Defending Against 3-Bets
One of the most challenging aspects of poker is defending against 3-bets. Many novice players encounter this situation and are unsure how to respond to their opponents’ aggression preflop.
In this article, we will take a look at the key factors to consider when facing a 3-bet from an opponent and discuss strategies that can help improve your game in these situations.
Table of Contents:
- Opponent’s Postflop Aggression
- How Often the Opponent Folds to a 4-Bet
Opponent’s Range
The first and most crucial factor to evaluate when facing a 3-bet is the opponent’s range. Understanding the range with which your opponent is 3-betting will help you determine whether to defend and, if so, how to do it effectively.
An opponent’s 3-bet range heavily depends on their playing style and the positions you and they are in at the table. Regular players typically have a tighter 3-bet range against open raises from early positions.
This is because your perceived range when raising from an early position usually includes strong hands such as big pairs and high cards. Accordingly, if you raise from an early position and face a 3-bet, there’s a high chance that the opponent’s range is also strong and narrow.
In Hand2Note 4 multi-player reports, I selected tight regular players with VPIP of less than 20% and PFR of less than 15%, each with at least 1,000 hands in my database.
I then filtered for situations where these players made a 3-bet from the Middle Position against an open raise from the Early Position:
Their 3-bet frequency was just 3.5%, indicating a very narrow and strong range with almost no bluffs.
On the other hand, if you open from a late position, the opponent’s range can be much wider. Regular players often expand their 3-bet range against raises from the Button or Cutoff because the perceived range of the raiser in such situations is wider and includes more weak hands.
In the generated report, I changed the filter to show regular players making 3-bets from the Small Blind in response to an open raise from the Button:
As we can see, their 3-bet frequency increased to 11%, which includes many medium-strength hands and bluffs.
When playing against regular players, you need to clearly understand in which situations their 3-bet range will be narrow and in which it will be wide. The wider the opponent’s range, the more hands you can profitably defend with, either by calling or 4-betting.
Position Postflop
Position is one of the most important factors in poker, and it plays a decisive role when defending against 3-bets. Playing in position is much easier and more profitable than playing out of position, especially when facing aggression.
When you are in position, you act last on every street, giving you a crucial advantage - the full information about your opponent’s actions. This allows you to control the pot size more effectively, make more informed decisions, and realize the full potential of your hand.
You can afford to call 3-bets with a wider range since you have more maneuverability postflop. In position, you can take free cards to improve your hand or apply pressure on your opponent to force them out of the pot.
Out of position, the situation is much more difficult. You will have to make decisions without information about your opponent’s actions. Therefore, you should be particularly selective about the hands with which you plan to call a 3-bet out of position.
In Hand2Note 4 reports, I selected scenarios where I called 3-bets while in position:
My expected win rate is -102 bb/100. This shows that calling in position can effectively minimize losses.
I pinned the obtained report, then in a new report on the right, I changed the scenario to where I called a 3-bet out of position and compared the reports side by side:
We see that now my expected win rate is about 2 times lower. The main reason for this is that out of position, we have far fewer opportunities to win the pot.
Opponent’s Postflop Aggression
When deciding whether to defend against a 3-bet, it’s important to consider how aggressively your opponent plays postflop. This aspect is particularly important as it significantly affects how often you will be able to get to showdown with a medium-strength hand.
If you face an opponent who frequently makes continuation bets and regularly barrels on all streets, playing with medium-strength hands will be very difficult.
Such opponents tend to play aggressively and may put you under constant pressure, forcing you to fold your hands before showdown. In this case, it’s difficult to determine when they are bluffing and when they are betting for value with a strong hand. In such situations, it’s better to avoid calling pre-flop with marginal hands.
On the other hand, if your opponent rarely makes continuation bets and prefers to check on the flop without a strong hand, you have more opportunities to win the pot.
Against such players, you can defend with a wider range. It is important to correctly assess your opponent’s postflop aggression and choose the appropriate defense strategy.
We opened preflop with pocket sixes and faced a 3-bet from a regular player on the Button. On the one hand, we can see in the HUD that their overall 3-bet frequency is 12%, and against such a range, our sixes aren’t doing too badly.
On the other hand, the pop-up shows that the opponent is very aggressive postflop, with a continuation bet frequency of 73% and a second barrel frequency of 82%.
Thus, if we call the 3-bet, we will most likely face a scenario where we end up with a small pair on the flop, with which the opponent will simply push us out of the pot. Therefore, the best decision would be to fold our hand preflop.
How Often the Opponent Folds to a 4-Bet
Another important factor to consider when defending against 3-bets is the opponent’s frequency of folding to 4-bets. In modern poker, many regular players frequently 3-bet with the aim of pushing their opponents out of the pot. This is especially true for aggressive opponents who aim to put pressure on weaker players.
Therefore, it is important to have statistics on your opponents and pay attention to their tendencies when facing a 4-bet. If they often fold to a 4-bet, you should bluff 4-bet more frequently. Hands with blockers to the opponent’s premium hands, as well as suited connectors, are good candidates for this purpose as they can hit the flop well.
We open-raised with 97 suited from the Early Position and a loose-aggressive player on the Cutoff made a 3-bet.
The dynamic HUD shows that when playing in position, the opponent 3-bets on the Cutoff with a frequency of 17%, after which they fold to a 4-bet 80% of the time. Seeing such stats, it’s profitable for us to 4-bet bluff with any hand.
Defending against 3-bets is a complex aspect of poker that requires a deep understanding of the situation and flexibility in decision-making. Successful play in this situation depends on your ability to adapt your strategy to your opponent’s playing style.
By using Hand2Note 4, you can analyze opponent statistics more deeply, better understand their ranges, and significantly improve your 3-bet defense.
