What does 3bet/4bet mean?

D

dragonflyamb

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Total posts
39
Chips
0
This may sound like a very stupid question, so i apologize in advance. I see the terms 3bet" or "4bet" a lot lately. Do these mean "3 times the big blind" and "4 times the big blind"? That would make sense to me, but sometimes in context it doesn't fit.
 
R

ryanshire94

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Total posts
66
Chips
0
When someone raises, and someone else re-raises, thats called a 3bet. Then if someone re-raises the 3bet, thats called the 4bet and so on.
 
Lucothefish

Lucothefish

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Total posts
656
Chips
0
Think of it as 3rd bet and 4th bet.

Preflop, the big blind is the (compulsory) 'first bet', the next raise is the second and when someone reraises it's called a 3bet. Note that only raises and reraises, not calls, are counted.


Post flop there is no compulsory bet so you'd need a bet, raise and re-raise for there to be a 3bet.
 
D

dragonflyamb

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Total posts
39
Chips
0
But then when it is said that on the button, if there are only limpers after the big blind, the button's raise should be a 3bet +1 for each limper, that doesn't make sense.

It would only be the second raise. 3bet +1 would be 3 times the blind plus one additional blind for each limper, right?
 
Lucothefish

Lucothefish

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Total posts
656
Chips
0
But then when it is said that on the button, if there are only limpers after the big blind, the button's raise should be a 3bet +1 for each limper, that doesn't make sense.

It would only be the second raise. 3bet +1 would be 3 times the blind plus one additional blind for each limper, right?

I think whatever you're reading has their words wrong, which would explain the confusion.

It should say '3 big blinds +1 for each limper', not '3bet +1 for each limper', you are correct that a raise after only limpers is not a 3bet.
 
D

dragonflyamb

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Total posts
39
Chips
0
Ok, thank you for the clarification.
 
Top