The vaunted 3-bet. One of the keystones of aggressive poker play and a term used in a number of different poker variants. Nonetheless, the 3-bet is still one of those terms I hear misused and misapplied at times.
Let’s define what a 3-bet is once and for all and look at a couple of different scenarios where 3-bets can occur.
The Source on 3-bets
When I think about 3-bets and where I first encountered them, my mind automatically goes to live Limit Hold’Em games. Although Limit Hold ‘Em has faded in popularity recently, when I was coming up in poker in the early to mid 2000’s, Limit Hold ‘Em was the most popular and most spread game in poker rooms. And in Limit Hold ‘Em, a player entering the pot for a raise preflop is making it “two bets” — that is, he or she is doubling the big blind. If a player were to re-raise this bet, it would now be a 3-bet, as that player would be making it “three bets”.
While the bet sizes in No Limit Hold ‘Em are different, obviously, the theme remains the same. A 3-bet preflop is going to be a player re-raising a player who has already come in for a raise. Finding and mastering 3-bet ranges in No Limit Hold ‘Em is an area where players have devoted enormous amounts of time and effort. These strategies can be quite complex and fickle as the variables of positions, stack depth, and player types are all considered.
Not Just Preflop
3-bets can also occur in postflop scenarios. This is one of the common areas where I hear the term misused by less experienced players. Using our framework from Limit Hold ‘Em, a player must be putting in the third bet for it to be considered a 3-Bet. Preflop, the player entering for a raise is already putting in the second bet, so any reraise is going to be a 3-Bet. Postflop, the first bettor is only putting in the first bet. A raise or check/raise facing a single bet is not a 3 bet! In Limit Hold ‘Em, that would just be making it two bets.
For a legitimate 3-bet to occur postflop, we would need a scenario where a player bets, is raised, and then raises again. Only the third bet would be considered a 3-bet. This could also occur between three or more players in a multi-way pot. While this may seem simple, I am never surprised to hear it confused in postflop scenarios. Strategically, postflop 3-bet scenarios are far more rare than preflop in No Limit Hold ‘Em.
Conclusion on 3-betting in Poker
Hopefully this article has given some clarity to the world of 3-bets. Remember that 3-betting can occur in nearly every variant, No Limit, Limit, or Pot Limit, and that 3-bet pots are often larger than regular pots. Mastering 3-betting strategy and navigating where and when to 3-bet are a vital part of any poker player’s game.
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