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No comments yet. Be first to ask something:Defending Against 3-Bets
One of the most challenging aspects of poker is defending against 3-bets. Many novice players encounter this situation and are unsure how to respond to their opponents’ aggression preflop.
In this article, we will take a look at the key factors to consider when facing a 3-bet from an opponent and discuss strategies that can help improve your game in these situations.
Table of Contents:
- Opponent’s Postflop Aggression
- How Often the Opponent Folds to a 4-Bet
Opponent’s Range
The first and most crucial factor to evaluate when facing a 3-bet is the opponent’s range. Understanding the range with which your opponent is 3-betting will help you determine whether to defend and, if so, how to do it effectively.
An opponent’s 3-bet range heavily depends on their playing style and the positions you and they are in at the table. Regular players typically have a tighter 3-bet range against open raises from early positions.
This is because your perceived range when raising from an early position usually includes strong hands such as big pairs and high cards. Accordingly, if you raise from an early position and face a 3-bet, there’s a high chance that the opponent’s range is also strong and narrow.
In Hand2Note 4 multi-player reports, I selected tight regular players with VPIP of less than 20% and PFR of less than 15%, each with at least 1,000 hands in my database.
I then filtered for situations where these players made a 3-bet from the Middle Position against an open raise from the Early Position:
Their 3-bet frequency was just 3.5%, indicating a very narrow and strong range with almost no bluffs.
On the other hand, if you open from a late position, the opponent’s range can be much wider. Regular players often expand their 3-bet range against raises from the Button or Cutoff because the perceived range of the raiser in such situations is wider and includes more weak hands.
In the generated report, I changed the filter to show regular players making 3-bets from the Small Blind in response to an open raise from the Button:
As we can see, their 3-bet frequency increased to 11%, which includes many medium-strength hands and bluffs.
When playing against regular players, you need to clearly understand in which situations their 3-bet range will be narrow and in which it will be wide. The wider the opponent’s range, the more hands you can profitably defend with, either by calling or 4-betting.
Position Postflop
Position is one of the most important factors in poker, and it plays a decisive role when defending against 3-bets. Playing in position is much easier and more profitable than playing out of position, especially when facing aggression.
When you are in position, you act last on every street, giving you a crucial advantage - the full information about your opponent’s actions. This allows you to control the pot size more effectively, make more informed decisions, and realize the full potential of your hand.
You can afford to call 3-bets with a wider range since you have more maneuverability postflop. In position, you can take free cards to improve your hand or apply pressure on your opponent to force them out of the pot.
Out of position, the situation is much more difficult. You will have to make decisions without information about your opponent’s actions. Therefore, you should be particularly selective about the hands with which you plan to call a 3-bet out of position.
In Hand2Note 4 reports, I selected scenarios where I called 3-bets while in position:
My expected win rate is -102 bb/100. This shows that calling in position can effectively minimize losses.
I pinned the obtained report, then in a new report on the right, I changed the scenario to where I called a 3-bet out of position and compared the reports side by side:
We see that now my expected win rate is about 2 times lower. The main reason for this is that out of position, we have far fewer opportunities to win the pot.
Opponent’s Postflop Aggression
When deciding whether to defend against a 3-bet, it’s important to consider how aggressively your opponent plays postflop. This aspect is particularly important as it significantly affects how often you will be able to get to showdown with a medium-strength hand.
If you face an opponent who frequently makes continuation bets and regularly barrels on all streets, playing with medium-strength hands will be very difficult.
Such opponents tend to play aggressively and may put you under constant pressure, forcing you to fold your hands before showdown. In this case, it’s difficult to determine when they are bluffing and when they are betting for value with a strong hand. In such situations, it’s better to avoid calling pre-flop with marginal hands.
On the other hand, if your opponent rarely makes continuation bets and prefers to check on the flop without a strong hand, you have more opportunities to win the pot.
Against such players, you can defend with a wider range. It is important to correctly assess your opponent’s postflop aggression and choose the appropriate defense strategy.
We opened preflop with pocket sixes and faced a 3-bet from a regular player on the Button. On the one hand, we can see in the HUD that their overall 3-bet frequency is 12%, and against such a range, our sixes aren’t doing too badly.
On the other hand, the pop-up shows that the opponent is very aggressive postflop, with a continuation bet frequency of 73% and a second barrel frequency of 82%.
Thus, if we call the 3-bet, we will most likely face a scenario where we end up with a small pair on the flop, with which the opponent will simply push us out of the pot. Therefore, the best decision would be to fold our hand preflop.
How Often the Opponent Folds to a 4-Bet
Another important factor to consider when defending against 3-bets is the opponent’s frequency of folding to 4-bets. In modern poker, many regular players frequently 3-bet with the aim of pushing their opponents out of the pot. This is especially true for aggressive opponents who aim to put pressure on weaker players.
Therefore, it is important to have statistics on your opponents and pay attention to their tendencies when facing a 4-bet. If they often fold to a 4-bet, you should bluff 4-bet more frequently. Hands with blockers to the opponent’s premium hands, as well as suited connectors, are good candidates for this purpose as they can hit the flop well.
We open-raised with 97 suited from the Early Position and a loose-aggressive player on the Cutoff made a 3-bet.
The dynamic HUD shows that when playing in position, the opponent 3-bets on the Cutoff with a frequency of 17%, after which they fold to a 4-bet 80% of the time. Seeing such stats, it’s profitable for us to 4-bet bluff with any hand.
Defending against 3-bets is a complex aspect of poker that requires a deep understanding of the situation and flexibility in decision-making. Successful play in this situation depends on your ability to adapt your strategy to your opponent’s playing style.
By using Hand2Note 4, you can analyze opponent statistics more deeply, better understand their ranges, and significantly improve your 3-bet defense.
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