The Three Bet

You will often hear the term “3-bet” or “three-bet” when you play poker. The act or “three-bet”, as most poker players refer to it, is the act of placing the third bet . This bet is technically the second “raise” and the “3-bet” during any round of play. The term is only popular in recent years, indicating its popularity during online play.

The preflop 3-bet for flop games such as Omaha and hold’em is technically different from the post-flop 3bet. These poker games use blinds. The act of placing the small and large blinds is the “bet” that starts the game. The next player, starting with the UTG (under the gun) player to the left of the big blind, has the option of calling the first bet (the amount in the big blind), folding, or raising. Although technically, the pre-flop raise is a “two-bet”, it’s not commonly used. The “three-bet” term refers to when another play raises, which is more than the first raise. Here’s a picture of a preflop 3-bet.

The 3-bet in post-flop play consists of an initial wager, a raise, then a reraise (perhaps by a first bettor). The post-flop 3-bet will be larger than the pre-flop one, due to the size of the initial bet. In cash games, and later stages of tournaments, 3-bets are often all-in moves made by one or more players. However, you will hear the words “pushing”, “jamming” (moving your entire stack to the middle), in these instances.

WHAT DOES A 3-BET MEAN?

The indicator of true premium hands is a 3-bet. It is always a form a re-raise. The 3-bet is intended to take out the initial raiser and capture the pot. The 3-bet’s purpose is to tell the initial raiser, “Yeah you may have a great hand but I’ve got one better.” A common variation is when the initial raise comes from late positions, such as the button player or cut-off. In this case, the 3-bet will be made by either the small or large blind. This may occur because the button or cutoff may think they are trying to take the blinds. The 3-bet is a traditional move that a player can make to alter a hand. It trails only the all-in push or the check-raise. This is supposed to indicate that the player who makes the move has a strong hand. However, this is poker and it can happen.

MAKE YOUR OWN 3 BETS

3-bets are best used at the right times. Many players who are hyper-aggressive 3-bette with many hands, even garbage hands, because they believe that bluffs can be used to their advantage. However, most 3-bets are made with large hands.

One of the most difficult lessons for players is knowing when to call or 3-bet. Understanding your opponents’ tendencies is crucial to your success. The best poker players are as good at playing their opponents as they are at their own hands. The best 3-bet is against loose players. Some of these players are called “calling stations” and cannot fold marginal holdings unless prompted. A third type of 3-bet that is successful can be used against players who may underestimate the long-term chances of the game or tourney due to their preoccupation with what might happen in a particular hand. In the hope of winning a better hand, he might have given up a little bit of his chance of winning.

There are also bluffs. A bluff is a 3-bet type that’s called a “resteal”. When done correctly, it could be one of the most lucrative moves in a player’s arsenal. It is possible to lose your money quickly by using it too often, just like with any other good play. Over-exerting yourself with 3-bets will cause other players to react. Sooner or later, your opponent will “look up” and call you. If you are a conservative, steady player, 3-betting aggressive foes will work more often that you might think. These players will try to make small, steady gains against you perceived relative passivity. If they don’t win, they’ll usually go after another player.

DEFENDING AGAINST 3-BET

Understanding your opponent and the situation is the key to defending against the 3-bet. A 3-bet against a tight opponent with few hands is invariably a monster. You can discard all hands except the strongest. Even if he is a rare bluffer, his natural tendency to bluff should be a warning.

Late-position aggressive players will often triple-bet with holdings like middle pairs or AQ. Depending on your hand, it may be correct to play, or even to place the 4-bet and take your chance. With the correct “pot odds”, which refers to the relationship between how much money is in the pot and how much a player stands at winning, a late-position player might be more likely to make his own call with inferior hands than you might think.