• Poker 3 Bet Definition Meaning
• Poker 3 Bet Definition Synonyms
• Poker 3 Bet Definition Us History
• Poker 3 Bet Definition Math

A bet from a player on the flop who raised pre-flop is known as a continuation bet or simply a c-bet. That player has continued to seize the initiative, hence the term, continuation bet. The normal use of the continuation bet is by a player in position against a lone opponent who has checked on the flop. The use of a continuation bet is rooted in the wisdom that most of the time one’s hand does not improve on the flop. Therefore the first player to bet may take down the pot right then and there.

Over time the use of this strategy has almost become the 100% default action by many poker players. Right up front we will state that if players employ this poker strategy every time they have taken the lead pre-flop, they are continuation betting too frequently. When this is the case, what can be utilized selectively to one’s benefit can become a major leak. As in all of poker, predictability is analogous to stepping into the cross hairs of all but your most obtuse opponents.

In this lesson we will attempt to explore the why, when and against whom this action should ideally be taken. We will also recommend some counter strategies for when your opponent is the one making a continuation bet.

Poker training, strategies, and courses brought to you by some of the world's best like Doug Polk and Nick Petrangelo. Learn how to crush poker today! Poker strategies and courses, brought to you by the world's best poker players, that will take your own poker skills to the next level. A 3-bet is when there has been a raise and then another raise after that. Simple enough, but let me give you one quick example to drive it home: After the SB and BB post the $1 and $2 blinds, lets say there is a raise to $8 from a player in MP. If another player in LP raises it again to $24, this is called a 3-bet. What Does It Mean in Poker? The term 3- bet is most commonly used to refer to the first re- raise before the flop, although the term also refers to the first re-raise after the flop. Subsequent raises are referred to as 4-bet, 5-bet, etc. Three betting is a critical part of modern poker. Before the advent of online poker, a third bet in no limit and pot limit games generally indicated a very strong hand. Now, as games have gotten more aggressive, the three bet is used quite liberally by players in cash and tournament play alike. Knowledge of when you should three bet and what your opponent’s three betting range is are both critical skills for players hoping to profit in modern poker. Three-Bet Commonly used to refer to an initial reraise before the flop. The term has its origins in fixed-limit games where an initial raise is worth two bets, then the reraise is equal to three.

The Purpose of Continuation Bets

As stated above, the strategy is based upon the fact that a hand is not usually improved upon by the flop so attacking your opponent with further aggression, regardless of your holding, can many times win the pot. It can also be used a reverse bluff when you hold a strong hand and would like to build the pot. The main purpose, however, is to win the pot immediately.

The Number of Opponents

The fewer opponents you are facing the higher your chances of success in winning the pot with a continuation bet. As a general guide, consider the following:

• C-bet almost 100% when heads up
• C-bet 50% when against two players
• C-bet 25% when against three players

Continuation betting against more than one opponent, while much less frequently, gives your game a degree of unpredictability. Although if there are four or more players then you’ll probably want to have hit the flop before sending more chips toward the middle – and a check may be in order.

The Texture of the Board

As the Mad Genius of Poker, Mike Caro, has stated… hold’em is a game of high cards while stud is a game of live cards. Keeping that counsel in mind, if the flop comes Jack, Queen and King there is a high likelihood that one of your opponents may well be holding a match to one of these wheel house cards. They weren’t calling your pre-flop raise with 6-3 offsuit!

The texture of the flop is critical to whether a c-bet is the play with the best expectation. Aside from high cards, be careful of coordinated boards that favor straight and flush draws. Ideally, you’ll want to see a ragged, rainbow flop.

Let’s look at a few examples. Suppose you raise with and get called by the button and the blinds. The flop comes :

Figure 1

This is not a good spot to c-bet. You’re against three opponents and your hand value is only an inside straight. You missed your high cards and flush potential and one of your opponents could have easily connected with such a flop. If checked to, then check and hope you get a free look at the turn. If you bet and then get raised by the button or check-raised by one of the blinds, you would have to fold, so see if you can hit your draw on the turn.

Let’s suppose you’re holding the same hand, yet this time you’re against a single opponent and the flop is dealt :

Figure 2

This is a completely different situation and if your opponent checks it’s a great time for a semi-bluff c-bet to either take the pot right then or if called you have two overs and the second nut flush draw. If you were facing more than one opponent then it would also be a good time to make a continuation bet, unlike the previous example.

