F Paulsson
euro love
Silver Level
I haven't done a strategy post in ages, and I've seen requests for more poker content, and it's christmas and I want to share a tip. This, for the topic that it covers, is going to be a super-short post and I'm trying to keep it to the point:
We all want to 3-bet light because it's profitable. We all hate it when someone 4-bets us when we've 3-bet light because we either have to shove and pray that he folds, or we have to give up whatever equity we think we have. At the same time, most of us aren't awesome at intuitively making our ranges even semi-balanced (it's very easy to either overdo it or underdo it) so if we can somehow come up with a way of balancing our 3b/4b/5b game that is automatic (i.e. based on cards) then that's a big plus.
I suggest, then, that versus an aggressive opponent, you make all baby suited aces your bluff hands. A2s-A5s. 3-bet them, and shove if you get 4-bet on. The only other hands in your range for this should (typically) be QQ+ and AK (and expanding that downwards by adding pocket pairs down to 99 if he's super-aggressive). So you have a value range of 99+, AK and a bluff range of A2s-A5s. The combinatorics work out nicely for having a balanced range that way, and here's the kicker: Versus your opponent's calling range (the one that calls a shove) baby aces fair the best. It doesn't differ a lot, but the difference of having 27% equity or 30% equity in an all-in pot is, after all, the size of most solid regs' whole win-rate.
Conditions that need to be fulfilled for this to make sense:
1. Your opponent can 4-bet light (I'm looking for a 4bet range% of 2% or higher)
2. You get the last bet. Don't raise with these hands with the intention of 4-betting; just fold if that happens (alternatively call if you're in position and think you have significant postflop edge, but that's unlikely)
3. You think the 3-bet is profitable to begin with. If your opponent doesn't fold enough to 3-bets to make the steal profitable, don't fire up the engines.
We all want to 3-bet light because it's profitable. We all hate it when someone 4-bets us when we've 3-bet light because we either have to shove and pray that he folds, or we have to give up whatever equity we think we have. At the same time, most of us aren't awesome at intuitively making our ranges even semi-balanced (it's very easy to either overdo it or underdo it) so if we can somehow come up with a way of balancing our 3b/4b/5b game that is automatic (i.e. based on cards) then that's a big plus.
I suggest, then, that versus an aggressive opponent, you make all baby suited aces your bluff hands. A2s-A5s. 3-bet them, and shove if you get 4-bet on. The only other hands in your range for this should (typically) be QQ+ and AK (and expanding that downwards by adding pocket pairs down to 99 if he's super-aggressive). So you have a value range of 99+, AK and a bluff range of A2s-A5s. The combinatorics work out nicely for having a balanced range that way, and here's the kicker: Versus your opponent's calling range (the one that calls a shove) baby aces fair the best. It doesn't differ a lot, but the difference of having 27% equity or 30% equity in an all-in pot is, after all, the size of most solid regs' whole win-rate.
Conditions that need to be fulfilled for this to make sense:
1. Your opponent can 4-bet light (I'm looking for a 4bet range% of 2% or higher)
2. You get the last bet. Don't raise with these hands with the intention of 4-betting; just fold if that happens (alternatively call if you're in position and think you have significant postflop edge, but that's unlikely)
3. You think the 3-bet is profitable to begin with. If your opponent doesn't fold enough to 3-bets to make the steal profitable, don't fire up the engines.
