Raising from late position, and being 3 bet from the blinds

Since I added "steal percentage" to my HUD I've noticed a huge difference in player's percentages at 10, 25 and 50nl FR that I play at Stars.

My question is; what type of hands do you play and in what way when you raise from late and then get 3 bet from the blinds, assuming the 3 bettor also has a relatively high steal percentage and is therefore likely to know themselves that your range is wide?

My default has been to fold, unless I have a premium hand or he's played back more than once (I don't have a big database on most of the players that I play) in which case I'll 4bet. Maybe my response is too polarized. Most hands don't get shown down, but I've had flats to my blind position 3 bets with J8s and 66, both of which are not hands that I'd generally flat to a 3 bet from the blinds.


You have position if you flat, but the pot to stack ratio is already large. I guess that scares me off which is why my range/response is so polarized. Is it worthwhile to balance the range here a bit more? If I flat more often, what hands generally should I be considering doing it with? AJ/AQ/KQ suited? Probably the only ones I consider flatting right now are TT/JJ, which isn't much of a range.

Things I consider: 3-bet %, fold to 4-bet %, history notes, c-bet %, stack size.

3-bet %: Obviously, the more junk they have in their range, the more we can widen our range & play back at them. There's a good chart in the HEM article (facing a preflop 3-bet) that tells you how often they have to 3-bet in order to stack off with JJ/AK/AQ/TT preflop.

fold to 4-bet %: Once again, this is pretty obvious. There are some ABC nits that can fold AK preflop, blind vs. button. I abuse them. There are some lag-tards who stack 44 preflop. I 4-bet/call with 77.

History: Usually if I'm playing the 3-bet/4-bet game, its with regs, and history plays a big part here. Anytime a 4-bet hand gets to showdown, or I've 4-bet and folded, I made a note. Regs remember that. So if I've recently 4-bet smallish and folded, I'll 4-bet small with aces.

C-bet %: I mostly look at this number when deciding to flat a big hand. If they 3-bet a huge percentage, and c-bet every flop, I start flatting QQ+/AKs. Its just a much better way to get additional money from their weak range (since 4-betting folds most of it, usually).

Stack Size: 200bb's deep, I start flatting a lot of stuff. Suited connectors, small pairs, suited aces. When you open to 3xbb's, and they 3-bet a pot sized raise ~10bb's, the stack to pot ratio will be about 10:1, and you're usually getting odds to setmine.

So yeah, just use yer brain. Lots of guys 3-bet light tons of junk from the blinds, and insta-fold to 4-bets (no one stacks off with T4o). So obviously calling in position and letting them c-bet is the best way to take their $. Some spazzes 3-bet/call shove with 44, so stack them with pocket 9's. Some guys 3-bet AQ 200bb's deep, and just call it a cooler when they flop TPTK & you flop a set. Some are ABC tags, and they 3-bet, c-bet, and give up. Use your stats, reads, and figure out the best way to get them to make a mistake.

As above really.

If his 3 bet range is high then call or shove.

If its low fold.

If its fairly low then he is probably playing hands which are easy to play post flop. So mid pairs+ AK+ AQs so his stratagy should be to bet the flop regardless.

So in calling a 3-bet here you are also calling a 1/2 - 3/4 pot bet on the flop.

So you want the type of hand thats easy to do that with on most flops. (99+ AK AQs)

If his 3bet range from the blinds is wide then you can open up more to include all pairs.

But really you dont want to go crazy in this situation. He is probably betting light but calling too light is going to put you into fit or fold teritory.

With your lower premium hands its better to 4 bet or fold rather than to call.

All makes sense.

My issue is lack of info. Short sessions, exacerbated by the fact that I play more than one level means not many stats on most players.

But I should be able to extrapolate some things to give me ideas, like PFR, steal percentage, flop c-bet percentage.