You can also make a continuation bet when you flop a very strong hand, such a set. Remember that in poker it’s important to play different hands the same way. If you regularly make continuation bets when you whiff on the flop, you should also bet when you make a strong hand too – so as not to arouse suspicions. Your intention in poker is to manipulate your opponents and one advantage of frequently c-betting is that you will give your good hands some cover and disguise.

Bet Sizing

Poker 3 Bet Definition Meaning

If you’re playing no-limit hold’em then you will also need to decide the size of your wager when planning a continuation bet. Many factors should contribute to your decision including: opponent playing tendencies, stack sizes and your own table image. You need to balance your bet size for two reasons. Understanding that the strategy is not fool proof… you don’t want to bet too small which will invite a call and to bet too large becomes foolhardy.

But it’s important to be consistent with your betting. Therefore your continuation bets should be the same size as any other post-flop betting and conventional wisdom seems to favor a bet size of at least half the pot. To bet less extends better calling odds to your opponent and to bet more becomes too costly when you run into an opponent that actually has a hand. This is not a hard and fast rule and you’ll find yourself making adjustments through experience, feel and the general nature of the game.

Your Opponents

While it is true that knowledge of how you believe your opponents will react is a universal poker criteria to successful play, when betting into an opponent with nothing, it is good to know how tight or loose he may tend to play.

In addition, just as you are making a play so may be your opponent. Is he savvy enough to be floating you? This is a play in which your opponent may suspect you are continuation betting so he just flat calls expecting you to check on the turn. If you do check after he calls your continuation bet, his intention is to seize upon your apparent weakness and bet to steal the pot.

The factors outlined above are the major criteria one should evaluate to determine the wisdom of making a continuation bet. In a perfect situation you should be in position against a single weak/tight opponent making a bet of about half the pot into a raggedy board. The half pot bet will offer him 3-to-1 odds which aren’t very good drawing odds. If you know your opponent is knowledgeable regarding drawing odds, this becomes a positive to offering him poor odds to a possible draw.

Countering the Continuation Bet

Now let’s take a look at the same situation in the mirror. Instead of aiming the shotgun at a lone opponent, we’ll imagine you are looking down the barrel of the continuation better. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, always be observant of your opponents in order to improve your decision making. Is he aggressive and loose or timid and tight or where in that range does he dwell? You know many players love to see a flop and then feel compelled to fire a continuation bet to end the action. Know your opponent’s tendencies – this knowledge pays dividends.

Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering is a term used in many fields to describe a process wherein you first dissect a competitor’s product, marketing plan or just about anything in order to determine how it’s made or done with the intention of replicating it or improving upon it. The best way to combat an opponent who is continuation betting is to understand his thought process and, if appropriate, play back at him. Review the following checklist to determine if you’re being manipulated by an opponent’s continuation bet.

• Does he regularly, therefore predictably, continuation bet?
• Does his bet warrant a call based upon your hand?
• Based on his tendencies, is attempting to steal the pot?
• If he is stealing, should you raise, call, or fold?

Identifying the Meaning of Your Opponent’s Bets

There are many different types of bets in addition to continuation bets… value bets, probe bets, and semi-bluffs as examples. There is nothing worse than attempting to thwart what you believe is a continuation bet by calling all the way to the river only to face the ultimate revelation that your opponent was value betting the whole time.

Knowledge is power and it is up to you to observe your opponents betting patterns to understand just how they play the game. It is this knowledge that will help guide you to making quality decisions and when all is said and done – making quality decisions is what separates the winners from the losers.

Conclusion

Continuation betting is a solid poker strategy to employ when the criteria outlined above is in place. However, it should represent only one arrow in your quiver of ploys. As in all of poker, don’t use it every time you have been the pre-flop aggressor as you will become predictable and, therefore, exploitable. Instead, observe your opponents and determine who among them does not understand the wisdom of mixing up one’s game.

By Tom 'TIME' Leonard

Tom has been writing about poker since 1994 and has played across the USA for over 40 years, playing every game in almost every card room in Atlantic City, California and Las Vegas.

Three betting is a necessity in most any game to one degree or another, but 3-bet folding can cost you a lot of money. There are certain situations where it will drain your bankroll and other spots where it is the only reasonable play. As is the case with most any play in poker, there are a number of variables that you will need to take into consideration. It is first important to realize that much of the post-flop decision making is going to be largely determined by how you played the hand pre-flop. If you are going nuts with big plays pre-flop, you better be willing to commit post-flop as well. What many players fail to realize is that pre-flop play really is the framework for tough post-flop decisions.

