance your opponent is very concerned you have a flush. There’s also a good chance your hand is no good. It’s worth considering a bluff here—and if you bluff, you really should make a strong play at the pot. A $400 bet into this $427 pot should have an excellent chance to win.
Poker 3 Bet Sizing Tool
Final Thoughts
Bet-sizing tells can give you a great picture of what your opponents are doing in no-limit hands. If you learn to leverage this information, you can become one of the best players at your level. ♠
Ed’s newest book, The Course: Serious Hold ‘Em Strategy For Smart Players is available now at his website edmillerpoker.com. You can also find original articles and instructional videos by Ed at the training site redchippoker.com.