Playing Against 3-Bets

Online poker offers lots of aggressive players who will 3-bet you with a wide range of hands. Unfortunately, it’s tough to play against these players because you never know what they could be 3-betting with. This being said, here is a look at how to play in hands where an opponent throws out a 3-bet.

Know their 3-Bet Range

The number one tip for dealing with an opponent who has just 3-bet you is to know the range of hands they’re willing to 3-bet with. This requires a lot of previous analysis, so you’ll definitely need to see some hands before making the decision to call, 4-bet or fold your hand. Some aggressive players like to 3-bet with hands like A-Q, A-J, K-Q and Q-J preflop, while tight players will only 3-bet before the flop with A-A, K-K and Q-Q. In any case, you can use this information to your advantage.

Look at Position

Position is another important aspect when it comes to figuring out a player’s 3-bet range. Much like range, the position that players are likely to 3-bet out of depends on how they play. Many players 3-bet with stronger hands when they’re in position, but there also players who are more likely to 3-bet out of position because they only play good hands OOP. Again this just takes an analysis of each opponent to figure out what range they’re willing to 3-bet with.

Don’t Guess

One last thing to consider when facing 3-bets is that you should never be guessing at an opponent’s range. For instance, if you get 3-bet by a player who you haven’t had time to observe, don’t just call or re-raise based on a hunch. Instead, make sure that you’ve had time to observe the 3-bettor in action before you decide what the best course of action is. Of course, having a great hand always makes the decision a lot easier.