teh_colonel_saigon
Rock Star
Silver Level
As a beginning player, I can say that 3-betting is probably the least covered topic in any beginning strategy book or article. Especially considering that most beginning strategies focus on pre-flop play, it's surprising that this topic is hardly mentioned.
I understand the very basics: 3-bet for value or 3-bet light. At the micro stakes, 3-betting is mainly just for value.
But suppose I hold AQ in a low stakes game. If I don't know much about my opponents, with a deep stack and all that, should I be strongly leaning towards folding vs. a 3-bet? I guess we should be talking about this more generally...
What kind of hands would I need to call a 3-bet? Is it ever a good idea? My guess is 4-bets are reserved for AA and KK... so without those holdings do we give up?
With that kind of aggression, it seems that the aggressor can easily C-bet the flop... this will put us in a bad position, so it seems suboptimal to just flat call a 3-bet. (we'd be out of position, often miss the flop... and we likely could be up against an overpair, so floating doesn't seem right...) Not to mention the pot will be larger than usual.
And then...
When do we make a 3-bet? Against what types of opponents? What size stack? This seems even trickier...
I play a home game weekly with a bunch of guys who know nothing about poker- they just play for fun and don't study in their free time. With this crowd, they seem to only 3-bet with AK... if its not that, it's JJ or QQ. I found this to be because they are afraid of playing these hands on the flop...
With KK or AA, beginning players naturally tend to slow play. These hands are also easier to play (generally) so they are comfortable seeing a flop... they have a plan. What are your thoughts on this? (have you found this to be true with beginning players?)
I often find it's interesting to examine the most natural play for beginners, why it feels natural, and if there are any benefits to doing it. I also bring it up because I myself don't know what to do with AK... if im facing a fish, who rarely raises pre-flop, I can already tell they have some kind of ace... would I flat call? or do you always 3-bet for value if you think they will call?
Sorry for the long post, but 3-betting is an interesting concept to me, and I just have no idea how to approach it. Thanks in advance!
I understand the very basics: 3-bet for value or 3-bet light. At the micro stakes, 3-betting is mainly just for value.
But suppose I hold AQ in a low stakes game. If I don't know much about my opponents, with a deep stack and all that, should I be strongly leaning towards folding vs. a 3-bet? I guess we should be talking about this more generally...
What kind of hands would I need to call a 3-bet? Is it ever a good idea? My guess is 4-bets are reserved for AA and KK... so without those holdings do we give up?
With that kind of aggression, it seems that the aggressor can easily C-bet the flop... this will put us in a bad position, so it seems suboptimal to just flat call a 3-bet. (we'd be out of position, often miss the flop... and we likely could be up against an overpair, so floating doesn't seem right...) Not to mention the pot will be larger than usual.
And then...
When do we make a 3-bet? Against what types of opponents? What size stack? This seems even trickier...
I play a home game weekly with a bunch of guys who know nothing about poker- they just play for fun and don't study in their free time. With this crowd, they seem to only 3-bet with AK... if its not that, it's JJ or QQ. I found this to be because they are afraid of playing these hands on the flop...
With KK or AA, beginning players naturally tend to slow play. These hands are also easier to play (generally) so they are comfortable seeing a flop... they have a plan. What are your thoughts on this? (have you found this to be true with beginning players?)
I often find it's interesting to examine the most natural play for beginners, why it feels natural, and if there are any benefits to doing it. I also bring it up because I myself don't know what to do with AK... if im facing a fish, who rarely raises pre-flop, I can already tell they have some kind of ace... would I flat call? or do you always 3-bet for value if you think they will call?
Sorry for the long post, but 3-betting is an interesting concept to me, and I just have no idea how to approach it. Thanks in advance!