Dynamic Full Ring Poker

by James Sweeney

  But let's say he has the same 12% resteal range, but he doesn't always 3-bet QQ or AQ, instead he sometimes flats them. Then, his range starts to weight even heavier towards the trash part of his range. This makes 4-betting him more and more attractive and profitable. The issue for players that polarize is that they will sometimes too heavily weight their trash range. Players that do this usually don't pay attention to how balanced they are, and are usually incredibly exploitable (assuming that he never 5-bet bluffs with trash). If we think about how a 4-bet piechart would be made (assuming the standard 3x open raise, 3-bet to 11x, and a 4-bet to 24x), 58% is the breakeven point. We always want to add some buffer, and we say so long as we get the fold 65% of the time, we should 4-bet anything.

  Well if we find someone who is 3-betting a polarized “80% bottom/20% top” range, then we should always 4-bet him assuming he doesn't shift his trash into his 5-bet range. Lots of players not only do this in their 3-bet range, but also in their 4-bet range. Again, this is very exploitable for anyone paying attention. Which not only means that we need to be paying attention to how other players are approaching their ranges, but also in how we are weighting our own range.

  It should be said, that a polarized range is amazing versus straight forward players and non-hand readers. Assuming the player understands folding as the pots gets larger, has a wide enough O-range, and a tight enough C-range, a 3-bet can be profitable with any hand.

  The other side of the coin is a depolarized 3-bet range. This range, rather than being a “nuts/bluff” type range, consists of top range hands. So rather than flat or fold a hand like AJ or KQ, we would 3-bet it in a depolarized range. A depolarized range is a great range to use in position. This is because these types of hands will do much better with a positional-advantage.

  (As we see in the picture above, we have 2 different ranges. We have a polarized range on the left (a 10% range), and we have a depolarized range on the right (also a 10% range). They both are the same % range, but we notice they are very different.)

  Let's take a spot where we have KQs in a full ring game. It folds around to the CO who open raises to 3x. The CO is full stacked, is 15/13 with an ATS of 37% and Foldv3B of 64%. If we were in the BB and it folded to us, a strong argument could be made for flat calling or folding rather than 3-betting. Our hand is ahead of his overall range. But if we 3-bet and he 4-bets, we probably have to fold without a read. If we 3-bet and he calls, then we are out of position, against a stronger than normal range, with a hand that is going to be very hard to minimize our losses and maximize our winners (minimax*).

  However, if we are on the button, we have more flexibility. A 3-bet now becomes a very valid option. Yes, our opponent will still have a strong range if he flats our 3-bet (especially from OOP), but being in position will make minimaxing postflop much easier. We should also get some extra folds preflop, thus increasing our outright profitability, because smart opponents don't want to put themselves into spots playing 3-bet pots OOP.

  With all of that being said, we should still consider calling here. If our opponent has a range with many second best hands (so the RIO shift from us, to him), we can call and utilize our positional, card, and skill edges. 3betting a hand like this is best when the hand has no edge (or worse, a negative edge) going forward.

  Now, this all this is not to say that you should never 3-bet a hand like AJ or KQ from out of position, nor to say that you should never 3-bet a hand like 83o in position. This is just to show that certain hands ranges do much better from certain positions. And in situations where our opponents don't have 100% Foldv3b stats, we need to consider postflop maneuverability. As we have talked about many times already, preflop is all about setting ourselves up for good situations. So make sure we are considering our hand strengths, plans, and opponents before making plays.

  The Size Of A 3-Bet

  The size we decide to use is actually very important to the profitability of our 3-bet, regardless of whether it is for value, bluff, or other. The standard sizing is usually 3x-3.8x when facing a raise and no callers. We need to be very aware of our opponents when making size changes though. If we are in position and 3-bet, we can sometimes use a smaller size because our forcing them to play the pot out of position can apply the same pressure that a bigger size would. And if we look back at the 3-bet size chart from earlier, a 3x size needs to work almost 5% less often than a 3.8x size. Why risk more if we don't need to?

  Keeping our size in this range is also helpful because it works both as a value size and a bluff size. There is a massive parlay going on when we size in this situation. A smaller size for value should keep more hands continuing based on basic bet theory, but a small size gives our bluffs the best equity. Because we don't want to become exploitable with our sizing, keeping our size in the 3x-3.8x range is perfect.

  There is one specific instance in which we can utilize a larger 3-bet size with a value hand, and that is against a calling station player who calls a lot preflop, but folds a lot postflop. These players usually don't ever want to fold things like AK or TT preflop, but tend to play a bit more fit-or-fold postflop. Against them, we should size our 3-bet as large as they will call preflop. This situation is fairly rare, but can produce some extra profit if used correctly.

  6. Squeezing

  A squeeze is a 3-bet when there has been an open raise and at least one caller. Take this example where there is a raise from MP1, MP2 calls, and we are on the button with A3s. If we were to 3-bet here, it would be considered a squeeze. We are squeezing the weak and dead money out of this pot. So, let's talk about what we want to look for in a good squeeze scenario.

