3-Bet in Poker: Types of 3-Bet Ranges and Examples

A 3-bet is the third bet in a poker sequence, in which a player re-raises after the initial pre-flop raise, or 2-bet. (The blind payment is the first bet in Texas Hold‘em and Omaha.) The 3-bet is an aggressive move that represents a very strong hand, and it’s one you’ll frequently encounter, whether you’re playing online poker, in tournaments, or in cash games. In Texas Hold‘em, it’s one of the most powerful betting strategies used.

The 3-bet forces other players to fold, isolates weak players, and holds the initiative. The strategy can also help you build the pot and increase the size of your payouts, so they’re crucial to any winning poker strategy. Learn about poker tournament strategy from elite poker player Daniel Negreanu.

Here are the different types of 3-bet ranges:

1. 1. Strong range: Some poker players only 3-bet with a strong range, such as pocket kings or pocket aces. However, this isn’t the best strategy since any player paying attention will quickly catch on and fold when this occurs, and you’ll never realize the total equity of your strong hand.
2. 2. Polarized range: A better strategy for a pre-flop 3-bet is a polarized betting range, which means 3-betting your best hands and an occasional weaker hand, such as high pocket pairs. (Occasional bluffing is a good idea because it can help you increase your profits.) However, be selective when using this strategy on a weaker hand—play hands such as suited connectors, so you have flush and straight potential post-flop. Learn about the different types of bluffs and tips for better bluffing.
3. 3. Merged range: A merged or linear range is best for more skilled opponents. With this strategy, you only 3-bet pots with your premium hands and the next best ones. Basically, you’re only 3-betting with the top five percent of your hands.

Here are some examples of 3-betting strategies, depending on your table position:

• In position: Being in position means you get to see your opponent act before making a decision. With this advantage, a moderately sized 3-bet is sufficient to put your opponent on the defense. To illustrate, let’s assume you’re playing a game of $1/$2 No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em: You’re on the button with an ace of hearts and a king of hearts, and other players fold up to the player at the cut-off, who raises the bet to $6. You 3-bet $18, and your opponent calls. The flop comes with a nine of spades, a jack of hearts, and a five of diamonds, and your opponent checks to you. You bet $24, and they fold.
• Out of position: A 3-bet made out of position requires a different strategy. Using the same stakes, let’s assume you have a king of hearts and a king of clubs in the big blind. Everyone folds except the player on the button, who bets $6. You 3-bet $26, and your opponent folds. In this scenario, being out of position warrants a larger 3-bet. By betting $26 instead of $18, you’re making your opponent pay more to capitalize on their position, which increases the chances they’ll fold, leaving you with the pot.

Above all else, 3-betting is an effective strategy for building pots. Play more aggressively when you want to get as much value as possible from your good hands. Beginners may worry that aggression will cause everyone to fold, and they’ll lose any opportunity to profit, but this may not be the case. Regardless of how strong your hand is, it loses equity if you let other players limp into the flop. Instead, 3-bet on hands you’re likely to win, build pots, and increase your profits over the long haul.

A common strategy in poker is blind stealing. Some players open raise from late positions with just about any hand to steal the blinds. You can use 3-betting to counter this and defend the blinds. If you’re in one of the blinds and encounter this strategy, you can challenge the other player with a 3-bet, answering their aggression with more aggression. Even if your move doesn’t succeed, the player will think twice about stealing your blinds on future hands.

Three-betting is a powerful tool in poker, but be selective when deploying it because it can devalue a strong hand. For example, 3-betting a marginal hand may force other players to fold their weak hands, but players with a tighter calling range are a problem. Generally speaking, a successful 3-bet should force a weaker hand to call, force a stronger hand to fold, or cause a drawing hand with poor odds to call.

Avoid 3-betting if you don’t think it can produce one of these outcomes. Your decision will depend on what information you know about the other players. Try to put a range on the player who has raised, ask yourself what kind of hand they’re likely to have and whether your 3-bet will force one of the aforementioned outcomes.

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown on how to play a 3-bet in poker:

• Determine the size of the 3-bet. The first thing a player should know is the size of their 3-bet. As a rule, avoid making minimal 3-bets because it gives the other players good odds to call with a wider range of hands. The smallest 3-bet you should make is twice the amount of the open raise, but re-raising by a factor of three is a good idea if you’re betting in position. If you’re out of position, your 3-bet sizing should be closer to four times the open raise.
• Tighten your 3-bet range. If you 3-bet from any position except the blinds, there’s a good chance you’ll scare away the players who haven’t acted, and you’re likely to end up in a better position post-flop. That said, the earlier your position, the more likely it is that a player behind you has a good hand. Tighten your 3-bet range based on your position—the worse your position, the tighter your range.
• Watch the initial raiser. Lastly, pay attention to the position of the initial raiser. Your 3-bet is an aggressive re-raise of this player’s raise—if this player has a good position, consider the strength of their hand before responding with a 3-bet. Be mindful of the other players and how they’re playing their hands.

A 4-bet is when a player re-raises a 3-bet. Given that a 3-bet is an aggressive second bet on a pre-flop raise, a 4-bet is even more assertive and is usually at least twice the size of the 3-bet. This pattern of betting goes further—5-bets and 6-bets are possible, though usually rare. Once bets approach these levels, players are likely betting their entire stakes by going all in.

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