Stack sizes are almost always the primary factor when deciding whether or not you are in a position where 3-bet folding is viable. If you are playing with a deeper stack, there is a better chance that there will be room to let go of your hand. When you are working with a shorter stack, however, it will be harder to find a 3-bet fold that makes financial sense. Aside from stack sizes, position and your opponents will also factor into your final decision. Deciding your next move after facing a 4-bet should not be all that difficult, especially after you know what to look for.

Pre-Flop Scenarios

Poker 3 Bet Definition Synonyms

There are almost infinite different ways that you could be set up against a 4-bet. The best spot to be in is late position against just one opponent. This is as simple as it gets and gives you a significant advantage against your opponents. The worst scenario is a 3-bet in the blinds that ends up facing an eventual 4-bet. Needless to say, your decision should be much easier in late position than it is when you are in the blinds.

The biggest mistake that you can make with 3-bets is making one at all. If this doesn’t make sense, just think about it for a second. If you are in the small blind or big blind with TT or JJ, you may very well be stuck and not know what to do. A lot of players think that 3-betting here makes sense because it will allow them to “see where they are.” While this may be true, it is also a complete waste of money. If you re-raise with JJ in the SB and force folds, you know that you were ahead. If you re-raise and get 4-bet, you put yourself in a terrible spot. Now you need to decide whether to call, fold, or shove. It would make a lot more sense to simply see a flop and play the hand from there. This isn’t the most comfortable hand to play out of position, there is no arguing that, but it is much better than either wasting money or losing value.

You should always know exactly what you are going to do if you get 4-bet whenever you make a 3-bet. It seems that this should go without saying, but a lot of players truly do play their hands with no real game plan in place. I would be willing to bet that if you considered what you are going to do if you get re-raised, you will have a much better time overall and will be in a lot less tough spots. If you know what your next move is, you can scale your immediate play accordingly. For example, if you have decided that you are going to fold to a 4-bet, you can make your 3-bet a bit smaller so as to save yourself a little bit of money. If you keep your bet the normal size and actually want a 4-bet, there is nothing else that you can do but sit back and hope for the best. Scale your bets so that your later plans are factored into the end game equation. Saving a couple bucks here and there is a great way to boost your win rate in the long run.

Poker 3 Bet Definition Us History

When You Should (Can) Fold

The situations where folding a 3-bet hand is viable are much less frequent than those where you shouldn’t fold. Assuming normal stack sizes, most 3-bets are going to require 10-30% of your total chips, and it is usually closer to the higher end of that figure. Say that you are in a $1/$2 NLHE game. If an early position player makes an open raise to $10, this would mean that your 3-bet would need to be to around $35, depending on the intent. In this case, you are risking roughly 17.5% of a standard buy-in. If there were other players in the pot, you may need to raise to even more. Now, if you were playing with a $500 stack, this is when things start to get interesting and dynamics are shifted.

Poker 3 Bet Definition Math

Using the same example as above, a $35 raise would mean that you have already risked a fair amount of your stack in relation to 100 big blinds ($200). Now, if you alter that stack to $500, you are risking much less than 10% of your total stack. Losing 10% of your stack is something that you can live with, but 17.5% starts to move into a range where even hands that are beaten need to come along for the ride. Deep stacks will mean everything and will easily allow you to let go of your hand.

When You Shouldn’t Fold

Short stacks are set-up for all in situations, and this is when you need to commit yourself to the hand. Let’s skew the example above to find a spot where you should not be folding. Pretend that your cards are totally unknown. Maybe you were betting for value or maybe you were 3-betting light (which would be bad here!), it doesn’t make a difference.

You are sitting at $1/$2 with $110. A player opens to $10, and you re-raise to $35 after one other player called the open raise. At this point, the open raiser shoves all in. Note that their stack size is completely irrelevant, only yours is important. Now, you have the option of calling $75 to win approximately $125 ($235 including your stack). If you won even 1:3 times, you would be generating a profit. This means that a 33% underdog is sitting in decent shape given the investment and relative pot size. As you can see, you would be hard pressed to find many hands that would find a realistic fold in this particular hand. If you are going to raise an amount that represents a significant portion of your stack, in this case about 35%, you can’t let go of your hand after you are re-raised. Will this cause a lot of variance? Yes, but you have to take the variance as it comes and make the proper plays, even if you know that you are probably crushed.

All that you need to analyze is whether your money that is already invested is too much to give up now. Using the example above, you can add 17% to your equity and re-analyze whether you should be in the hand. Yes, you may be involved in a pot where you are crushed, but a 35% underdog now has what is essentially 52% equity. Of course, this is a very artificial number, but this is the way that you need to look at it.