  There are 3 major things: the open raiser, the through caller(s), and our hand. If everything is favorable, then we can take advantage of this very profitable play.

  The Open Raiser

  The first thing we want to look at is the open raiser. Let's say in this example that he is 17/14 with a PFR from MP of 10%, which looks like 22+/KQ/AJs+/AQo+. We also want to look at how he reacts when facing a 3b. Is he going to fight for it by flatting us or 4-bet-ing? Or is he going to fold and give up a lot? Well if we think he would only continue, by either 4-beting or flatting, with JJ+/AK then he would be folding 70% of the time. That is perfectly acceptable for an outright profitable 3-bet.

  The original raiser in these spots tends to react to a squeeze in one of two ways. They either fold and give action very tight (with a range like JJ+ and some AK), or they call most of their open raise range preflop (22+ and some AK). If they give action very tight and fold a lot, it makes the 3-bet outright profitable against them. If they give action with a wider range, and notice it is with a set miner's range, then we can expect less outright profitability. But if they call PF and fold to the CB a large percentage of the time, then a squeeze can still be very profitable.

  However, let's assume for a minute that he were an aggressive 4-better. This will increase his continuance range, as he shifts hands from his fold range into his 4-bet range. He might turn his 22-66 into a 4-bet bluff to combat our squeeze. If that's the case, the light squeeze is less ideal because it won't work even close to enough of the time outright. It also won't work later because we have to fold facing a 4-bet, nullifying a squeeze play plan here.

  We can use lots of stats from our HUD to piece together an image of our opponent, and his logical actions if we squeeze here. We can check his Foldv3B stat, as it gives us an idea if he folds a lot facing a 3-bet. If he has a Foldv3B of 70% or higher, this should be a very outright profitable squeeze versus him. We can also check his FoldvCBin3Bpot. Assuming he calls our 3-bet often, this gives us an idea if the continuation bet would be profitable the times he calls PF and we go HU. The more information we have on our opponent, the better and more informed plays we can make.

  The Through Caller(s)

  Next, we want to check the player or players who called between the open raiser and us, also known as the through caller, or callers. In this case, just MP2 called. Lets say
he is a 12/8 over 350 hands. We think his range is hands like 22-QQ, with an occasional suited connector. If he were a looser player, then the range might be much wider, but tight players tend to just through call with set mining type hands.

  All we care about here is how he will react to the squeeze. Will he fold often and thus make the play outright profitable? If so, we should heavily consider making a squeeze. If he won't fold to the squeeze, will he fold to the continuation bet a lot? If so, we should also heavily consider squeezing here. If he is the kind of player to call the squeeze a lot and continue liberally postflop, then squeezing with such a weak hand would be a very losing play.

  We can usually assume that very tight players are going to fall into the “check and fold facing a continuation bet almost always” category. So we really don't care if he calls the squeeze or folds to it, as both will be profitable against him. However, it gets tricky when the through callers are looser players. Say a 24/6 (who is not only set mining, but calling the open raise with suited connectors, AT or KJ type hands, etc) or a 42/20. If these players are through callers, we should tend to veer away from light squeezing. They will call wider ranges preflop (making our outright profitability lower) and they will float continuation bets more liberally (not allowing our bluffs to work).

  If there are multiple through callers we should be more selective with our frequency. We don't want to constantly try squeezing four players, as it usually won't work outright or later enough of the time. We usually will only squeeze three players max (so the open raiser and two through callers) if the through callers are tight players and we have information on their folding frequencies.

  Remember not to force this situation. If a great squeeze play arises, then by all means take advantage of it. But if the original raiser won't fold enough outright, or the through callers aren't ideal, just revert to a squeeze range of the strongest hands. Of course, certain hands can be flat called in this situation, so let's talk about the hand selection we want to use to squeeze.

  The Hand Selection

  Our hand selection in this spot is very important. We love hands that have blocker value as it gives us lots of power. By having an A in our hand, we block the ways that the original raiser can have hands like AK or AA. Same thing if we have a K in our hand, except we block out AK and KK. Whenever we can block out more of the top/left quadrant hands, we can usually expect more folds, thus increasing the value of a bluff play.

  In an ideal world we would have something like A2♠-A5♠, or K8♠+. We like the suited baby aces because they block the AA/AK part of the original raiser's range, they have added value in the straight and flush draws, and we have an ace so we can sometimes catch top pair and notch their pairs. We like suited big kings because we block the AK/KK part of the original raiser's range, we have some added straight and flush value, and we can notch either of their ranges postflop. There is also some value in hands like Q8♠ or even J7♠, but suited (and even unsuited) aces and kings provide more value due to having more blocking value.

  We can also, when in position, consider hands like suited gappers. Hands like 64♠ or 85s are perfect in certain situations. If the original raiser has a wider O-range and tight C-range, and the through caller is a tight player, these hands play perfectly. They can notch flops versus their C-Ranges, which provides extra postflop value. Position with this range is vital though, as it will allow us to take free cards when necessary.

