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 What Is a 3-Bet in Poker?

 Types of 3-Bet Ranges
 3-Betting Examples
 When to 3-Bet in Poker
 When to Avoid 3-Betting in Poker
 How to Play a 3-Bet in Poker
 3-Betting vs. 4-Betting: What’s the Difference?
 Learn More
 Phil Ivey Teaches Poker Strategy

What Is a 3-Bet in Poker?

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.

Types of 3-Bet Ranges

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.

3-Betting Examples
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.
When to 3-Bet in Poker
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.

When to Avoid 3-Betting in Poker

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.

How to Play a 3-Bet in Poker

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.
3-Betting vs. 4-Betting: What’s the Difference?
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.