$2 NLHE Full Ring: 99 vs. preflop 3bet OOP

I find that this is one of my biggest leaks. How are we supposed to play medium pocket pairs vs a 3bet preflop OOP? Stats are kind of irrelevant to me because both my free trials for PT3 and HEM just ran out today and I don't have a way to purchase them at the moment. Do we set mine and just call? 4bet it? or fold?


Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.02(BB) Replayer
SB ($3.75)
BB ($2.45)
UTG ($1.92)
Hero ($2.00)
UTG+2 ($2.60)
MP1 ($1.96)
MP2 ($1.03)
CO ($1.97)
BTN ($1.91)

Dealt to Hero 9:club: 9:diamond:

fold, Hero raises to $0.08, fold, MP1 raises to $0.27, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero ??

You can NOT profitably set mine here. Fold.

If you're not ~160bb+ deep you generally can't set mine in 3bet pots profitably. If you're in position and you think you can win some pots postflop without hitting your set calling with smaller stacks can be ok depending on your opponents postflop tendencies but OOP you got no reason to ever call imo.

so there isn't even a thought of 4betting?

Not at 2nl without stats.

WVHillbilly said:

Not at 2nl without stats.

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Or a note that says "crazy maniac". Villain has to be 3-betting stuff like ATo (or bluffing a ton) here to make 4-bet/calling it off profitable.

When it gets to JJ or maybe 10's are we going to be 4betting for value now?

WSOP13 said:

When it gets to JJ or maybe 10's are we going to be 4betting for value now?

Click to expand...

Not really. They're essentially the same as 99. I mean what range of hands do you expect an unknown 2nl villain to be 3betting? How much of that range calls the shove? How much equity do you have against that range with JJ? I'd say at micro FR games without a read/note/stats that villain is 3bet crazy, JJ is a fold to a 3bet OOP unless stacks are deep.

Good points. I feel every session I would lose near a BI by flatting OOP mid PP's to 3bets then c/f when I miss.

Thanks a lot I appreciate it

WSOP13 said:

Good points. I feel every session I would lose near a BI by flatting OOP mid PP's to 3bets then c/f when I miss.

Thanks a lot I appreciate it

Click to expand...

Yeah you just can't do it and make money. If you can still get into PT3 filter for spots where you call 3bets OOP in general and you'll see that it's almost never profitable with any hand. I mean you can make money doing it with AA/KK but generally it's money you would have made 4betting and very often you win less flatting 3bets with your big hands.

WVHillbilly said:

Yeah you just can't do it and make money. If you can still get into PT3 filter for spots where you call 3bets OOP in general and you'll see that it's almost never profitable with any hand. I mean you can make money doing it with AA/KK but generally it's money you would have made 4betting and very often you win less flatting 3bets with your big hands.

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How do you do that? I have one day of HEM left but I can't figure out how to filter it right

In HEM go to Cash Games > Reports
Click Filters > Edit
More Filters Tab
Select Called Preflop 3bet = True and Last to Act on Flop = False

-.74c over 34 hands of calling 3bets OOP. Ive played 15k hands at 2nl. I think my main leak was actually 4betting mid PP's now that I'm looking through it