  The Squeeze Size

  A good baseline to use is 3.5x + .5x per through caller. So if the open raiser goes to 3x, and there is one caller, the squeeze would be to 12x. If the open raise is to 4x and there are two through callers, the squeeze would be to 18x. This is only a guideline as the sizing here is an art. We need to make sure we give ourselves a good enough price for working against the original raiser, and make sure we make the most that we can when the through caller calls and folds to the continuation bet. Of course, if we have a monster hand and think people will call more money preflop, then we should make our squeeze bigger with AA and KK. If we are bluffing and think we can get it through for cheaper, then we might consider using a smaller size. But because there are so many different parlays happening with this raise, using this fairly static baseline will work well for all hand strengths.

  7. 4-Betting

  4-betting can be a very daunting topic of conversation. Because of the amount of money risked to 4-bet, it is often times not the preferred way to bluff opponents. However, in this section we will talk about not only 4-betting as a bluff, but also what to look for to make quality value 4-bets. This play can revolutionize our game and create a favorable dynamic for us as today's games continue to become more aggressive preflop.

  The Value 4-Bet

  There are times, although seemingly rare, that we actually have a big hand. When we have these big hands we usually want to create the biggest pots possible, making 4-betting a great option. However, many people get in the habit of mindlessly 4-betting every single time and end up missing value. So we want to talk about what constitutes a good 4-bet spot, and what spots would make flatting the 3-bet a better option.

  Let's take this example at 50NL. We open raise to $1.50 from MP1 with AA and $50, and it folds to the button with $50 who 3-bets to $5. It folds back to us and it is our option. Let's review this given three different 3-bet ranges.

  Tight. Against a player with a tight 3-bet range, we just need to ask ourselves if a 4-bet would get action from worse hands. Logical tight 3-bet ranges are usually 1% or 2%, meaning they are on KK+ or KK+/AK. While a player might 3-bet QQ or JJ sometimes, we can usually figure it out based on their 3-bet% or notes. Players that 3-bet super tight PF should either be 4-bet with AA, or flatted to induce more comfortability postflop. Flatting is an option, but 4-betting AA PF will never be a mistake and should be our default play if we don't know what else to do.

  Medium. Against a 3-bet range of 3% to 5%, which are ranges that certainly have some bluffs in them as well as strong hands, we have many options. We can 4-bet to induce some 5-bet shoves by bluffs, but also to get strong worse hands (KK, AK, etc.) to continue. Or we could flat and play postflop against this person. If we know this person has a tendency to spew postflop when they 3-bet, then flatting and playing postflop is a very valid option. Again, defaulting on 4-betting the nuts is standard without other information.

  Loose. Against a very liberal 3-bet range, something like 6% or higher, we know bluffs start to make up a large part of this player's range. Because of this, we just think about how they would make the most amount of mistakes. If they are super aggressive with AK and would always stack it off preflop, then we should 4-bet for pure value as combo-wise AK makes up a large percentage of ranges. If they would 5-bet bluff shove a lot, then we should 4-bet to induce that action. The more aggressive they are in the 3-bet/4-bet game, the more aggressive they tend to be in the 5-bet game as well. If they wouldn't make many mistakes to the 4-bet, but would spew postflop if we just called, then flatting and playing postflop is a valid option. And again, as a default, 4-betting is standard without information to lead us to another decision.

  Like everything we do, we care about ranges and how our opponent makes mistakes. If he is more apt to call our 4-bet with many second best hands, then we should usually 4-bet for pure value. The difficult part of talking about value 4-betting is when we talk about hands like AK or QQ. Hands that are strong, but become stronger or weaker dependent on the situation. For instance, if we raise AK from EP and get 3-bet by a tighter guy, AK is a bluff hand and should usually be folded. But if we steal AK from the CO and get restolen by an aggressive guy in the blinds, AK becomes more of a value hand.

  As pots begin to get more positional, i.e. when players from steal/resteal positions tangle, hand strengths begin to slide. While hand strengths are always judged on a sliding scale (what is nuttish versus one opponent could be a bluff versus another), it is important that we adjust ASAP. Let's look at a standard situation. Say it folds to us on th
e button with AK. We steal for $2.5 and the BB resteals to $8.5. Let's look at our options:

  Fold. If our opponent were a very tight player who just wouldn't bluff 3-bet, then folding here is fine. But against a player who is positionally aware, has a higher resteal %, has shown himself to 3-bet bluff, etc., folding could be losing some value.

  Call. If we call we will miss the flop about ⅔ of the time. The ⅓ we do hit the flop we usually won't make much money. The same rationale that leads us to not flat calling open-raises with AK leads us to usually folding or reraising in a spot like this.

  Raise. Against an aggressive resteal range we have a very strong hand. While it isn't paired, we do beat all of his non paired hands. We would consider 4-betting here if his 3-bet range is wide and he would make some mistakes versus our 4-bet. Let's say his resteal range here is 12%. And if we 4-bet he would only shove with QQ+/AK (2.6% of hands) and never flat call. Against that range we have 39% equity. Let's do a basic $EV equation if we 4-bet and called if he shoved: