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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart1
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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
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1.Introduction
FormyfirstNLHEarticleforDonkr,IhavechosenatopicthatIknowmanynewplayersfinddifficult,namelycorrect
strategiesfor3bet/4bet/5betpreflopwarsinNLHE6max.
1.1Presentingtheproblem
Against weak low limit opposition, we can get away with playing an almost completely valuebased game. We 3

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bet/4bet/5bet mainly for value, and it's not a big mistake to assume our opponents are doing the same. If we
reraise as a bluff, we usually limit ourselves to the occasional 3bet bluff. A valuebased style with little bluffing
workswellatsmallstakesbecauseouropponentsusemoreorlessthesamestrategy,andmanyofthemexecuteit
poorly.Ofcourse,everynowandthenwerunintoaggressiveplayerswhoarecapableofreraisingasabluff,but
there are plenty of fish that will pay off our straightforward game, even if we bluff much less than is game
theoreticallyoptimal.
Butlet'ssayourHerohasbuiltabankrollbypatientlygrindingthelowlimits,andnowhewantstotakeastabat
$200NL.Hewillnowexperiencealotmore3betting,especiallyifhe'soutofposition.
Forexample:
Example1.1.1:Weget3betoutofposition
$200NL
6handed
Hero($200)raisesto$7with

T fromUTG,it'sfoldedtothebutton($200)who3betsto$24,theblindsfold,

andHerofolds.
Straightforward,andalthoughHeroexpectstogetbluffedsomeofthetime,hereallydoesn'thaveanychoicebutto
fold.It'scorrectthathishandcannolongerbeplayedforvalue,butasweshallseelater,it'spossibletoturnitintoa
4betbluff.
Atanyrate,Heroplayson.Theplayersbehindhimkeep3bettinghimfrequentlywhenheisoutofposition,and
Herokeepsfoldingweakhandsto3bets.Afterawhile,thishandoccurs:
Example1.1.2:Weget3betoutofposition(again)
$200NL
6handed
Hero($200)raisesto$7with

J in MP, it's folded to button ($200) who 3bets to $24, the blinds fold, and

Herofolds.
Thisisgettingfrustrating.Herohasadecenthand,butit'snotstrongenoughtodefendagainsta3betfromoutof
position,soHerofolds.Butheisstartingtofeelexploited.Ifonlyhecouldgetdealtagoodhandandpunishthese
bastards!
Whataninexperiencedplayernowmightdo(ashisfrustrationbuildsupmoreandmore),istomakeuphismindto
fightbackagainsttheloose3bettors.Buthedoesn'tquiteknowwhattodo,andthereforehewilloftenusepoor
strategies,andthewrongtypesofhands!.
Let'slookattwocommon(andsuboptimal)waystodefendagainst3betting,outofpositionwith100BBstacks:
Example1.1.3:Weget3betoutofposition(again)andwecall
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6handed
Hero($200)raisestil$7with

Q inMP,button($200)3betsto$24.Herothinksforabit,decidesthatthis

handistoogoodtofold,buttooweakto4bet,sohecalls.
Flop:

4 ($51)

Hero($176)checks,button($176)bets$30,Herofolds.
Hero is frustrated, but he doesn't see what else he could have done out of position with a hand of this type. Too
strongtofold(atleastinHero'smind)againstaloose3bettor,butnotstrongenoughto4bet.Or?Hmmmmm....
Herocontemplateshisnextmove,andsoonanother3betpotoccurs:
Example1.1.4:Weget3betoutofposition(again)andwe4betforvalue(oratleastthat'swhatwethinkweare
doing)
$200NL
6handed
Hero($200)raisesto$7with

J fromUTG,MP($200)3betsto$24.Herodecidestofightfirewithfire,and

he4betspotto$75.Button5betsallin,Herocalls.MPhas
Flop:

7 ($403)

Turn:

River:

K .Heroscreamsinagony.

Q ($403)

4 ($403)

Herotearshisclothingandsprinklesashesoverhishead.Damn!!
Whathappenedthroughoutthissequenceofhands?
OK,Imadeupthisstory,butitillustratesseveraloftheproblemsanABClowlimitplayerfaceswhenhemovesup
totoughergames.Hewillget3betleftandright,sohewillhavetofoldalotoutofposition(whichiscorrect).He
realizes he has to fight back to avoid getting run over (also correct), but he's not quite sure how to do it. So his
attemptstocountertheaggressionareoftenpoorlyexecuted,frustratingandtiltinducing.
Forexample,Heromightstartcalling3betsoutofpositionwithhandshefeelsaretoogoodtofold,butnotstrong
enoughto4betforvalue.ThisleadstomanymiserableexperienceslikeExample1.3.Orhemightstart4betting
medium/weakhandswithoutaclearunderstandingofwhetherheisdoingitforvalue(planningtocalla5bet),orif
heisbluffing(planningtofoldtoa5bet).
WhatourinexperiencedHeromightnotrealize,isthathisopponents'loose3bettingdoesn'tnecessarilymeanthey
arewillingtosplasharoundwithlotsofweakhandsin4betand5betpots.WhentwogoodandaggressiveNLHE
playersengagein3bet/4bet/5betwarfarepreflop,thisiswhatusuallyhappens:

Both players operate with wide ranges, and all ranges have a significant percentage of bluffs in them,
especiallyattheearlystage(raisingand3betting)
Bothplayersarewillingtofoldmostoftheirbluffs(butnotallofthem),whentheiropponentreraisesthem
back

Thisresultsinrangesthatstartloose,butgetmoreandmore(butnevercompletely)weightedtowardsvalue.And
it's usually plain wrong to assume you can 4bet a medium hand like AJs for value against a loose 3bettor, and
expecttobeafavoritewhenhe5betsallin.Yes,AJsisadecenthandagainsttherangethat3betyou,butit's
crushedbytherangethat5betsyou,andit'syouropponentwhodecideswhenthe5thbetgoesin(andthatrarely
happensunlesshehasthegoods).
Therefore,ifyoudecideonafrustratedwhimto"takeastand"againstanaggressiveandcompetent3bettorwitha
handlikeAJs,youwilldiscoverthatinsomemysteriouswayhealmostalwaysmanagestocomeupwithabetter
handwhenyougetallinpreflop.
ThishasleadmanyaninexperiencedNLHEplayertolosehisstack,sincetheseplayers:

Don'tunderstandtherolesdifferenttypesofhandshaveindifferenttypesofranges.Firstandforemost:DoI
haveavaluehandthatwantstogetallin,ordoIhaveabluffhandthatIwillfoldtofurtheraggression?
Aren'twillingtofoldhandsthatarestrongattheearlystages,butturnintoweakhandswhenVillainkeeps
reraising

Let'slookatExample1.4again.HeroopenraisedAJs(correctly),andhegot3bet.HethendecidedthathisAJs
was a good hand against Villain's 3bet range (debatable, but not a big mistake), so he 4bet for value (wrong!),
planningtocalla5betallin.PlayingAJsforvalueaftera3betandgoingallinwithitwasabigmistake.The4bet
initselfwasnotabigmistake,sinceVillainhasalotofbluffsinhis3bettingrange,andhewillfoldmostofthemto
a4bet.Soit'snotaproblemto4betAJsasabluffagainstarangefullof3betbluffs.ButwhenVillaincomesover
thetopwithanallin5bet,ourAJscrumblestodust(ifVillainknowswhatheisdoing).
ButourinexperiencedHerodidnotrealizewhathadjusthappenedwhenhegot5bet,andhestuckwithhisplanof
playing AJs for value against what he perceived to be a wide and weak range. The problem is that the range he
facesaftera5betfromacompetentplayerisn'twideandweak,it'sverynarrowandverystrong.
Notewhattherealmistakewasinthishand.4bettingAJsagainstawiderangewasnotabigmistakeinisolation,
andneitherwascallinga5betgetting2:1.Butthecombinationof4bettingAJs+planningtoalwayscalla5bet,
nowthatwasabigmistakeagainstacompetentopponent.ItcausedHerotoinvesthisremaining96.5bbstackasa
hugeunderdog.Theproblemwas,asmentionedpreviously,thathisopponentcontrolledwhenthe5thbetwentin,
andVillainmadesurehehadahand.
OurgoalforthisarticleistogiveHeroasetoftoolshecanusetocomfortablycounterpreflopaggressionwhenhe
issittingastheraiseroutofposition.We'llbaseourworkonHero'sopeningranges,andbasedonthese,wecan
deduce defensive strategies against positional 3bets. And we will use game theory to design these strategies in
such a way that the 3bettor can not exploit Hero in these scenarios. Our work on Hero's game theory optimal
defensivestrategiesalsogivesusasetofoptimal3bettingstrategiesforhisopponent,sowekilltwobirdswithone
stone.
We have here talked mostly about the ills of getting 3bet when sitting out of position, and this is what I feel
inexperiencedplayersfindhardesttodealwith.Butthemirrorimageofthisscenario,withusbeingthe3bettorin
position,isalsoworthdiscussing.Theseareeasierscenariostoplay,butwewillbenefitalotfromunderstanding
optimal3bet/4bet/5betdynamicsalsofromthisperspective.We'lllearnhowtoconstructoptimal3bettingranges,
basedontheraiser'sopeningrange,andwe'lllearnhowtoplayagainsta4bet.
Regardless of whether we're the raiser or the 3bettor, we want to understand which hands we can (re)raise for
value,andwhichhandswe(re)raiseasbluffs.Andaboveallelse,wewantittobe100%clearwhichofthesetwo
thingswearedoingbeforeweengageina3bet/4bet/5betwarpreflop.
1.2Ourmodelandoverallphilosophy
Inthisarticlewe'lldesignsocalledoptimalstrategypairsfortheraiserandthe3bettorinthefollowingscenario:
Theraiseropenssomerange
Aplayerbehindhim3bets
Theraiser4betsorfolds
The3bettor5bets,orfoldstoa4bet
Notethattheraiserisalwaysoutofposition(e.g.UTG,MP,orCO),andthatnootherplayersinterfere.
We'll define a model for this scenario with 100bb stacks and standard bet sizing. Then we'll analyze our model,
using mathematics and principles from game theory (but we'll keep it as simple as possible). We then construct
gametheoryoptimal(ish)strategypairsfortheraiserandthe3bettor(onestrategyfortheraiser,andonematching
strategyforthe3bettor)thattheycanemployintheir3bet/4bet/5betwars.
Both players are trying to play perfectly against the other, and both are assuming their opponent is trying to play
perfectly as well. The two players now both zoom in on a perfect strategy, designed not to lose against their
opponent'sperfectstrategy.Andtheresultisapairofstrategiesthatareperfectagainsteachother,andwehave
ouroptimalstrategypair.
Whenwehavelearnedthesestrategies,wehavedefensive(e.g.unexploitable)strategieswecanusebothasthe
raiseroutofposition,andasthe3bettorinposition.Usingtheseoptimalstrategiesguaranteesthatbetterplayers
can'texploitus.Theywillalsowinagainstplayerswhoplaypoorly,althoughtheywillnotwinthemaximum(ifwe

wanttoexploitopponentleaksmaximally,wehavetodeviatefromoptimalplayourselves,andusestrategiesthat
targetspecificleaksinouropponent'snonoptimalstrategies).
Knowingoptimalstrategiesalsomakesiteasiertospotouropponents'mistakes(wherewecandefine"mistake"as
adeviationfromoptimalplay).Ifweknowwhatanopponentshouldhavedoneifhehadplayedoptimally,wecan
conclude that he has a weakness in his game if he chooses to do something different. And we might be able to
exploittheseweaknessesandturnthemintoleaksforhim.
1.3Backgroundmaterialforthearticle
Beforewegetstarted,IwanttogivecredittoCardrunnersinstructorMatthewJanda.Duringthespringof2010he
publisheda3partvideoseriesOptimalPreflopPlayIIIIatStoxpoker,whichcontainsmostofthetheoryweusein
thisarticle.Thisvideoserieswasinspiringandeyeopening,butsadlyitbecameunavailableafterStoxpokershut
downinMay2010.
MattJandaisnowaCardrunnersinstructor,andhecontinuestoproducegametheoryrelatedvideos.Hisoldvideos
fromStoxpokermightgetmovedovertoCardrunners,andifthathappens,Irecommendyoucheckthemout.
Withoutfurtherado,let'sgetstarted:
2.Themathematicsbehindoptimal3/4/5bettingwiththeraiseroutofposition
Ihavechosenanapproachwherewefirstgothroughthenecessarymathandtheoryquickly,andthenweapplyit
byconstructingoptimalstrategypairsfortwoscenarios:
Theraiserinearlyposition(UTGorMP)witha15%openingrange
TheraiserinCOwitha25%openingrange
LumpingUTGandMPtogetherunderthelabel"EP"makessense,sincemostplayersuseverysimilarrangesfor
these two positions. The percentages we have chosen for EP and CO are typical TAG ranges that can be used
underallgameconditions.
Theexactrangesweusetoillustratetheproceduresaren'timportant.Ourgoalisthatyoulearntoconstructoptimal
strategypair(onestrategyfortheraiserandoneforthe3bettor)basedonyourownopeningranges.Andyouwill
ofcoursealsobeabletodesignoptimalstrategypairstouseagainstspecificopponents(notonthefly,butbydoing
abitofanalysisworkbetweensessions).
2.1Ourmodel
Weusethefollowingscenario:

Aliceissittingwitha100bbstackinEPorCO,andsheraisespotto3.5bbwithsomeopeningrange
BobissittinginapositionbehindAlicewith100bb,andit'sfoldedtohim.Bob3betspotto12bb
Aliceeither4betsto27bb(abitlessthanpot),orshefolds
Bob'sresponsetoAlice's4betsisto5betallinorfold
Alice'sresponsetoBob'sallin5betsistocallorfold

Note that Alice doesn't defend against 3bets by calling out of position. We could conceivably design a defense
strategywherewefoldweakhands,4betstronghands,andcallwithmediumhands,butthisisnotagoodstrategy
outofpositionwith100bbstacks.
Youhavepoorimpliedodds(duetolowstack/potratioandbeingoutofposition)whenyoucallforpostflopvalue
with implied odds hands. And it's difficult to steal and outplay Villain when you are out of position. And what you
absolutelycannotdo,istocallandthenplayfitorfoldpostflop.Itwillbemuchmorefoldthanfit,andyouaresimply
burningmoneybylettingVillaincbethiswaytorichesandearlyretirementonyourexpense.
WithregardtoAlice'schoiceof4betsize,it'sstandardtouse2530bb(wherefullpotwouldbe37.5bb)with100bb
stacks.Thelogicbehindthisisthatwith100bbstacks,weareputtingVillaininashoveorfoldscenario,alsowhen
we4betabitlessthanpot.His3betbluffswillstillfold,andhisstronghandswillstillshove.Sowewinthesame
whenhefolds,butloselessonourbluffswhenhedoesn'tfold.Inotherwords:Werisklessforthesamereward
when we're bluffing, and we don't lose anything when we're 4betting for value. We simply choose 27bb as a
representative value for a lessthanpot 4bet, and the math won't change much if you use any number between
25bband30binstead.

Hereareafewassumptions/statementswewilluse:

BobknowsAlice'sopeningrange.Notnecessarilyallthehandsintherange,butheknowsthepercentageof
handsAliceopens
BothAliceandBobaretryingtoplayperfectly,undertheassumptionthattheiropponentisalsotryingtoplay
perfectly
Theworsthandsinabluffingrangeorcallingrangeshouldbebreakeven

The last statement needs an explanation: When we're 3betting/4betting/5betting as a bluff, we should not lose
moneyonourbluffinghands,andtheworstofthemshouldbenoworsethanbreakeven.Thesamegoesforwhen
we'recallingforpotodds.Thismakessenseifyouthinkaboutit.Whenwe'remakingaplaythatlosesmoney,we
shouldstopdoingittoincreaseourEV.
Notethatwe'renotconcernedabouttheeffectsofdeceptionwhenweworkwithgametheory.We'reonlyconcerned
withimmediateEV.Also,ifwe'remakingmoneyonallourbluffsorourcalls,wecanmakeevenmoremoneyby
bluffingmoreandcallingmore.Sowekeepaddingbluffsandcallinghandsuntilourweakesthandsareatthebreak
evenpoint,andthenwestop.Conversely,ifwe'relosingmoneyonsomeofourbluffingorcallinghands,weremove
themfromourranges.Again,thisresultsinourweakestbluffing/callinghandsbeingnoworsethanbreakeven.
Undertheseassumptions,we'llfindanoptimalstrategypairwitharaisingstrategy(includingdefenseagainsta3
betandagainsta5bet)forAlice,anda3bettingstrategy(includingdefenseagainsta4bet)forBob.We'llfinda
uniquestrategypairforeachofAlice'spositions(e.g.foreachofheropeningranges).We'llsoonseehowthese
strategypairsfollowfromAlice'sopeningrange,butfirst,let'stalkabitaboutoptimalstrategypairs:
Whatisanoptimalstrategypair?
WhenourtwoplayersAliceandBobareplayingoptimallyagainsteachother,Alice'sstrategyandBob'sstrategy
make up an optimal strategy pair. When both are playing optimally, neither of them can gain from changing to a
different strategy. If one of them can gain from switching to another strategy, then the original strategy wasn't
optimal.
It'simportanttorealizethatagametheoryoptimalstrategydoesn'ttrytomaximize+EVagainstarandomopponent.
It'stryingtomaximizeEVagainstanopponentwhoisalsoplayingperfectly.Sometimes,thismeansthebestresult
for both players is to break even. A game theory optimal strategy is first and foremost a defensive strategy,
designed not to lose. However, an optimal strategy will win against players who are using nonoptimal strategies.
ButIfweseeanopponentmakingbigmistakes,wewillwinmorebyswitchingtoanexploitativestrategy,designed
toexploitthisopponent'sspecificleaksmaximally.
Butbychangingourstrategyfromoptimaltoexploitative,wearemovingawayfromoptimalplay.Bydoingso,we
are creating weaknesses in our strategy, and other players might be able to exploit those weaknesses (although
theymightnotseethem).Butiftheweakplayerwearetryingtoexploithasbigleaks,thistradeoffwillusuallybe
worth it. The art of playing against fish and regs at the same time is to exploit the fish, while we're defending
ourselvesagainsttheregs.Againstverypooropponents,weuseveryexploitativestrategies.Againstplayerswho
areasgoodasus,orbetter,wecanfallbackonoptimalstrategiessothattheycan'texploitus.
Tobalancethesetwogoalswell,weneedtohaveanunderstandingofwhatoptimalplayis.Playingoptimally(or,
morelikely,closetooptimally)defendsusagainstthegoodplayers,andunderstandingoptimalplayalsomakesit
easiertospotmistakesinweakplayers(where"mistake"canbedefinedasdeviatingfromoptimalplay).
Withtheseconceptsatthebackofourmind,wemoveontothemathematicsbehindoptimalstrategiesforraising,
3betting,4betting,and5bettingwith100bbstacks:
2.2Howopeningranges,3bettingranges,4bettingranges,and5bettingrangesareconnectedmathematically
We work our way through the raise/3bet/4bet/5bet war, one step at a time, and construct all the mathematical
tools we need. We jump back and forth between Alice and Bob, and we'll see how they influence each others'
strategieswhentheybotharetryingtoplayperfectlyagainsteachother,assumingtheotherplayerisalsotryingto
playperfectly.
WhatisAlice'soptimal4bet%
TheprocessstartswithAliceraisingsomeopeningrangeknownbothtoherandtoBob.WhenBob3bets,Alice's
mostpressingconcernisthefollowing:

Alicecan'tfoldsomuchthatshegivesBobanopportunitytomakeaprofitby3betbluffinganytwocards
SohowoftendoesAlicehaveto4bet?ThisfollowsfromthepotoddsBobisgettingonhis3betbluffs.There's1.5
+3.5=5bbinthepotfromtheblindsandAlice'sraise,andBob3betsto12bbtowinthis.Bobisthenrisking12bb
towin5bb,andhe'sgettingeffectivepotodds5:12ona3betbluff.
Hethenneedstowinmorethan12/(5+12)=70%tohaveaprofitablebluff.SoifAlicefoldsmorethan70%,Bob
willhaveanautomaticprofitby3betbluffinganytwo.Aliceneedstopreventthis,soshehasto4betenoughto
makeBob'sbluffsbreakeven.
Alice'soptimal4bettingstrategyisthereforeto4bet30%ofheropeningrange,andshewill4betamixofvalue
hands(planningtocalla5bet)andbluffs(planingtofoldtoa5bet).We'llcomputeAlice'soptimalvalue/bluffratio
in a moment, but first we have to find Bob's optimal ranges for 3betting and 5betting. These ranges follow from
Alice'sopeningrange:
WhatisBob'soptimalvalue/bluffratioinhis3betrange?
WhenAlice4betsto27bb,sheisrisking23.5bb(27bbminushe3.5bbraise)moretowina17bbpot(1.5bbfrom
theblinds+Alice's3.5bbraise+Bob's12bb3bet).TheeffectivepotoddsforAlice's4betbluffsare17:23.5,and
shecanmakeaprofitby4betbluffinganytwo(ofthehandssheopenraised)ifBobfoldshis3bettinghandsmore
than23.5/(23.5+17)=58%.
Bobcan'tallowAliceto4betbluffanytwocardsprofitably,sohedefendsoptimallybyfoldingexactly58%ofthe
time, and 5betting allin (including some 5bet bluffs as we shall soon see) 42% of the time. Therefore, 42% of
Bob's3betsneedtobevaluehandsthatheplansto5betallin(includingsome5betbluffs).Wenowdefinea3
betforvalueasa3betwhereweplanto5betallinaftera4bet.Ifthisisnotourplan,wearemakinga3betbluff
thatwewillfoldtoa4bet.
Tomakethesepercentageseasytoremember,weroundBob'soptimal3betvalue/bluffratioto40/60.Sonowwe
knowthat60%ofBob's3betsshouldbebluffs,and40%shouldbeforvalue(includingsome5betbluffs).Butwe
stilldon'tknowhowmanyhandsBobshould3betoverall.Tofindthisnumber,wefirsthavetofindwhichhands
Bobcan5betforvalue.
WhatshouldBob's5bettingrangelooklike?
Bobfirstchoosesthetypeofhandsto5betbluffwith.Hewantshandsthathavedecentequitywhencalled,andwe
canuseAxshandsA5sA2sforthispurpose.AxshandsworkasblockersagainstAlice'sAA/AK(anaceinBob's
handmakesitlesslikelyAlicehasAA/AK),andtheyalwayshaveatleastanovercardwhenAlicehasanotherhigh
pair.Theyalsohavestraightandflushpotential.
Axshasminimum~30%equitywhenwe5betandgetcalled,evenagainstastrongrange,asshownbelow:

SoBobwill5betamixoftruevaluehandsandsomeAxsbluffhands,andheexpectstohaveabout30%equity
whenhisbluffsgetcalled.Sowhenhe5betbluffsandgetscalled,hewillhave~30%equityina201.5bbpotwhere
heinvested88bbwiththe5bet.Bobfirst3betto12,sothe5betis88bbmore.Onaverage,Bobgets0.30x201.5
=60bbbackfromthepot,sohisnetlossafter5bettingandgettingcalledis8860=28bb.
ThepotsizebeforeBob's5betis40.5bb(1.5fromtheblinds,+27fromAlice's4bet+12fromBob's3bet).So
Bobiseffectivelyrisking28bbtowin40.5bbwhenheis5betbluffing.Theeffectivepotoddsare40.5:28,andBob
needstowinatleast28/(28+40.5)=40%toprofitfrom5betbluffinganytwo(ormoreprecisely,anyAxshand,
sincewebaseourcalculationsonhaving~30%equitywhencalled).
ForAlice,thismeansshehastocalla5bet60%ofthetimetopreventBobfrommakingaprofitby5bettingany
two.SoAlice's4bettingrangehastocontain60%valuehandsand40%bluffhands.Nowweknoweverythingwe
needtoknowaboutAlice's4bettingrange.She4bets30%ofheropeningrange,andsheusesa60/40value/bluff
ratio.We'llsummarizeAlice'stotaloptimalstrategybelow,butfirstwe'llfindouthowoftenBobshould3bet.

We know which type of hands Bob should 5bet bluff (Axs), and we know he should use a 40/60 value/bluff ratio
(which,coincidentallyistheoppositeoftheratioforAlice's4betrange).Thelastpieceofinformationweneedis
Bob'stotal3betpercentageinanoptimal3bettingstrategy.WefindtheanswerbyobservingthatBobshould5bet
bluff enough to make Alice's weakest value hands break even. He he bluffs more, Alice can gain by calling with
morehands,andthenBob'sstrategycan'tbeoptimal.Andifhebluffsless,Alicecangainbyfoldingmorehands,
andBob'sstrategycan'tbeoptimalinthiscaseeither.
How many Axs hands we need to make Alice's weakest 5bet calling hands break even varies with Alice's value
range(60%of30%ofheropeningrange),whichfollowsfromheropeningrange.Sowehavetocomputethisresult
onapercasebasis,foreveryoneofAlice'sopeningranges.We'llgiveaquickexampleinthesummarybelow,and
theprocedurewillbethoroughlydiscussedlaterinthearticle.
2.3SummaryofAlice'soptimalraisingstrategy
WesummarizeeverythingwehavelearnedaboutAlice'soptimalstrategyforraising,4bettingandcalling5bets:
Sheneedsto4bet30%ofheropeningrange
Her4bettingrangeshouldhavea60/40value/bluffratio
SoAlice'soptimalstrategyis:

Aliceopenraisessomeopeningrange
Whenshegets3bet,she4bets30%ofheropeningrangewitha60/40ratiobetweenvalue4betsandbluff
4bets
Alice therefore 4bets 0.60 x 30 =18% of her opening range for value and 0.40 x 30 =12% of her opening
rangeasabluff
IfBob5betsallin,Alicecallswithallhervaluehands,andfoldsallher4betbluffs

So Alice's value hands are the top 18% of her opening range. For example, if she opens 15% from UTG, this
corresponds to a value range of 0.18 x 0.15 =2.7% of all hands. This makes up 0.027 x 1326 =36 combos, e.g
approximately the range {QQ+, AK} =34 combos. We'll use this value range example when we summarize Bob's
optimalstrategybelow.Andthenwe'llillustrateeachstrategystepthoroughlywhenweapplythetheorytoAlice's
EPandCOopenraises.
2.4SummaryofBob'soptimal3bettingstrategy
WesummarizeeverythingwehavelearnedaboutBob'soptimalstrategyfor3bettingand5betting:

Bobstartsbyfindingwhichhandshecan3betforvalue,planningto5betallinagainstAlice's4betvalue
range.Forthispurpose,heneedshandsthathaveatleast50%equityagainstAlice'svaluerange
Bob then adds enough Axs hands as 5bet bluffs to make Alice's weakest value hands break even when
callingBob'stotal5betrange
Bob'svaluehandsand5betbluffsarejoinedtoatotalvaluerange(wherevaluerange=therangehe3bets
and5betsallin)
Finally,Bobchoosesa3betbluffrangesothattheratioofhisvaluehands(including5betbluffs)tohisbluff
handsis40/60
WhenAliceraises,Bob3betshisvaluerangeandhisbluffrange
IfAlice4bets,Bob5betshisvaluerangeallinandfoldshisbluffrange

For example, if Alice raises 15% from the UTG, her optimal value range is {QQ+, AK} as shown previously. Bob
choosesvaluehandsthatareatleast50%againstthisrange,andhispurevaluerangebecomes{KK+}.Thenhe
addsAxshandsas5betbluffsuntilAlice'sweakestvaluehands(QQandAK)arebreakevenagainsthistotal5bet
range.
Alicethencallsherremaining73BBtowina189.5bbpot(1.5fromtheblinds,100fromBob,27fromAlice's4bet),
so her pot odds are 128.5 : 73. She needs minimum 73(/128.5 + 73) =36% equity to profit from calling, so Bob
makessureherweakestvaluehandshaveagainsthis5betrange.Laterinthearticlewe'llshowthatBobendsup
withatotal5betrangeof{KK+,A5s,A4s}whenAlice'svaluerangeis{QQ+,AK}
ThisgivesBob{KK+,A5s,A4s}=20valuecombosthathe3bets,planningto5betallin.Thenhepickshandsto3

betbluffuntilhehasa40/60ratiobetweenvaluecombosandbluffcombos.Bobneeds60/40=1.5bluffcombosfor
everyvaluecombo,sohewillchoose1.5x20=30bluffcombosagainstAlice's{QQ+,AK}valuerange.
YoushouldmemorizebothAlice'sstrategyandBob'sstrategyuntilyouknowthemcold.It'snotreallycomplicated
atall.JustrememberthatBobusesa40/60value/bluffratioforhis3bets,andAliceusesa60/40ratioforher4
bets,andthenyouknowthemostofit.Valuehandsareperdefinitionhandsweplantoraiseandreraiseuntilwe
areallin.Bluffhandsarehandsweplantofoldifouropponentreraisesusback.
WenowbeginthejobofconstructingoptimalstrategypairsforAliceandBob.FirstwhenAliceraisesa15%range
fromEP,andthenwhensheraisesa25%rangefromCO.We'lldothisthoroughlyandmethodically,sothatyou
canlearntheproceduresinsideout.Ihopeyou'llseethatthesestrategiesaren'treallycomplicatedtoconstructand
thenapplyatthetable.
3.Optimalstrategypairsforraiser/3bettorwithanEPraiseroutofposition
We'llnowfindtheoptimalstrategypairforAliceandBobwhenAliceopenraisesfromearlyposition(EP=UTGor
MP),andit'sfoldedtoBobinposition.
It's of course possible to vary EP opening ranges a lot, according to opponent tendencies and general game
conditions.ButthecorestrategyforatypicalTAGistoopensomewherearound15%ofhishands(plus/minusa
coupleofpercentagepointsinbothdirections)frombothEPpositions,andslightlytighterfromUTGthanfromMP.
We'llconstructallstrategies/rangeswithgreatdetailforthisscenario,sothattherewon'tbeanydoubtabouthowto
applythetheory.Thenwe'llmoveontothescenariowithAliceinCO,anddothisquickly,withbriefcommentsalong
theway.
3.1Alice'soptimalraisingstrategyinEP(UTGandMP)
We assume Alice is opening with a ~15% EP range. Note that any 15'ish% EPrange will do, since our work is
basedonthenumbersofhandsintherange,andnotthespecifichandsitcontains.Obviousvaluehandslikehigh
pairsandAKhavetobeincluded,sincethesehandshaveajobtodointherangesfor4bettingandcalling5bets.
ButtheexactmixtureofmediumandweakhandsinAlice'srangeisirrelevant.
WegiveAlicethefollowingrange:
Alice'sEPrange
22+
ATs+AJo+
KTs+KQo
QTs+
J9s+
T9s
98s
87s
76s
186combos
14%
We now place Bob somewhere with position on Alice. Alice openraises and it's folded to Bob, who 3bets. Both
playerswanttoplayperfectlyagainsttheother,andbothassumetheotherisalsotryingtoplayperfectly.
Alicestartsbydefininghervaluerange.Thisisperdefinitionthehandssheplansto4betforvalueandthencalla
5betwith.Shecountsthetotalnumberofcombosinheropeningrange(186),andsheknowsthatsheonaverage
has to defend 30% of her total range against a 3bet. She also knows that the optimal value/bluff ratio of her 4
bettingrangeis60/40.Soshe4bets0.60x0.30=18%ofheropeningrangeforvalue,and0.40x0.30=12%asa
bluff.
Alice then 4bets 18% of the 186 combos for value, e.g. 0.18 x 186 =33 value combos. This corresponds almost
exactlytothevaluerange{QQ+,AK}=34combos(acoupleofcombostoomanyortoofewdoesn'tmattermuch).
This is a standard value range from EP, also for players who haven't studied optimal raise/3bet/4bet/5bet
strategies.
Nowthe4betbluffrange.ThesearethehandsAlice4betsandthenfoldstoa5bet.Therearetwowaystodefine
the bluff 4bet range: We can choose some specific bluff combos and always 4bet them, or we can 4bet all the
nonvaluehandsacertain%ofthetime.

Let'sillustratebothmethods:
Defininga4betbluffrangeusingthecombomethod
Ifwechoosespecificbluffcombos,weneed12%of186combos,e.g.0.12x186=22bluffcombos.Forexample,
wemightchooseAQ(16)+JJ(6)whichgivesusexactly22combos.Orwecanchoosesomethingdifferent,sinceit
doesn'tmatterwhatweuseforbluffswhenBobeitherfoldsor5betsallin.WhenBobdoesn'tfoldtoourbluffs,he
5bets,andwehavetofold,soour4betbluffhandsnevergettoseeaflop.Andwhentheynevergettoseeaflop,
theirpostflopvalueisirrelevant.
ButnotethatahandlikeAQworksasablockeragainstBob'spremiumhands(AA,AK,QQ).SowhenAliceuses
AQasabluff,itwillbelesslikelythatBobhasahandhecan5betforvalue.Keepthisinmindifyouarechoosing
specifichandstoalwaysusefor4betbluffing.
Defininga4betbluffrangeusingthepercentagemethod
Mypreferredmethod,andalsotheeasiestmethodtoremember.Weonlyneedtorememberonenumber,namely
thestaticpercentageAlice4betbluffshernonvaluehands.Let'sfindthispercentageonceandforall:
Alice 4bets 18% of her opening range for value, and she's left with 82% nonvalue hands she can use for 4bet
bluffing.Wenowchoosetouseallthesehandsafixedpercentageofthetime,sothattheeffectivetotalvalue/bluff
rationis60/40.Wenowwant:

value/bluff =60/40
18/82x =60/40
18/82x =1.5
18/82 =1.5x
0.22 =1.5x
x =0.22/1.5 =0.15 =15%

Sowe4betbluffallnonvaluehands15%ofthetimeandfoldthemtheremaining85%ofthetime.Notethatthis
percentageisuniversalforAlice.Nomatterwhatheropeningrangeis,shecanalwaysusethispercentagetoobtain
a60/40valuebluffratioforher4bets.
Let'sdoublechecktoseethatthisworksthewayitshould:
WhenAlicehasraisedsomeopeningrangeandgotten3bet,wehavededucedthatheroptimalvalue4betrange
is18%ofhertotalrange.Ifshe4betstheremaining82%ofherrangeasabluff15%ofthetime,heroverallbluff
percentage will be 0.15 x 0.82 =0.12 =12%. So her total 4bet range is he optimal 18 + 12 =30%, with a 18/12
=60/40value/bluffration.Sothepercentagesaddupperfectly.
Alice'soptimalraise/4bet/call5betstrategyinEP
WenowhaveeverythingweneedtospecifyAlice'stotalstrategyaftera15%openraise.WecanwriteAlice'stotal
EPrangeasasumofvaluehands(raise,4betforvalue,calla5bet)andbluffhands(raise,4betbluff,foldtoa5
bet):

{Alice's total EP range}

={22+,ATs+,KTs+,QTs+,J9s+,T9s,98s,87s,76s,AJo+,KQo}
={value hands} + {4-bet bluff hands}
={QQ+, AK}
+ (15% 4-bet and 85% fold) x {the rest of the range}

Aliceraises{22+,ATs+,KTs+,QTs+,J9s+,T9s,98s,87s,76s,AJo+,KQo}=186combosfromEP.Ifshegets3
bet,she4bets{QQ+,AK}forvalueandcallsa5betwiththem.Thosetimesshedoesn'thaveavaluehand,(e.g.
shehasJJ,AJo,76s,etc.),she4bets15%ofthetimeasabluff,andotherwiseshefolds.
Thepercentageofvaluehandsisthen34/186=18%,whiletheeffectivepercentageofbluffhandsis0.15x(186
34)/186=12%.Thevalue/bluffratioforher4betrangeis18/12=60/40,whichisoptimal.
To randomize her 4bet bluffs and get the correct 15% 4bet frequency for her nonvalue hands, Alice uses a

randomnumbergeneratorfromrandom.org.Shehasthisonherscreeninasmallbrowserwindow:

Let'sillustraterandomized4betbluffinginpracticewithanexample:
Example3.1.1:Randomized4betbluffinginEP
$100NL
6handed
Alice($100)raisespotto$3.50with

6 fromUTG,it'sfoldedtoBob($100)onthebutton,who3betspotto

$12.Theblindsfold,andAlicehastomakeadecision.4betorfold?
Alicedoesnothaveoneofhervaluehands{QQ+,AK},sosheknowsthatthisisa4betblufforfoldscenario.She
also knows how often she should 4bet bluff with these hands (15%). Alice clicks the random number generator,
planningto4betto27bb($27)ifitreturnsanumberbetween0and15,andotherwiseshefolds.:

Therandomizereturns39,soAlicefoldsthistime.
WehavenowspecifiedAlice'soptimalEPstrategyforforraising/4betting/callinga5betwhenshegets3betbya
playerinposition.OurnextstepistoturntoBob.WhatisBob'soptimalstrategyfor3betting/5bettinginposition
aftera~15%EPraisefromAlice?
3.2Bob'soptimal3betstrategyversusAlice'soptimalraisingstrategyinEP
We'reassumingBobknowsAlice'sopeningrange(heonlyneedstoknowthe%ofhands,notthespecifichands),
eitherfromobservation,orbyusingaHUD.Alice'sraisepercentagedictateshervalue4betrange,whichdictates
Bob'sstrategiesfor3bettingand5betting.
Bobstartsbyfindingthehandsthathe3betsand5betsallin,purelyforvalue.Hisvaluerangealsoincludessome
5betbluffs,andthenextstepistofindthese.Thenwepickarangeof3betbluffsthatBobplanstofoldtoa4bet.

We'llalsotalkaboutBob'sflattingrange.Thesearemediumstronghandsthatareplayable,buttheyarenotstrong
enoughto4betforvalue,andtheyaretoostrongtouseasbluffs,soBobflatcallswiththem.
Bob'sflattingrangecanbeviewedasacompletelyseparatepartofBob'soverallstrategy,andwedon'thavetobe
concernedwithitwhenconstructingoptimalrangesfor3betting/4betting/5betting.Butwewilldiscusstheflatting
rangebriefly,sinceithelpsusunderstandthebigpicture.WhenAlicehasraised,Bobcanrespondin3ways:He
can3bet(forvalueorasabluff),hecanflat,orhecanfold.Differenthandshavedifferentjobstodowithinthese
ranges.AnddependingonAlice'sopeningrange,handscanmovebetweenBob's3betting/flatting/foldingranges.
Forexample,we'llseethatAKisn'tstrongenoughtobeavaluehandforBobagainstAlice'sEPrange,soAKgoes
intotheflattingrangeinthisscenario.ButwhenAliceopensamuchwider~25%rangeinCO,AKispromotedtoa
valuehandthatis3betand5betforvalue.Moreaboutthatlaterinthearticle.
So let's begin defining Bob's optimal 3bet/5bet strategy in position against Alice's optimal raise/4bet/call 5bet
strategywitha~15%EPrange:
Bob'spurevaluerange
BobknowsthatAliceEPrangeis~15%(14%tobeexact),andthereforehecandrawthesameconclusionAlice
just did, namely that her optimal value 4betting range is {QQ+, AK}. To profitably 3bet and 5bet allin for value
againstthisrange,Bobneedsahandwithatleast50%equity.
AAisobviouslysuchahand,andwecaneasilycomputesomeequitiestoseethatKKistheonlyotherpossible
hand.SoBobendsupwiththesupertightpurevaluerange{KK+}.

SoBobwill3bet{KK+}and5betthemallinifAlice4bets.Hewillalso3bet/5betsome5betbluffhands(type
Axs),andhewillhaveawiderangeof3betbluffsthathefoldstoa4bet.We'llnowfindBob's5betbluffinghands,
thenhis3betbluffingrange,andthenwearedone.
Butfirst,let'stalkaboutsomethingthatIknowyou'rethinkingaboutrightnow:
Waitaminute,areyousayingthatweshouldn't3betthemightystrongQQandAKforvalueagainstanEP
openraise?
Correct.AgainstAlice'stightandoptimallyplayed~15%EPopeningrange,QQandAKaren'tstrongenoughtouse
asvaluehands,eveniftheyhavestrongequityagainstAlice'stotalopeningrange.Thereasonisthattheycannot
profitablygetthewholestackinAgainsttherangeAliceiswillingtogetallinwith,namely{QQ+,AK}.Thereforewe
don'twantto3betthemforvalue.Keepinmindthattheprocessofgettingallinstartswitha3bet,andweknow
themomentAliceopenraiseswitha~15%EPrangethatherallinrangeisafavoriteoverourQQandAKhands.

Therefore,sinceweknowthisbeforewehaveputourfirstchipintothepot,wedon'twanttochooseapathwith
QQ/AKthatisthefirststeptowardsgettingallinwiththempreflop.Thisisalsotrueforotherhandsthataregood
enough to play for value, but not strong enough to get allin preflop against Alice's value range {QQ+, AK}.
ExamplesofsuchhandsareQQ22,AKAJ,KQ,QJsT9s,etc.(andyoucanprobablylistsomemoreifyouthink
aboutit).
Soshouldwe3betthesemediumstronghandsasbluffsthen?.No,becausetheyaretoostrongtoturnintobluffs
andwastetheirpostflopvalue.Thealternative,whichisagoodone,istoflatcallwiththemandplayaraisedpot
withpositionagainstarangewehavegodequityagainst(namelyAlice'stotalopeningrange).Ofcourse,wecould
alwayspretendtheyaretrashandusethemas3betbluffs,butwhyshouldwedothatwhenit'sprofitabletoflatand
playforpostflopvalue?It'struethatwewantto3betbluffalot,butwehaveplentyofbadhandstochoosefromfor
thatpurpose,andwedon'twanttowastethepostflopvaluewegainfromflattingwithourmediumstronghands.
HereisasocceranalogyintheseWorldCuptimes:
MovingQQ/AKfromtheflattingrangeuptothevaluerangeagainsta~15%openingrangeisabitlikemovinga
defenderforwardandusinghimasastriker.Sure,hemightscoreagoalortwo,butheisn'tquitegoodenoughfor
thejob.Butheistoogoodtositonthebench,soheshouldplay.Therefore,sincethereisanotherjobforwhichhe
iswellqualified(defending),welethimplaythere.Therightmanfortherightjob.
BobwillthereforeflatQQ,AKandvariousothermediumstronghands/impliedoddshandsaftera~15%openraise
fromAlice.TheoptimalflattingrangedependsonhowBobthinksAliceplayspostflop,whathethinkstheplayersin
theblindswilldo,howtheyplaypostflop,theirstacksizes,etc.Soweleavetheconstructionofanoptimalflatting
rangetoBob.
Notethat3bettingQQandAKforvalueagainsta~15%EPraiserisequivalenttoassumingtheraiserisn'tplaying
optimally.Ifyoufeelthesetwohandscanalwaysbe3betand5betallinforvalueagainstthisEPrange,youcan
assumeit'sbecausetheplayersyoumeetdon'tdefendwellagainst3betsoutofposition.
Thinkingaboutthesethingsisuseful,becausewhenweknowwhat'sgametheoreticallycorrect,weknowthatwe
can exploit someone if it seems correct to do something else. So feel free to deviate from optimal play in Bob's
place,ifyouhavepositiononaweakplayer.Forexample,youmightbeupagainstaplayerwho4betbluffsspazzy
andwaytoomuch,orheraisesalotandcalls3betsoutofpositionwithmediumstronghands,andthenheplays
fitorfold on the flop. Against such players, QQ and AK might be used as value 3bet/5bet hands, since our
opponentsplayfarfromoptimallyagainstour3bets.
But don't 3bet QQ/AK for value against a ~15% opening range in the hands of a player like Alice. She plays
optimallyagainstour3bets,so3bettingQQ/AKwon'tdoanythingforus.AgainstAliceweuseQQ/AKasflatting
hands,thussettingourselvesupforplayingaraisedpotinpositionagainstarangewehavegoodequityagainst
(Alice's total opening range, and not just her value hands). This will give Alice (and the blinds, should they get
involved)opportunitiestomakepostflopmistakesthatwecanexploit.
Butlaterinthearticlewe'llletAliceopenwitha~25%rangefromCO,andwe'llseethatQQ/AKnowmovesupto
Bob's value range. Alice's value range is wider and weaker with a 25% opening range, and Bob's optimal 3bet
strategychangesaccordingly.
OK,enoughaboutflatting.Let'smoveonandfindBob's5betbluffs,andthenhis3betbluffingrange:
Weinclude5betbluffsinBob'svaluerange
Rememberthedefinitionof"valuerange"asthehandswe3bet,planningto5betallinaftera4bet.Someofthese
handswillbe5betbluffs,butforsimplicitywe'llrefertoallthe5bettinghandsasBob'svaluerange.
Fromtheprevioustheorysection,werememberthatBobwantstohaveenoughAxs5betbluffsinhisvaluerange
tomakeAlice'sweakestvaluehandsbreakeven.ThisaccomplishestwothingsforBob:

HeforcesAlicetofoldmoreofher4betbluffs
HemakesitimpossibleforAliceto"cheat"bynotpayingoffBob'svalue5betswith{KK+}.Ifshetriestobe
"smart"andfoldQQ/AK,Bobwilljustcollecthisprofitwithhis5betbluffsinstead.

SoBob's5betbluffswithsomeAxshandsattackAlice's4betbluffs,andtheyalsomakeitimpossibleforherto
profitablytightenuphervaluerange,evenifsheknowsBob'svaluerangeisthesqueakytight{KK+}.Keepinmind

that Alice knows Bob's strategy, since this follows from her own strategy, which follows from her opening range,
whichbothplayersknow.
SosheknowsBobonly3bets/5bets{KK+}forpurevalue,andifBob'sdoesn't5betbluffabit,Alicecanimprove
her5betcallingstrategybyfoldingthebigunderdog'sQQ/AKfromhervaluerange{QQ+,AK}.Andwhenoneof
theplayerscanimprovehis/herEVbyastrategychange,theoriginalstrategypaircan'tbeoptimal(perdefinition).
SoBobhasto5betbluff.
ThenextstepforBobistoaddenoughAxstomakeAlice'sweakestvaluehandsbreakevenwhentheycalla5bet.
Alicethencallsoffherlast73bbtowintheblinds+Alice's4bet+Bob'sstack=1.5+27+100=128.5bb.Thepot
oddsare128.5:73=1.76:1,soAliceneedsminimum1/(1+1.76)=36%equityagainstBob's5bettingrangeto
callprofitably.
WeaddA5stoBob'svaluerange,andcheckAlice'sequitywithQQ/AK:

AKisabovethethreshold,butQQiswaybelow36%.WeaddA4sandtryagain:

QQisnowslightlybetterthanbreakeven,andBobcanuseA5s/A4sashisoptimal5betbluffinghands.However,if
wewantAlice'sequitytobeexactlybreakeven,wehavetoremovea5betbluffortwo.Let'sremove

4 and

seewhatweget:

Bingo,andBob'soptimal5betbluffinghandsare{A5s,

4 ,

4 ,

4 }.ButhereI'llsaythatwe

don't have to be this strict. A combo or two too much or too little doesn't change things much, and we can use
A5s/A4sinpractice.Also,aswe'lldiscussfurtherinthesummaryattheendofthearticle,it'sdebatablewhetherwe
needto5betbluffatallinmostgames,unlessweareplayingagainstpeoplelikeDurrrr.
Peoplegenerallydon't4betbluffenough,andtheyarealsoreluctanttotightenuptheir4betvaluerangeswhen
theygetexploitedbyverytight5betting(e.g.5betsthatare100%forvalue).Forexample.atypicallowlimitTAG
witha~15%EPrangemighthavedecidedtonever4betbluff,andalways4betQQandAKforvalueandcalla5

betwiththem.Andheisunlikelytochangethatplan,evenifBob'sexploitativeresponseistodropall5betbluffs
fromhisvaluerange,andonly5betshove{KK+},purelyforvalue.
These things happen because a) people are blinded by seemingly strong hands, even after they get trapped in
situationswheretheirhandssuddenlyaren'tstronganymore,andb)becausepeoplearereluctanttochangetheir
initialplan,evenafterifbecomesclearit'sabadplan.
Againstanopponentwhomakesthedualmistakeofnot4bettingbluffingenough,andalsopayingoffourvalue5
betstoomuch,Bobcangainalotfromnothavingtothinkabout5betbluffing.Bobsimply3bets{KK+}forvalue,
plusawiderangeof3betbluffs,andaftera4bethe5bets{KK+}forvalueandfoldseverythingelse.
ThiswayBobexploitsVillainslackof4betbluffing,sincehis3betbluffsforcesVillaintofoldmostofhisnonvalue
hands(sinceVillainisunwillingto4betbluffwiththesehands).AndBobalsodoesn'tneedtoattackVillain's4bet
bluffswith5betbluffsofhisown,sinceVillainisn't4betbluffing.Finally,BobexploitsVillain'sstatic5betcalling
range by only 5betting for value (and getting called as a big favorite), and not having to include 5bet bluffs for
deception.Easygame.
Atanyrate,Bob'sfinalvalue3betrange(includinghis5betbluffs)againstAlice'soptimallyplayed~15%EPrange
is{KK+,A5s,A4s}.Bob'slastjobistoconstructthe3betbluffrange.Thesearethehandswe3bet,andalways
foldtoa4bet.
Bob's3betbluffrange
Werememberthestrengthprincipleforpokerhands:
Bet/raiseyourstrongesthandsforvalue
Check/callwithyourmediumhands
Fold/bluffwithyourweakesthands
WehavealreadydefinedBob'svaluerange(including5betbluffs)as{KK+,A5s,A4s},andwehavementionedthat
healsoflatssomerangeofgoodbutnotgreatmediumstronghands.AgainstAlice's~15%EPrangethismeans
flattingwithhandslikeQQ,JJ,TT,AK,AQ,AJ,KQ,etc.
So when we pick hands for Bob's 3bluffing range, we drop down to the "cellar" and pick hands that aren't god
enoughto3betforvaluepreflop,andnotgoodenoughtoflatforpostflopvalue.AgainstAlice,whoeither4betsor
folds, it doesn't matter which hands we choose to 3bet bluff with, since these hands will never see a flop. Alice
either4betsorfolds,andwhenshe4bets,we5betourvaluerangeallin,andfoldour3betbluffrange.
Butinpracticethechoiceof3betbluffrangemattersabit,sincetheraiserwillsometimescallour3betwithhis
mediumstronghandsoutofpositionandforceustoplaypostflop.Therefore,sincewecanchoosefreelyfromour
worsthands,wemightaswellchoosethebestofourworsthands.
Inotherwords,we'drather3betahandlikeK8sasabluffthanahandlike72o.K8shassomepostflopvaluethose
timestheraisercallsandforcesustoseeaflop,while72odoesn't.So3betbluffingwithhandslikeK8sdominates
(e.g.issometimesbetterthan,andneverworsethan)3betbluffingwithhandslike72o.
Solet'slistsome3betbluffcandidateslaK8sthataretooweaktoflat,buthavesomepostflopvaluewhenweget
called.Wemakealistofacehigh,kinghighandqueenhighcandidatehands:
Candidatelistfor3betbluffing:
Acehigh:A9sA6sAToA8o(52combos)
Kinghigh:K9sK6s,KJoK9o(52combos)
Queenhigh:Q9sQ6s,QJoQ9o(52combos)
Ifyoudon'tapproveofthislist,feelfreetomakeyourown.Thespecifichandsareirrelevant,whatmattersisthatwe
usehandswiththerightproperties,namelyhandsthataren'tquitestrongenoughtoflat.NB!A5sA2sarereserved
for5betbluffing,sowecan'tincludetheminthislist.
Thisgivesusalistof156"pretty"combosfor3betbluffing,andthenextquestioniswhichhandstochooseand
when.Werememberthattheoptimalvalue/bluffratioforBob's3bettingrangeis40/60,sohecanuse60/40=1.5
bluff combos for each of the combos in his value range (including his 5bet bluffs). His total value range is {KK+,
A5s,A4s}=20combos,soBobcanpick1.5x20=303betbluffcombos.
Asmentionedpreviously,therearetwotechniquesBobcanuse:

Pick30specificcombosandalways3betthem
3betallhandsfromthecandidatelistacertainpercentageofthetime
Ipreferthepercentagemethod.Touseit,weonlyneedtomemorizethecandidaterangeonceandforall,plusone
number(the%we3betbluffthecandidatehands).Let'scomputethenumbertouseagainstAlice'sEPrange:
To effectively have 30 bluff combos from the candidate list in our 3betting range, we need to use each of them
30/152=20%ofthetime.Notethatthispercentageisn'tuniversal,likeAlice'sfixed4betbluffpercentage(15%)is
for all her opening ranges. To see this, note that Bob's value range varies with Alice's opening range, but the
candidatelistof3betbluffhandsisstatic(wehavesimplychosensomehandstouse).
So Bob will have to calculate a new bluff% to use for his candidate list against each of Alice's opening ranges.
However,thisisn'tabigjob,wesimplydothemathonceandforallagainsteachofAlice'srangesandmemorize
thenumbersweneed(andwe'lllookatAlice'sCOrangeinaminute).
So,finally:
Bob'soptimal3betstrategyagainstAlice'soptimalraisingstrategyinEP
{Bob's total 3-bet range}
={value hands and 5-bet-bluff hands} + {3-bet bluff hands}
={KK+, A5s, A4s}
+ 20% x {A9s-A6s,ATo-A8o,K9s-K6s,KJo-K9o,Q9s-Q6s,QJo-Q9o}

Bob always 3bets {KK+, A5s, A4s} and 5bets allin after a 4bet. If he has one of the 152 combos from his
candidatelistfor3betbluffing,heusesarandomizerand3betbluffs20%ofthetime,andhefoldstoa4bet.We
hadtodoabitofworktoconstructalltheseranges,butitwasworthit,andwehavelearnedalotintheprocess.
Let'sseewhatBob'soptimaltotal3bet%isinthiscase:
Valuepart:20combos(1.5%ofallhands)
Bluffpart:Effectively20%of152=30combos(2.3%ofallhands)
Thisresultsinatotal3bet%of1.5+2.3=3.8%againstAlice's~15%EPraises.Hisvalue/bluffratioisthedesired
optimal 20/30 =40/60. Later, when we construct an optimal strategy against Alice's 25% CO range, we'll see that
Bob's3bet%skyrocketsasaconsequenceofAliceraisingamuchwideropeningrange.
Note that the combination of a candidate list of 3bet bluff hands and a fixed (but adjustable) bluff% to use with
thesehands,givesusalotofflexibilitytoadjustour3betbluffingasweplease.Againstanunknownopponent,we
canstartwiththeoptimal20%frequency,and3bet{KK+,A5s,A4s}always,andthecandidatelist20%ofthetime.
Butifwenotethattheraiserdoesn'tdefendoptimally,wemightwanttoadjustthisbluffpercentage.
Forexample,oftheraisernever4betbluffsandonly4betsatightvaluerangelike{QQ+,AK},wecangobananas
with our 3bet bluffs. We might decide to double the bluff frequency from 20% to 40% for our list of 152 bluff
candidatecombos.Nowwehave20valuecombos,andeffectively0.40x152=61bluffcombos.Thismeans20/(20
+61)=25%ofour3betsareforvalue,and75%arebluffs.Ourfirstadjustmenttoexploitthisparticularopponentis
thereforetolowertheoptimalvalue/bluffratiofromtheoptimal40/tothemoreexploitative25/75.
Thenwecanalsodrop5betbluffingagainstthistightplayer,asdiscussedpreviously.Thesimplestadjustmentisto
keep 3betting our 5bet bluffing hands A5s/A4s, but we move them from the value range down to the 3bet bluff
range, and fold them to a 4bet. The only hands we 5bet against this player and his {QQ+, AK} 4bet range is
{KK+},purelyforvalue.
Hereisanexampleofrandomized3betbluffing,usingtherandomizerfromrandom.org:
Example3.2.1:Randomized3betbluffingagainsta~15%EPraise
$100NL
6handed
Alice($100)raisesto$3.5fromUTG,andit'sfoldedtoBob($100)whohas

9 onthebutton.Thishandison

the candidate list of 3bet bluff hands, and we remember that the optimal bluff frequency to use against a ~15%
openingrangeis20%.Bobclickstherandomizer,planningto3betifitreturnsanumberbetween0and20,and
otherwisefold:

Therandomizerreturns18,soBob3betsto$12.Alicequickly4betsto$27,andBobfolds.
Everythingaccordingtoplan,andwithtotalcontrol,sothereisnoreasontofeelfrustratedafterthisclash.Our

9 didit'sjob(attackingtheweakestpartofAlice'sopeningrange)perfectly,regardlessoftheoutcome,andit's

irrelevantthatAlicehada4bettinghandthistime.
RememberthatweknowAlice'sstrategyjustaswellassheknowsourstrategy,andweknowthatshewill3betus
30%ofthetimeandfold70%.Whenthe4betcomes,wequietlyfoldour3betbluffsand5betshoveourvalue/5
betbluffrangeof{KK+,A5s,A4s}.Andwedothesethingscalmly,withoutemotion.
4.Optimalstrategypairsforraiser/3bettorwithaCOraiseroutofposition
AfterthethoroughworkwithAliceraising~15%inEP,wecannowreaptherewardsandquicklyrunthroughthe
sameprocedurewithAliceraisinga~25%rangeinCO.Shenowopensawiderrange,asaconsequence,allother
rangesgetwideraswell.
4.1Alice'soptimalraisingstrategyforCO
RaisingfromCOisabitmoresituationalthanraisingfromEP.It'snoweasiertoisolatetheblinds,andwithatight
player on the button, it might be correct to play very loosely to get headsup with position on the blinds. Still,
everybodyhasacorerangeofhandsthattheyalwaysplay,regardlessofwhethertheyhavewrittenthisrangedown
ornot.
We'llassumeAliceisusingaTAGcorerangeof~25%inCO.Morespecifically,thisrange:
Alice'sCOrange
22+
A2s+A9o+
K9s+KTo+
Q9s+QTo+
J8s+JTo
T8s+
97s+
87s
76s
65s
326combos
25%
Alice'svaluerange
Alicedefendsagainst3bets30%ofthetime,andshedoesitby4betting18%ofheropeningrangeforvalueand
12%asabluff.Sosheneeds0.18x326=59valuecombosthatshecan4betandcalla5betwith.InEPsheused
[QQ+,AK}=34combos,andinCOwesimplyaddthenexttierofhandsanduse{JJ+,AQ+}=56combos(precise
enough).
Thensheneeds0.12x326=39bluffcombos.Shecanpick~39specificcombosandalways4betthem(e.g.AJ,

AT,TT=38combos),orshecan4betallhernonvaluehands15%ofthetime,asexplainedpreviously.Wechoose
thelatterapproach,andwriteAlice'scompleteraisestrategyforCOas:
Alice'soptimalraise/4bet/call5betstrategyinCO:
{Alice's total CO range}
={22+,A2s+,K9s+,Q9s+,J8s+,T8s+,97s+,87s,76s,65s,
A9o+,KTo+,QTo+,JTo}
={value hands} + {4-bet bluff hands}
={JJ+, AQ+}
+ (15% 4-bet and 85% fold) x {the rest of the range}

Aliceraises{22+,A2s+,K9s+,Q9s+,J8s+,T8s+,97s+,87s,76s,65s,
A9o+,KTo+,QTo+,JTo}=326combosfromCO.Ifshegets3bet,she4bets{JJ+,AQ+}forvalue,planningtocalla
5bet.Thosetimesshedoesn'thaveavaluehand(e.g.88,A9o,T9s,etc.),she4bets15%ofthetime,andtherest
of the time she folds. Using a random number generator fromrandom.org to randomize 4bet bluffs has been
illustratedinapreviousexample.
That'sitforAlice'sCOstrategy.OvertoBob:
4.2Bob'soptimal3betstrategyagainstAlice'soptimalraisingstrategyinCO
Bobneedsavaluerange,includinganoptimalnumberof5betbluffs,andheneedsarangeofhandsto3betbluff.
Bob'spurevaluerange
BobknowsthatAlicenowuses{JJ+,AQ+}ashervaluerange,sohebuildsarangeofpurevaluehandsthathave
atleast50%equityagainst{JJ+,AQ+}.AAandKKobviouslybelonginthisrange.Toseewhatelseisincluded,we
runequitycalculationsforthenexttierofhands(QQandAK):

QQandAKarebarelyabovethethreshold,whileallweakerhandswillbebigunderdogs.Thus,Bob'spurevalue
rangeis{QQ+,AK},andhehappily3betsthesehands,andthen5betsthemallin,purelyforvalue.
Weadd5betbluffstoBob'svaluerange
WenowwanttoaddenoughAxshandssothatAliceweakestvaluehands(JJandAQ)arebreakevenwhenthey
callour5betrange(andthethresholdis36%equity,asshownpreviously).WestartwithA5s/A4sandseewhatwe
get:

Alice'sweakestvaluehandisAQ,andit'sasmallloserwith34%equityagainstBob'stotalvaluerange{QQ+,AK,
A5s,A4s}.Closeenoughforus,sothe5betbluffsinthiscasearethesameasweusedagainstAlice'sEPrange.
However,ifwewantittobeexact,weneedtoaddacouplemorebluffs(forexample,

3 and

3 )tolift

AQupto36%:

Bob's3betbluffing
Bob's value range, including 5bet bluffs, is {QQ+, AK, A5s, A4s} =42 combos. He wants an optimal 40/60
value/bluffratio,soheneeds60/40=1.5timesasmanybluffcombos.Thisamountsto1.5x42=63bluffcombos.
Weusethepreviouslydefinedcandidatelistfor3betbluffhands:
Candidatelistfor3betbluffing:
Acehigh:A9sA6sAToA8o(52combos)
Kinghigh:K9sK6s,KJoK9o(52combos)
Queenhigh:Q9sQ6s,QJoQ9o(52combos)
Webluffthesehandssomefixedpercentagex,andforthistoeffectivelycorrespondto63bluffcombos,weneedx
=63/152=41%.Wecanroundthistox=40%tomakeiteasytoremember.
Werememberthatweuseda20%bluffcandidatefrequencyagainstAlice's~15%EPrange.SowhenAlicemoves
from a ~15% EP range to a ~25% CO range, our 3bet bluff candidate frequency doubles. We only need to
memorizethecandidatelist,andthesetwonumbers(20%vsEPand40%vsCO),andthenweknowallweneedto
knowabout3betbluffingoptimallyagainstAlice'sEP/COranges.
Atanyrate,againstAlice'soptimalCOraisingstrategy,Bobgets:
Bob'soptimal3betstrategyagainstAlice'soptimalraisingstrategyinCO
{Bob's total 3-bet range}
={value hands and 5-bet bluff hands} + {3-bet bluff hands}
={QQ+, AK, A5s, A4s}
+ 40% x {A9s-A6s,ATo-A8o,K9s-K6s,KJo-K9o,Q9s-Q6s,QJo-Q9o}

Usingarandomizerfromrandom.orgtorandomize3betbluffinghasbeenillustratedinapreviousexample.
Bob'stotal3bet%forthisscenariois:

Valuepart:42combos(3.2%ofallhands)
Bluffpart:Effectively40%of152=61combos(4.6%ofallhands)
Thisresultsinatotal3betrangeof3.2+4.6=7.8%againstAlice's~25%COrange.Thevalue/bluffratio,usingour
numericalrounding,is42/61,whichisveryclosetotheoptimal40/60.
WhenAlicemovesfromEPtoCOandheropeningrangechangesfrom~15%to~25%,Bobrespondsbyloosening
uphis3bettingrangedramatically.Thisisaninterestingobservation.Thoseofyouwhouseamoreorlessstatic3
bettingrange(forexample,thegeneric{JJ+,AQ}withoutany3betbluffingthatisrecommendedonmanylowlimit
forums)nowhavegametheoretical"proof"thatwecangetawaywithalotof3betbluffingonthebuttonagainsta
COraiser.
EvenagainstaTAGCOraiserwithasolid~25%openingrange,youcan3betalmost8%onthebuttonandthere
isn't anything he can do to exploit your loose 3bets. And if he defends poorly, for example by not 4betbluffing
enough,ornotbeingwillingtouseJJ/AQasvaluehands,youcandeviatefromoptimalplayandattackhimeven
harder.Thefirstadjustmentagainstaweak/passiveCOraiserwhofoldsalotto3betsistoincreaseyourfixed3
betbluffpercentageforthecandidatelist.Youmightincreasethebluffcandidate3bettingfrequencyfrom40%to
60%.IfVillain(andtheblinds)doesn'tadjusttoyourexploitative,loose3betting,you'llbeprintingmoney.
5.Summary
We have gone through the theory for game theory optimal(ish) raising/3betting/4betting/5betting with the raiser
outofposition,andthenwedemonstratedhowthetheorycanbeimplementedandusedatthetable.
Weconstructedoptimalstrategypairs(onestrategyfortheraiser,andoneforthe3bettor)fortwoscenarios.First
withtheraiserinEP(UTGorMP)witha~15%range,andthenwiththeraiserinCOwitha~25%range.Inboth
scenarioswegavetheraiserastandardTAGopeningrange.Wethendeducedoptimalstrategiesforbothplayers
as a function of the raisers opening range. We observed that the strategies for the CO scenario involved
considerablylooserrangesthanthestrategiesfortheEPscenario.
Ouroptimalstrategypairsconfirmedthatit'scorrectto3betawiderangeonthebuttonagainstaCOraiser,evenif
hestartswithasolidopeningrange,anddefendsoptimallyagainsta3bet.Andifhedoesn'tdefendoptimally,we
canloosenupevenmore.WhenyouseeagoodandaggressiveNLplayerdominatethetableby3bettingloosely
in position, this is what happens. Loose, positional 3betting is game theoretically correct, even against strong
players.Andagainstweakplayers,it'sevenmorecorrect.
Asaresultofourwork,weendedupwithspecificandconcreteimplementationsofthetheory,bothastheraiser
andasthe3bettor.Youcanimplementthesestrategiesimmediatelyinyourowngamebyfollowingtheprocedures
outlinedinthisarticle.Thestrategypairsdependontheraiser'sopeningrange,butthe~15%and~25%EPandCO
rangesarerelativelystandard,andyouwillmeetmanyopponentswhoplayclosetotheseranges.Ifyouneedto
applythetheorytootherranges,justplugthemintothemethod,andconstructthestrategypairsyourself.
Wedidn'tlookatsmallblindvsbigblindinthisarticle,evenifitfallsunderthesamecategorywiththeraiseroutof
position. I elected to leave this situation out, since blind vs blind dynamics is very dependent on the players
involved, and the history between them. So it's difficult (and probably not very useful) to try and generalize and
assignSBastandardopeningrange.Butifyouwanttodothis,youcanusethemethodandconstructtheoptimal
strategypairyourself.
Those of you who enjoy experimenting with ranges and numbers can now start to apply the optimal strategies in
your own game, using your own ranges. Plug your own opening ranges for EP and CO into the theoretical
"machinery"outlinedinthisarticle,andproduceoptimalstrategypairs,basedontherangesyouuseatthetable.
Rememberthateverythingfollowsfromtheopeningranges,andrememberthatyouwillgetbothanoptimalstrategy
fortheraiser(you),andthepositional3bettorsoptimalstrategyagainstyou.
Learnbothpartsofeveryoptimalstrategypair.WhenyouaretheraiserOOPagainstanunknown3bettor,youcan
simplyplayoptimallyandassumethatheisplayingoptimallytoo.Younowhave100%knowledgeabouttheraiser's
range(sincethisisyourrange),andyouknowtheoptimalstrategypairforthissituationexactly.Sincethe3bettor
doesn'tknowthesethingsprecisely,hewillmakemistakes,andyouwon't.
Whenyouhavepositionontheraiser,thingsareslightlylessstraightforward,sinceheistheonewhochoosesthe
openingrange.Butagainstanunknownraiser,youcanstartbyassumingheusesopeningrangesthatarecloseto
yourdefaultranges.Thenyousimplyrespondwiththecorrespondingoptimal3bettingstrategy.Ifheusesranges
thatareonlyslightlydifferentfromyours,theoptimalstrategypairswillbesimilar.
Andifyoushouldneedoptimalstrategypairsforopeningrangesthatareverydifferentfromyourown(forexample,

ifyoumeetaCOraiserwhoopens45%ofhishands),youcanquicklyconstructthecorrespondingoptimalstrategy
pairforhimandyourself.Rememberthatyoudon'tneedtoknowhisopeningrangeindetail,youonlyneedtoknow
thenumberofhandsthatheopens.ThisnumberisrelativelyeasytoestimatefromaHUD,evenifthesampleisn't
big.
To be prepared for any opening range you might encounter as a 3bettor, you can sit down and do the work for
10%,35%and45%openingrangesonyourown.Thenyou'llhavehaveasetofoptimalstrategypairsthatcover
almostallcasesofEPandCOopenraisingyouarelikelytoencounterinpractice.
Again, when you are the raiser, everything follows from your ranges, and you can do this work once and for all
(assuming you have a welldefined set of default core opening ranges) and memorize it. Then you can play
optimallyfromoutofposition,andsniffaroundforopponentleaks.Ifyoudon'tfindany,keepplayingoptimally.If
youfindsomeexploitableleaks,thinkabouthowyoucanadjusttoincreaseyourEV.Butyoudon'thavetoadjust
until you are sure. Remember, if you are playing optimally and your opponent isn't, you gain from his mistakes
(althoughyoumightgainmorebyswitchingtoanexploitativestrategy).
A classic opponent mistake at the low limits is not 3bet bluffing enough (or at all) in position. Love these guys,
becauseit'seasytoexploitthem.Forstarters,theyare"exploitingthemselves"byallowingyoutorunoverthemby
not3bettingyounearlyasoftenastheyshould.Andwhentheydo3bet,youknowthattheyarestrong.Soyou
simplydropallyour4betbluffsfromyourrangeandcontinuewitha4bettingrangeofonlyvaluehands,planningto
calla5bet.Easydecisionsandeasygame.
Whensomeonehasraisedinfrontofyou,youideallywanttouseanoptimalstrategyforeachopponent,andfor
eachofhispositions(sinceoptimal3betstrategyisafunctionoftheraiser'srange).Thismightsoundlikealotof
work, but in practice it all follows from estimates about the ranges you meet. And small deviations don't change
thingsdramatically.Forexample,whenyouknowthestrategypaircorrespondingtoa15%openingrange,youcan
apply the same strategies against a 12% raiser and an 18% raiser without losing much accuracy. You won't play
optimally in these cases, but nearoptimally is close enough. Besides, pinpointing opponent opening ranges to
within+/1%orlessisdifficult,sousingnearoptimalstrategiesisthebestwecanhopeforinpractice.
Theneststepoftheprocessisthemostinterestingone.Whenyouhavetrainedoptimalplay,youwilldiscoverthat
it'snowmucheasiertospotopponentmistakes.Forexample,whenyoucomeacrossanopponentwhodoesn't4
betbluff(andthesearecommonatthelowlimits),youimmediatelyknowthatthisisaleak,andyouknowhowto
exploitit.Tightandstraightforwardplayerswhorefuseto4betbluffcanbeexploitedby3bettingalot,andnot5
betbluffingatall.Youcan3betametricfucktonofbluffhands,andwhentheyfinallypickupahandgoodenough
to4bet,youfoldallyourbluffsandshipatightvaluerange(sometimesastightas{KK+}).Justkeepaneyeonthe
otherplayerstoseeiftheyaretryingtoexploityourloose3betting(tightenupabitiftheydo),andyou'lldovery
wellinthisspot.
Anotherleakyou'llseeisspazzy4bettingfromplayerswithinsufficientunderstandingofthetheorybehindoptimal
3bet/4bet/5betwars.Thismighthappenwhenyouhavedrivensomeonecrazywithyourloose3betting,andhe
startstotilt.Orwhensomeonetriestofightbackinacontrolledmanner,buthedoesn'tquiteknowhowtodoit(so
hestarts4betbluffingwaytoomuch).
Thefirstthingyouhavetorealizewhenyouareplayingoptimally,andthenspottingaleak,isthis:It'snotnecessary
todeviatefromoptimalplaytobenefitfromhismistakes.Ifyoukeepplayingoptimally,andyouropponentdoesn't,
you will win from him in the long run, period. The question is now whether you should deviate from optimal play
yourself,inordertowinmore.Ifyouhaveaclearideaabouthowtoexploityouropponentmaximally,byallmeans
goaheadandmaketheadjustment.
Butbecautiouswhenyouadjusttospazzyandunpredictableopponents.Rememberthatyouroptimal3bet/4bet/5
betstrategiesaredesignedtoprotectyou,andthereisnothingamaniaccandotoexploityouinthesescenarios,
evenifheraisesandreraisesateveryopportunity.Ifyouseeconcreteadjustmentsyoucanmaketowinmore,go
forit,butbecarefulifyoutilteasily(preflopraisingwarshaveatendencytotriggertilt).Thenyoumightbebetteroff
stickingtooptimalplayagainsthyperaggressiveopponents,lettherangesdotheworkforyou.Youcanuseyour
focustoterrorizethepassiveandeasilyexploitableplayersinstead.
Finally,ifyoumeettoughregswhodon'tgiveuppreflopedgeinthesescenarios(atleastanyedgeyoucansee),
theseoptimalstrategieswillprotectyoufromgettingexploited.Theycan'ttakeadvantageofyouinpreflop3bet/4
bet/5betwars,sodon'tworryaboutitiftheytry.Followtheoptimalstrategies,andthemathematicsofthesituation
will protect you. But don't forget to sniff for leaks against regs. Everybody has leaks, and your knowledge about
optimal3/4/5bettingwillmakeiteasierforyoutofindthem.Andpaycloseattentionifyouseearegstartingtotilt!
Nowhemightblowupcompletelyinpreflopraisingwars,andyoucanadjustaccordingly.

Ihopethisarticlewillbeusefulforthoseofyouwhofinditdifficulttoplaywellinpreflop3/4/5betwars,andthat
you have learned to implement the optimal strategies in your own game. And for those who already knew these
things,Ihopethatthissystematicdiscussionofthetopichasgivenyouthingstothinkabout.
I chose to name this article "Optimal 3bet/4bet/5bet strategies in NLHE 6max Part 1", even if a Part 2 hasn't
beenplannedyet.ButIdohavesomemoreideasaboutthetopic,andImightwritemore.Forexample,wecoulddo
onearticleaboutoptimalstrategypairswiththeraiserinposition(e.g.aftera3betfromtheblinds).Thenwecould
dedicate one article to discussion about optimal versus exploitative play, and talk about how to apply one or the
otheragainstdifferentopponenttypes.
Goodluck!
Bugs

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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart2
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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
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1.Introduction
InmyfirstNLarticleforDonkr,"Optimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesinNLHE6maxPart1",wediscussedoptimal
3/4/5bet strategies for NLHE 6max, based on principles from game theory. We only studied the scenario where
oneplayer(calledAlice)openraisesfromsomepositionoutsidetheblinds,andit'sfoldedtoanotherplayer(Bob)
who has position on Alice. We then used game theory principles to construct optimal strategy pairs for Alice and
BobwhenBobelectsto3bet.

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The response for the article was good, and I got the impression that the the topic was interesting to many. I
thereforedecidedtoproduceaminiarticleseries(4partsplanned)aboutNLHE6maxpreflopplay.Theplanforthe
series is to discuss preflop standards based on a combination of sound poker sense and principles from game
theory.InPart2westartwithdefaultrangesforopenraising.Thenwe'llgeneralizethetheoryfromPart1,andmake
alistofoptimal3/4/5betstrategypairsforopeningrangesvaryingfrom15%to40%,withtheraiseroutofposition.
We'll also make some improvements in our implementation of the theory from Part 1. For example, we'll use the
blocker effect to Alice's advantage when choosing her 4bet bluffs, and we'll give Bob a more balanced list of
candidatehandsfor3betbluffing.Finally,we'llgiveBobtheoptionofcallingraises(flatting)inposition,andwe'll
give him a default flatting range. Bob now has a complete set of "tools" to use when playing in position against
Alice'sopenraises.
When the generalized and improved strategies for openraising and headsup 3/4/5betting with the raiser out of
positionhavebeendiscussedinPart2,we'llmoveontoheadsup3/4/5bettingwiththeraiserinposition(e.g.3
bettingfromtheblinds)inPart3.We'lldefineacompletesetofstrategiestousebothforBob(folding,flattingthe
raise out of position, optimal 3/4/5betting), and for Alice (folding, flatting the 3bet in position, optimal 3/4/5
betting).Ourdiscussionofthisscenarioautomaticallyprovidesuswithstrategiestouseinblinddefense.
Notethatwhenthe3bettorisoutofposition,flattingof3betsbecomesamoreprofitableoptionfortheraiser.Out
ofposition,weelectedtoletAlice4betorfoldaftergetting3bet,sinceit'sproblematictoflat3betswithmedium
strong hands and try to play them profitably out of position with 100bb starting stacks. But when Alice can have
positiononBobfortherestofthehand,shecandefendawiderrangeofhandsprofitablyaftera3bet.
Thus, position makes it easier for Alice to profitably flat 3bets with a range of medium strong hands that are too
weakto4betforvalue(forexample,JJ,AQo,KQs).InPart3we'lllookatthehandssheshouldflat,andwe'lluse
principlesforoptimal3/4/5bettingtoconstructatotaldefensestrategyagainst3bettingwhenAlicehaspositionon
Bob.Sinceoptimalstrategiescomeinpairs,ourworkwillalsoproduceatotalblinddefensestrategyforBob.
But before we place Bob out of position in Part 3, we'll work through the implementation of all theory with Bob in
position in Part 2. Since our goal with this article series is to construct a complete (or close to it) set of default
preflopstrategies,we'llalsodefinestandardopenraisingrangesinthisarticle.WestartPart2withareviewofthe
theoreticalconceptsfromPart1,andthenwedefinedefaultrangesforopenraising.Iexpectmostofthereadersto
haveopenraisingundercontrol,butdefiningasetofcorerangesisuseful,because:
Itmakesiteasierforustomakeassumptionsagainstunknownraisers
Itmakesusmoreconsciousaboutourownopeningranges
Whenwehavedefineddefaultopeningrangesandoptimalstrategiesfor3/4/5betting,bothinandoutofposition,
we'llhavedefineda"modelgame"withstrictpreflopstrategies.Inrealitywewon'tfollowthestandardsrigidly,since
we obviously want to continually adapt to our opponents when we gather reads on them. But this default model
gamegivesussolidstandardstouseagainstunknowns,andalsoagainstknownstrongplayersthatwecan'teasily
exploit.Asetofstandardpreflopstrategieswillalsomakeiteasierforustomodelpreflopscenariosmathematically,
for example if we want to estimate the EV for some preflop line. Then we can plug in our default ranges and
strategies(ifwehaven'tgototherassumptions/reads)anddothemath.

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Definingsolidpreflopstandardsforopenraisingand3/4/5betting,basedongametheoryprinciples,willgiveusa
muchbetterunderstandingofwhatoptimal(oratleastnearoptimal)preflopplayis.Inmyopinionthisisthemost
usefulresultofallthiswork.Exploitingweakopponentsis(perdefinition)thesameasmovingawayfromoptimal
play to profit maximally from his mistakes. A good understanding of optimal play makes it easier to exploit our
opponents.First,knowingwhatoptimalplayismakesiteasiertospotopponentmistakes(e.g.theirdeviationsfrom
optimalplay).Second,whenweadjusttoexploitthesemistakes,weknowbothwhatweareadjustingawayfrom
andinwhichdirectionweshouldgo.
The latter is something we'll discuss further in Part 4. My plan is to use Part 2 and Part 3 to construct default
strategies,andthenwe'lltalkmoreabouthowtousetheminPart4.Therewe'lllookmorecloselyatthedifference
betweendefaultstrategies/optimalplayandexploitativeplay.Wewanttouseexploitativestrategiesagainstweak
opponentswheneverwecan,sincethisisgenerallymoreprofitablethanoptimalplay.Butagainststrongopponents
thataredifficulttoexploit,wewantasetofsolidstandardstofallbackontopreventthemfromexploitingus.Sowe
needtothinkaboutwhentouseoneortheother,basedonwhowe'replayingagainst.InPart4we'llalsotestour
strategiesnumerically,usingPokerazorsimulationswithvariousassumptionsaboutouropponents.
Finally,Part1generatedsomeinterestingforumdiscussion,forexampleaboutourdefinitionsofvaluehands/bluffs,
andhowthesearechosen.We'llreturntothistopicinPart4,butfirstwe'llfinishalltheworkanddefineourdefault
prefloprangesandpreflopstrategiesinPart2andPart3.
ThestructureofPart2is:

Summaryofthetheorybehindoptimalstrategypairsforheadsup3/4/5bettingwiththeraiseroutofposition.
We'll also point out areas where we'll improve on our previous implementation of the theory (for example,
usingblockereffectswhenchoosing4betbluffs)
Defaultrangesforopenraising
Generalization of the results from Part 1 for optimal 3/4/5betting headsup with the raiser out of position,
usingopeningrangesvaryingfrom15%to40%

We'lluseheadsupscenarioswith100bbstartingstacks,unlessotherwisementioned.
2.Summaryofoptimal3/4/5bettheorywiththeraiseroutofposition
Weusedthefollowingmodel:

Bothplayersstartwith100bbstacks,bothareoutsidetheblinds,andBobhaspositiononAlice
Aliceopenraisespot(3.5bb)withsomeopeningrange
Bob3betspot(12bb)withamixofvaluehandsand3betbluffs
Alicerespondsbyfoldingor4bettingto27bb(slightlylessthanpot=37.5bb)withamixofvaluehandsand
4betbluffs
Bobrespondsbyfoldinghis3betbuffsand5bettingallinwithamixofvaluehandsand5betbluffs
Alicerespondsbycallingwithhervaluehands,andfoldingher4betbluffs

Thestrategieswedefinedwerebasedonthefollowingmathematicalrelations(seePart1fordetails):

Aliceneedstodefend30%ofheropeningrangetopreventBobfromprofitably3bettinganytwocards
TheoptimalratioofvaluehandstobluffsinBob's3bettingrangeis40/60
TheoptimalratioofvaluehandstobluffsinAlice's4bettingrangeis60/40
Bobshouldhaveenough5betbluffsinhis5bettingrangetomakeAlice'sweakestvaluehandsbreakeven
whentheycallthe5bet(andweelectedtouseAxshandsas5betbluffs)

Herewedefine"valuehand"asahandweplantokeepreraisinguntilwegetallin.A"bluff"isahandwefoldtoa
reraise(whenwe're3bettingor4betting),orahandwe5betbluffallin.

ThenwedefinedoptimalstrategypairsfromAliceandBobintwoscenarios:
1.Aliceraisesa~15%rangefromEP(UTGorMP)
2.Aliceraisesa~25%rangefromCO
Forbothscenarioswedidthecalculationsinfulldetailtoshowhowyoucandosimilarworkonyourownopening
ranges.Inthisarticlewe'llgeneralizetheseresults,andconstructalistofoptimalstrategypairsthatyoucanuseas
a"cheatsheet"when3bettingoptimallyagainstanyopponent.We'lllistoptimalstrategypairsfor15%,20%,25%,
30%,35%and40%openingranges,whichshouldcoveralltheopeningrangesyouwillencounterinpracticewhen
engagingin3/4/5betwarsoutsidetheblinds.
Youcanalsousethislisttoestimateoptimal4bettingstrategiesforyourselfwhenyouaretheraiseroutofposition
(ifyoudon'tfeellikedoingthecalculationsfortheexactrangesyouareusing).Forexample,ifyouknowthatyou're
openraising32%fromCO,youcanusethestrategypairfor30%openraisingwhenestimatingyour4bettingrange.
Inpractice,thiswillbecloseenough.
Beforewedefinethelistofoptimalstrategypairfor3/4/5bettingwiththeraiseroutofposition,we'llmakeacouple
ofadjustmentsforAlice'sandBob'schoiceof4betbluffsand3betbluffs.InPart1wemadesomesimplificationsto
makethingseasiertoremember,butherewe'llimproveonthem:
2.1Alice'schoiceof4bettinghands
Alice'svaluehandsfollowdirectlyfromheropeningrangeplustherequirementthatsheshoulddefend30%ofthis
range,usingavalue/bluffratioof60/40.ButAlicehasachoicetomakewhenselectinghandsto4betbluff.She
canchoosebetweentwomethods:
1.Thecombomethod:Alicepicksasetofhandsto4betbluff
2.Thepercentagemethod:Alice4betbluffsafixedpercentagewithallhernonvaluehands
When Alice gets 3bet out of position, her response is to never call, and 4bet 30% of her opening range with a
60/40ratioofvaluehandsto4betbluffs.So0.30x0.60=18%ofheropeningrangeshouldbe4betforvalueand
0.30x0.40=12%shouldbe4betasabluff.Forexample,whenAliceopensa15%rangefromearlyposition,this
correspondsto4betting0.18x0.15x1326=36valuecombosand0.12x0.15x1326=24bluffcombos.
Alicethenchoosesherbest36(orthereabouts)handstouseasvaluehands,andtheobviouschoiceis{QQ+,AK}
=34combos.Thenshecaneitherchoose24specificcombostouseas4betbluffhands,orshecan4betallnon
value hands (the remaining 82% of her range when the 18% of value hands has been selected) a certain
percentageofthetime.
If she chooses the latter, she should use a percentage x that gives her a 60/40 ratio of value hands to bluffs.
Formulatedasanequation,weget:

0.18/0.82x =60/40
0.18/0.82x =1.5
0.18 =1.5(0.82x)
0.18 =1.23x
x =0.18/1.23
x =0.15 =15%

SoAliceshould4betbluff15%ofthetimewithallhandsnotstrongenoughto4betforvalue.Thismakes4bet
bluffing easy to implement i practice. We only need to remember one number x =15%, and this 4bet bluff
percentageisthesameregardlessofAlice'sopeningrange.InPart1wethereforeelectedtousethepercentage
methodforsimplicity.Weusedarandomizerfromrandom.orgforthispurpose,asillustratedbelow:
Example2.1.1:Randomized4betbluffing
$100NL
6handed
Preflop:
Alice($100)raisesto$3.50with

J fromUTG,Bob($100)3betsto$12.Aliceusestherandomizer,planning

to4betbluffifitreturnsanumberbetween0and15,andotherwiseshewillfold.:

Therandomizerreturns41,soAlicefoldsthistime.
Thepercentagemethodworkswellandiseasytoimplement,butinpracticethecombomethodwillworkbetter.The
difference between the two is that the combo method gives us the opportunity to exploit the blockereffect to our
advantage.IfAliceusesherbesthandsnotstrongenoughto4betforvalue,thiswillensureBob'srangeispoorer
invaluehands.
Forexample,assumeAliceraises15%fromearlyposition.InPart1weestablishedthatBob'svalue3betrange
againstthisopeningrangeshouldbe{KK+}plussomeAxshandsas5betbluffs.Beforetheblockereffectistaken
intoaccount,thereare12AA/KKcombosinBob'svaluerange.ButwhenAlicehasAQ(whichshedoesnot4bet
forvalue),thechancethatBobhasAAisreducedtohalf(thereare3possibleAAcombosinhisvaluerangewhen
Alicehasanaceonherhand).SoifAliceusesAQandsimilardecenthandsatthetopofhernonvaluerange,she
ensuresthather4betbluffsgointhosetimesit'slesslikelythatBobhasavaluehandtocontinuewith.Thehand
wefearmostinBob's3bettingrangeisAA,andit'sseemsobviousthatAliceshouldpickher4betbluffsfromthe
bestAxhandsnotstrongenoughto4betforvalue.Forexample,AQblockstheAA/QQ/AKhandsinBob'srange.
InPart2we'lllistspecific4betbluffcombosforallofAlice'sopeningrangesinordertoexploittheblockereffect.
This will require more memorization than with the percentage method, but on the other hand we save time and
distractionswhenwedon'thavetoclicktherandomizerwhileplaying.
2.2Bob'schoiceofvalue3bethands
WedefinedBob'svaluehandsastherangeofhandshe3bets,planningto5betallinaftera4betfromAlice.His
valuerangehastwocomponents:
ValuehandsthatprofitfromgettingallinagainstAlice'svaluehands
5betbluffs
When building Bob's total value range, our starting point was to find all hands with at least 50% equity against
Alice's value hands (which followed from her opening range). These are Bob's value hands. Then we added Axs
hands as 5bet bluffs until it became break even for Alice to call a 5bet with her weakest value hands. Note the
differencebetweenBob'svaluerangeanhisvaluehands.ThelatterarethehandsthatprofitwhenBob's5betsget
calledbyAlice'svaluehands,whileBob'svaluerangeisthetotalrangeofhandshe'splanningto5betallin(his
valuehandsplussome5betbluffs).
Forexample,inPart1wesawthatwhenAliceraisesa15%openingrangefromUTG,Bob'sresponseisto3beta
totalvaluerange{KK+,A5s,A4s},planningto5betallinaftera4bet.AA/KKareclearlyhandswewanttogetallin
againstAlice'svaluerange{QQ+,AK},andthenweaddAxshandsuntilitbecomesbreakevenforAlicetocalla5
betshovewithherweakestvaluehand(QQ).
Aliceisgettingpotodds128.5:73tocalla5betshove,andsheneedsminimum73/(128.5+73)=36%equityto
callprofitably.WecanmakehercallwithQQbreakevenbyusing7Axscombosasshownbelow(westartwith
5 andworkourwaydowntowards

2 ):

Thus,theexactnumberof5betbluffsinBob'svaluerangeagainstAlice's15%openingrangeis{A5s,
A

4 ,

4 ,

4 }. In Part 1 we simplified this to {A5s,A4s}, but in Part 2 we'll use the exact number of 5bet

bluffs.
ThenextstepforBobistodefinea3betbluffrange.Heshouldusea40/60ratioofvaluehandstobluffs,sohis3
betbluffingrangeshouldhave60/40=1.5timesasmanycombosashisvaluerange.Forexample,ifheusesthe
value range {KK+,A5s,As4s,Ah4h,Ad3d} =19 combos against a 15% opening range for Alice, he should bluff with
1.5x19=29combos.
Thenumberof3betbluffcombosBobneedswillchancewithAlice'sopeningrange,andBobcanchoosebetween
twomethods:
Memorizealistofspecific3betbluffcombosforeachofAlice'sopeningranges
Memorizealistof3betbluffcandidates,anduseeachofthemacertain%foreachofAlice'sopeningranges
Wechosethelatter,anddefinedthefollowinglistof156combostouseas3betbluffs:
Candidatelistfor3betbluffing
Ace high: A9s-A6s ATo-A8o (52 combos)
King high: K9s-K6s, KJo-K9o (52 combos)
Queen high: Q9s-Q6s, QJo-Q9o (52 combos)

ThelistisbasedonthefactthatBobwantsto3betbluffwiththebesthandsnotstrongenoughto3betforvalueor
call.IfAlicealways4betsorfoldsoutofposition,Bob'schoiceof3betbluffsdoesn'tmatter,butinpracticewe'll
sometimesgetcalled.Sowewanttousethebestpossiblehandsincasetheraisercallsour3betandforcesusto
playpostflop.
Forexample,ifBobneeds293betbluffcombostouseagainstAlice's15%openingrange,hecan3beteachhand
onthelistabove29/156=19%ofthetime.Heusesarandomizertoachievethis,asillustratedbelow:
Example2.2.1:Randomized3betbluffing
$100NL
6handed
Preflop:
Alice($100)raisesto$3.5,andit'sfoldedtoBobwhohas

7 onthebutton.Bobknowsfromobservationthat

Aliceisopeninga15%rangefromUTG,andhisresponseisto3betavaluerange{KK+,A5s,As4s,Ah4h,Ad4d}=19
combosforvalueplusarangeof3betbluffs.Heuses1.5x19=293betbluffcombos,whichcorrespondsto3
bettingallhandsinthe3betblufflist29/156=19%ofthetime.Herehehasoneofthesehands,soheusesthe
randomizer,planningto3betwhenitreturnsanumberbetween0and19:

Therandomizerreturns3,andBob3betspotto$12.Alicefolds.
Inthisarticlewe'llmakeachangeinBob's3betblufflist.ThelistwedesignedinPart1waseasytoremember,but
it's somewhat imbalanced. It only contains Ax/Kx/Qxcombos and few low cards, which makes it hard for us to
connectwithlowflops.Thelistalsocontainslotsofoffsuithands.We'llreplacethislistwithamorebalancedlistthat
hasmoresuitedhands,andalsosomemedium/lowconnectorsand1gappers.DesigningBob's3betblufflistisnot
anexactscience,sowe'llusejudgmentandsoundpokersense.
3.Openraising
Beforewemoveontogeneralizingthetheoryfor3/4/5betting,we'lldefineasetofstandardopeningrangesforall
positions. A good NL player should never feel like a "slave" to strictly defined preflop strategies, and ideally he
shouldalwaystrytoplayhandsthatareprofitable,andotherwisefold.Buttherearegoodreasonsforstartingwitha
setofmemorizedopeningranges.
It's obvious that the strongest hands like AAQQ, AK, etc. are profitable raising hands from any position. But in
practiceit'simpossibletoknowexactlyhowprofitabletheweakestplayablehands(forexampleA6o,22,76s)arein
a given situation. Sometimes they will be profitable and sometimes not. Sticking to a default reasonable opening
rangeforeachpositionisprobablyjustasgoodastryingtofindexactlywhichweakhandscanbeopenraisedina
given situation and which can not. Sometimes we will be wrong, folding some playable hands and playing some
handsthatshouldhavebeenfolded,butusuallyitwon'tmattermuch(closedecisionsdon'tmattermuch).Whenwe
here say "scenario" we mean the combination of your position, the tendencies of your opponents, the history
betweenyou,andstacksizesforeveryoneinvolved.
Also, even if you are very flexible with respect to openraising, and always try to adapt to the situation, there will
always exist a "core range" for a given situation. The core range is the range of hands you are always willing to
open,regardlessofthecircumstances.Forexample,youmightdecidethatyou'llneveropenlessthan35%ofyour
handsonthebutton,regardlessofhowtheplayersintheblindsplay.Startingwithawelldefinedsetofstandard
openingrangesmakesiteasiertoknowwhatyoureffectivecorerangeisforagivenposition.
Startingwithastandardsetofopeningrangesalsomakesiteasiertodefendagainst3betting,sinceweeasilycan
memorizeoptimaldefensestrategiesforourstandardopeningranges.Againstgoodplayerswho3betoptimallyof
nearoptimally,wecanfallbackonourdefaultoptimaldefensestrategy.Againstweakplayerswhoeither3betway
toolittleorwaytoomuch,wecanusetheoptimaldefensestrategyasastartingpoint,andthenadjustasneeded
(foldingmoreagainstatight3bettor,and4bettingorcallingmoreagainstaloose3bettor).Notethatexploitative
adjustmentsagainstweakopponentsbecomeeasierwhenweknowwhattheoptimalstartingpointis.
Thus, the point of starting with a set of standard opening ranges is not to "bind" you strategically, it's quite the
opposite.Buildingyourpreflopgameontopofsolidstandardopeningrangeswillmakeiteasiertoadjust.BythisI
meanthatitwillbeeasiertoadjustcorrectlytothesituationwhenyoustartwithagoodunderstandingofwhata
good default strategy is, and this understanding starts with understanding the opening ranges we're using. When
soliddefaultpreflopstrategieshavebeentrained,you'llspendlesstimeatthetablethinkingaboutwhatthedefault
playis,andmoretimethinkingabouthowtoadjustcorrectlyawayfromdefaultplay.
The opening ranges listed below are on the tight side, and you can think about them as "core ranges" that you
always open, regardless of the circumstances. You can elect to open looser, but unless the table conditions are
extreme,you'llprobablynotgainmuchbyopeningtighter.

Notethatwecan'tusegametheoryprinciplestofindoptimalopeningranges,sincethisismoreorlessequivalentto
solvingthegameofNLHold'eminit'sentirety.Thisisnotpossibleinpractice,soourchoiceofstandardopening
rangesisbasedonexperienceandsoundpokersense.
Hereisanotherwaytolookatit:
Insteadofaskingwhatthebeststandardopeningrangeisforagivenposition,lookattherangeyou'reusingand
askyourselfifyourrangeisagoodtoolforthejob.Ifyouhadgivenyouropeningrangestotheworld'sbest6max
grinderandtoldhimtogrindyourlimitsusingyourranges,wouldhestillbeabigwinner,evenifhecouldn'tplaythe
wayhewantedpreflop?Ifyouthinktheansweris"yes",yourrangesareprobablyfine.
3.1Openraisingfromearlyposition(EP=UTGandMP)
Fromthetwoearliestpositionsweshouldusetightdefaultranges,andIrecommendyouusea~15%corerangeas
astartingpointfrombothUTGandMP.I'lllistanEPrangehere,andthenyoucanchooseforyourselfhowmuchto
loosenupinMP(youshoulddefinitelynotplaytighterthanthisfromMP),andhowmuchtotightenuporloosenup
fromUTG.

22+
A9s+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
J9s+
T9s
98s
87s
76s
65s
194 combos
15%

FromUTGyoucandropthelowestsuitedconnectors,ifyouthinkthisrangeistooloose.FromMP,don'ttightenup,
but you can raise some more hands (e.g. K9s, Q9s, ATo, KJo, QJo, etc.) if you think 15% is too tight. But using
somethingaround15%forboththeUTGandMPpositionsisagoodplacetostart.
Ifyoufeeluncomfortablehavingsomanymedium/lowsuitedconnectorsinyourEPrange(theycanbedifficultto
playwelloutofposition),feelfreetodropthelowestonesfromtherange,orreplacethemwithhighcardhands.For
example,youcandrop87s65s(3x4=12combos)andplayKJo(12combos)instead.Butdon'ttakethistoofar,
and be cautious with the offsuit high cards hands (KQo, KJo, QJo, QTo, etc.). These hands are negative implied
odds hands that often put you in tough spots postflop, especially out of position, even when you flop what you're
hopingfor(toppair,mostly).
Keepinmindthatdominationislessofaproblemforthesuitedconnectors.Also,havingahandfuloftheminyour
rangemakesiteasierforyoutocrediblyrepresentstrengthonlowflops(whichcanbeaproblemwhenopenraising
astrongrangewithlotsofhighcardhands).Sothesuitedconnectorsmakesyourrangemorebalancedandmore
difficulttoread.
Later, in the discussion about defense against 3betting, we'll for simplicity assume we're using the 15% range
abovefrombothUTGandMP,andwe'llrefertobothpositionsas"EP".Thissimplificationisacceptable,sincethe
optimalstrategiesdon'tchangemuchwhenwemovefrom,say,15%>13%inUTG,or15%>17%inMP.
3.2OpenraisingfromCO
HereIrecommenda~25%corerange.InCOyou'llgetmoreopportunitiestoexploittheplayersbehindyou,ifthey
areplayingtootight.Forexample,withatightpassivebuttonplayerandweakplayersintheblinds,it'sfinetoopen
30%andperhapsevenmorefromCO.Butstartwithacorerangeof25%orso,andletthisbetherangeyounever
tightenupfrom.Andifthetableconditionsareright,youcanloosenup.

22+
A2s+ A9o+
K9s+ KQo

Q9s+ QTo+
J8s+ JTo
T8s+
97s+
87s
76s
65s
326 combos
25%

3.3Openraisingfromthebutton
From the button I recommend a ~35% core range. Button is the position with greatest flexibility with respect to
openraising,andyoushouldbewillingtovaryyourrangealot.Openraiseatleast35%,butbequicktoloosenupif
theblindsareweak.Inthiscontext,"weak"meansblindswhoeitherfoldtoomuchpreflop,orwhomostlydefendby
calling.

22+
A2s+ A7o+
K2s+ K9o+
Q6s+ Q9o+
J7s+ J9o+
T7s+ T9o+
96s+
86s+
76s
65s
458 combos
35%

Don'tbeafraidtoopenraisealooserangeonthebuttonagainstweakplayersintheblinds,eveniftheycallalot
preflop.Whentheydon'tpunishyourlooseopenraisingwith3betting,you'llhave3waystowinthepot:

Theyfoldpreflop
Theycallpreflop,misstheflop,andyouwinwithacbet
Theycallpreflop,hittheflop,butyouwinanyway.Eitherbyhittingtheflopharderthanthem,orbydrawing
outonthemlater,orbybluffingthemoutofthepot(forexamplewhenascarecardfallsontheturnorriver).

3.3Openraisingfromtheblinds
Herewemeanopenraisingfromthesmallblindwheneverybodyhasfolded,orraisingfromthebigblindinalimped
pot.HereIrecommendstartingwiththefollowingsetofsimpleguidelines:
Whenit'sfoldedtoyouinthesmallblind,openraiseyourbuttonrangeifthebigblinddoesn'tdefendaggressively.If
heisdifficulttostealfrom,tightenuptotheCOrange.Don'topenlimp,unlessyouhavespecificreasonstothink
thiswillbemoreprofitablethanopenraisingorfolding.
Whenyou'reinthebigblind,it'sfoldedtothesmallblind,andheopenlimps,raisethebuttonrangetopunishhis
limps.Ifsomeonehaslimpedinoutsidetheblinds,raiseatightrangeforvalue.Themoreplayershavelimped,the
tighteryouraise.Thebetterthelimpersplay,thetighteryouraise.Thisislogical,sinceyouneedastrongerhandto
playoutofpositionagainstmanyplayers,oragainstplayerswhoarecompetentpostflop.Nowyou'llwinfewerpots
without a showdown, and you compensate by basing your raises more on showdown equity and less on steal
equity.

Asastartingpoint,it'sagoodideatonotraisemuchlooserthan{99+,ATs+,AJo+,KJs+,KQo}fromthebigblind
outofpositionagainstlimpers,unlessyouareheadsupand/oryouexpecttheplayersbehindyoutogiveupeasily.
3.4Isolatinglimpers
Asastartingpoint,ifyouhavepositionononeormorelimpersoutsidetheblinds,raisewiththesamerangeyou
wouldhaveopenraised.It'sofcoursefinetodroptheveryweakesthands(65s,Q2sandthelike),especiallyagainst
morethanonelimper,oragainstaverylooselimper.Someofthehandsyouwillbeisolatingwitharetechnicallytoo
weaktoplaypostflopagainstoneormorelimpingranges,butkeepinmindthatyoubaseyourraisepartlyonsteal
equity.IsolatingalimperwithahandlikeT8sisasemibluff.Sometimesyouwinpreflop,andwhenyoudon'twin
preflop, you'll often get headsup with position on a weak player with a weak range. This will give you many
opportunitiestostealthepotpostflop,andwhenthisisn'tpossible,you'llsometimesmakethebesthandandwinaa
showdown.
But as mentioned previously, don't make loose raises against limpers when you're in the blinds. The exception is
when you have reads telling you that a raise will make it easy to win the pot. Some limp and fold a lot to raises.
Otherslimpandcallalotofraises,butthenplayfitorfoldpostflop.Payattentiontotheplayersaroundyou,and
when you pick up information you can use to your advantage, use it. But against unknown players and loose
players,raiseatightrangeoutofpositionintheblindsinalimpedpot.
3.5Summaryofstandardopeningranges
I recommend that you memorize all these opening ranges, and also the number of combos in each range. For
example,knowingthatyou'reopening326combos(25%)asadefaultfromCOwillmakeiteasierforyoutodefend
correctlyagainst3betting.
Forexample,weknowthattheoptimaldefensepercentageoutofpositionis30%ofouropeningrangewhenwe
defendby4bettingorfoldingoutofposition.18%shouldbeforvalueand12%shouldbebluffs.Ifyouknowhow
manycombosyouhaveinyouropeningrange,itwillbeeasiertogetafeelforhowmanyhandsyoushoulddefend,
bothforvalueandasbluffs.
4.Generalizingthetheoryforoptimal3/4/5bettingwiththeraiseroutofposition
WerememberfromPart1thatoptimalstrategiesfor3/4/5bettingcomeinpairs:Araise/4bet/call5betstrategyfor
the raiser, and a 3bet/5bet strategy for the 3bettor. In Part 1 we estimated these optimal strategy pairs after a
~15%EPraiseanda~25%COraise
InPart2we'llgeneralizethistheoryintwoways:

We'llliststrategypairsbasedon15%,20%,25%,30%,35%and40%openraising
We'llincludeflattinginpositionasastrategicoptionforthe3bettor

Aspreviouslymentioned,we'llalsolistspecifichandsthattheraiserwilluseas4betbluffs(thecombomethod)to
exploittheblockereffect.We'llalwayskeepthestrengthprincipleinmind:
Withyourbesthands:Raiseforvalue
Withyournextbesthands:Call
Withhandsthataren'tgoodenoughtoraiseorcall:Foldorbluff
Which hands make up your "best hands", and your "next best hands" will depend on the situation you're in. For
example,thevalueofaNLHEstartinghandinpositionbehindaraiserwillvarywithbothourabsolutepositionand
the raiser's range. But regardless of the situation, we'll choose our value hands form our best hands that we are
willingtogetallinwithagainstouropponent'svaluehands(forexample{QQ+,AK}).Thenwepickourcallinghands
fromthebesthandsthataren'tstrongenoughtogetallinpreflop.Finally,wepickthebestoftheremaininghandsto
useasbluffs.
Our3bettorBobnowwillgetaflattingrangeinposition,andwestartbylistingallofthe"tools"atBob'sdisposal
againstAlice'sopenraise.Aspreviouslymentioned,we'llmakeanewlistof3betbluffinghands(whichwe'llname
"IP3betairlist"),moreweightedtowardsbalanceandsuitedhandsthanthesimplelistweusedinPart1.We'llalso
listthe5betbluffhandsBob3bets,planningto5betallinasabluffaftera4bet("IP5betairlist").Finally,welist
arangethatBobflatsinposition("IPflatlist").
4.1Rangesfor3betbluffing,5betbluffing,andflattinginposition

IP3betairlist
A9s-A6s
K9s-K6s
Q9s-Q6s
J9s-J6s
T8s-T7s
97s-96s
87s-86s
76s-75s
65s
100 combos

IP5betairlist
A5s-A2s
16 combos

IPflatlist
22+
ATs+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
JTs
T9s
98s
Without {KK+}: 162 combos
Without {QQ+}: 156 combos
Without {QQ+,AK}: 140 combos
Without {JJ+,AK}: 134 combos

Notethattheflatlistchangesaccordingtowhichhandswe3betforvalue.Forexample,againsta15%UTGraise,
we

use

{KK+}

as

our

value

range.

The

flat

list

then

becomes

{QQ22,AKsATs,AKo

AJo,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=162combos.
The flat list is made up of hands that you can always flat as a default after a raise from UTG, MP and CO when
you'reonthebutton.Butyoushouldflatsomewhattighterfromearlierpositions(forexample,it'sprobablybestto
fold98sinMPafteranUTGraise).Youmightalsowanttotightenupagainstaverytightraiser(foldinghandslike
AJo, KTs, QTs and 98s after a tight 8% openraise from UTG is fine). Conversely, if you have position on a very
looseandbadraiser,it'sallowedtosneakinmoremarginalflattinghands(e.g.87s)ifyouthinkit'sprofitabletosee
aflopwiththeminposition.Sousetheflatlistasastartingpoint,andexercisejudgment.
Thelistsfor3betbluffingand5betbluffingcanbeeasilymemorizedtomakethemeasiertoapplyatthetable.I
usethis3betlistatthelimitsIplay($400NLto$1000NL),andIuseittogetherwitharandomizer.Ofcoursewecan
alsopickspecificcombosfromthe3betblufflist,butinmyopinionit'smuchsimplertouseamemorized"IP3bet
airlist"plusarandomizerthanhavingtomemorizeaspecificrangeof3betbluffsforeachopeningrange.
Forthe5betbluffsIuseasimplermethod.InthesummariesbelowIgivethenumberof5betbluffsBobneedsfor
theopeningrangehe'supagainst,andthenhesimplypickshandsfromthetopofthelist{A5sA2s}andworkshis
way from

5 down towards

2 . For example, if Bob needs seven 5bet bluff hands, he picks {A5s,

As4s,Ah4h,Ad4d}=7.
I'vealsomadeasimplifyinglittletrickwiththe3betblufflist.Iputexactly100combosinthelist,sothatweeasily
canconvertbetweenpercentagesandcombos.Let'ssayyou'reinpositionbehindaraiser,andyouknowthatyour
valuerangeis{KK+}=12combos,butyoudon'trememberhowmany%youshould3betbluffthehandsonthelist

(you'reusingarandomizer).
Butyouknowthatyoushouldusea60/40ratioofvaluehandstobluffs,sowith{KK+}=12combosasyourvalue
range, you need 1.5 x 12 =18 bluff combos. Since the 3bet bluff list has 100 combos, this corresponds to 3bet
bluffingallhandsonthelist18%ofthetime.SoifyoupickupQ7s,youclicktherandomizer,planningto3betifit
returnsanumberbetween0and18,andotherwiseyoufold.
You can either have the lists and percentages memorized, or have them in a document on your screen for easy
access,butit'sagoodideatousestructure/organizationtokeepthingssimplewhereyoucan.Ihavememorized
everything,andIrarelyhavetopauseandthinkaboutthesestrategies,butsometimesIslipup.Thenit'seasyto
startwiththevaluerange,thencountthenumberofbluffcombosyouneed,andwith100combosinthe3betbluff
list,younowalsohavethepercentagetousewiththerandomizer.
A final word: These lists are not gospel. If you'd rather use hands like KJo, KTo and QTo instead of some of the
lowestsuitedconnectorsonmy3betblufflist,goaheadandchangethingstoyourliking.I'vechosentousesuited
hands, since negative implied odds is less of a problem for suited hands when our 3bet gets called and we're
forcedtoplaypostflop.Suitedhandsalsopickupequityontheturnmoreoftenthanoffsuithands,andthiswillgive
youmoregoodspotsto2barrel.
4.2Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairswiththeraiseroutofposition
Bob's lists of flatting hands, 3bet bluffs, and 5bet bluffs are given above. What remains to be done is to
systematically find Alice's 4betting hands (value hands and bluffs) for various opening ranges between 15% and
40%inincrementsof5%.Thenwefindthe3betbluffpercentagethatBobshouldusewithhis"IP3betairlist".
Lastwefindthenumberof5betbluffsBobshoulduse,andwe'redone.
All calculations are done like in Part 1, so we simply present the results here. Note that we have done some
roundinghereandthere.Forexample,whenopenrasinga15%range,we4bet{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalue,
while the theoretically optimal number of value combos is 0.18 x 0.15 x 1326 =36. We generally want to play all
combosofaparticularstartinghandthesameway.Sowedon'tpick2combosofJJorAQtogettoexactly36value
combos.
We have rounded the percentages to use with Bob's "IP 3bet air list" to the nearest 5% to get numbers that are
easy to remember. It's not critical to be accurate to the nearest percentage point, and rounding is fine. Another
approximationwehavedoneistoletBobflatthesamerangeofhands,regardlessofhisexactpositionbehindthe
raiser(MP,COorbutton).We'reassuminghecanflatallhandsfromtheflatlistprofitablyfromallpositionsbehind
the raiser, but in practice Bob should flat a bit tighter from MP and CO. When Bob flats from MP and CO, his
positionwillbeworsepostflop,andtheriskofa3betbehindhimishigher,soheshouldflatabittighterthanonthe
button.
Weusethefollowingnotation:
AJ=AllAJ,suitedandoffsuit
AJs=AllsuitedAJ
AJo=AlloffsuitAJ

Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith15%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraise15%
4bets{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{AQ,AJsATs}=24combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flats the flat list: {22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s} =162 combos when {KK+} gets 3bet for
value
3bets{KK+,7air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bets30%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

ForsimplicityIhaveusedthenotation"xair"forBob's5betbluffs.Forexample,"7air"meansthathepicksthe7
best combos from "IP 5bet bluff list" ={A5sA2s}. So he picks {A5s,

4 ,

4 ,

4 }. With this

notationweonlyneedtorememberanumberforthe5betbluffs,andthenwepicktheactualhandsonthespot.
Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith20%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraises20%
4bets{TT+,AK,AQs}=50combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{AQo,AJ,ATs}=32combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flats the flat list: {22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s} =156 combos when {QQ+} gets 3bet for
value
3bets{QQ+,10air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bets40%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith25%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraises25%
4bets{TT+,AQ+}=62combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{AJAT,A9sA8s}=40combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flatstheflatlist:{22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=140comboswhen{QQ+,AK}gets3betfor
value
3bets{QQ+,AK,12air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bets70%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith30%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraises30%
4bets{99+,AQ+,AJs}=72combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{AJo,ATA9,A8s}=48combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flatstheflatlist:{22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=134comboswhen{JJ+,AK}gets3betfor
value
3bets{JJ+,AK,10air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet

3bets75%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith35%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraises35%
4bets{99+,AJ+}=84combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{ATA8,A7sA6s}=56combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flatstheflatlist:{22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=134comboswhen{JJ+,AK}gets3betfor
value
3bets{JJ+,AK,14air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bets80%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

Optimal3/4/5betstrategypairwith40%openraisingOOP
Alice'sstrategy:

Openraises40%
4bets{88+,AJ+,ATs+}=94combosforvalueandcallsa5bet
4bets{ATo,A9A7}=60combosasabluffandfoldstoa5bet

Bob'sstrategy:

Flatstheflatlist:{22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=134comboswhen{JJ+,AK}gets3betfor
value
3bets{JJ+,AK,14air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bets80%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

4.3Summaryofoptimalstrategypairsfor3/4/5bettingwiththeraiserinposition
Wehavenowlistedasetofstrategypairsthatcovermostoftheopeningrangesyouwillencounterasa3bettorin
position.Notethatwe'renotclaimingthata35%or40%rangeisagoodopeningrangefrompositionsearlierthan
thebutton,butweincludeitanyway.Youmightmeetopponentsthatplaythisloose.
Those with good memory can memorize these strategy pairs once and for all. We'll also organize them in a tidy
documentthatyoucankeeponthescreenwhileyouplay:

Downloadlink(rightclickandchoose"Saveas"):IP_3bet_summary.doc
HereIhavemarkedourownEPandCOstandardopeningrangeswithgrey,sothatitwillbeeasyforyoutofind
your 4betting ranges from the document when you're out of position and get 3bet. But the 4betting ranges are
easy to memorize, so this document will be most useful when you're in position and need the optimal 3betting
strategytouseagainstanopenraiser.
You can use the HEM stat "Raise 1st" to estimate Villain's opening ranges for the different positions. You can
includethepositional"Raise1st"statsintheHUD,oryoucanfindthemintheHEMpopupwhenyouclickonthe
player.
HereisanexampleofusingHEMstatswhen3bettinginposition:
Example4.2.1:Optimal3bettingbasedonHEMstats
$400NL
6handed
MP($400)raisesto$14,COfolds,you($526)areonthebuttonwith

7 .Thishandison"IP3betairlist",so

it's a candidate for a 3bet bluff in position. You now need an estimate of MP's opening range, so that you can
estimatethebluffpercentagetousewiththe3betblufflist.
Wehavealargesample(~7khands)onMP,andhisHUDstatslooklikethis:

Thenumberwe'reinterestedinisVillain's"Raise1st"fromMP.The"Raise1st"statsarelocatedontheHUD'slast
line:UTG,MP,CO,Button,SB,BBfromlefttoright.WefindthatVillainraises23%fromMP
Thenweturntothesummarydocumentwemadeearlierandlookupthestrategypairclosesttoanopeningraise
percentageof23%.Wechoosethestrategypairfora25%openingrange.Ourvaluerangeisthen{QQ+,AK,12air}
={QQ+,AK,A5s,A4s,A3s},andweuseabluffpercentageof70%forour3betblufflist.
Nextweclicktherandomizer,planningto3betifitreturnsanumberbetween0and70,andotherwisefold:

Therandomizerreturns34,sowe3betbluffto$48,andbuttonfolds.
4.3HUDlayoutwithpositional"Raise1st"stats
MostoftheHUDlayoutusedinExample4.2.1isastandardlayoutthatcanbedownloadedfromtheHEMforums.
Then I added a line with "Raise 1st" stats at the bottom. The original HUD with explanations of stats and color
codingschemescanbefoundhere:NL6maxLayout:Optimization.
MymodificationoftheHUDwithpositional"Raise1st"statsonaseparatelinecanbedownloadedhere(rightclick
andchoose"Saveas"):nlsixmax.xml.Thestructureofthelayoutisshownbelow

5.Summary
InthisarticlewehavegonefurtherwiththetheorydiscussedinOptimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesinNLHE6

maxPart1,andwehavegivenmorespecificguidelinesforhowtoimplementthetheoryinpractice.
Weconstructedasetofoptimal3/4/5betstrategypairswiththeraiseroutofpositionforasetofopeningranges
between 15% and 40% in increments of 5%. We organized the strategies in a document for easy access during
play.WealsodefinedaHUDlayoutwiththenecessarystatsforestimatinganopenraiser'srange.Thisenablesus
toquicklyfindoptimal3bettingstrategiesinpositionagainstanarbitraryopenraisingrange.Wecanalsousethe
tableofoptimalstrategypairstoestimateourownranges(4bettingforvalueorasabluff)fordefendingagainsta
3betwhenwe'retheopenraiser.
We also defined a set of standard opening ranges that we can use as "core ranges" for our preflop game. The
purposeoftheserangesistogiveourselvessoliddefaults,andtomakefuturemodelingandanalysissimpler.For
example, we'll use the standard opening ranges when working on the theory for 3/4/5betting with the raiser in
positioninPart3.Thentheraiserwilldefendagainst3betsusingacombinationof4bettingandflatting,andwe'll
findthe3bettingandflattingrangesfromourstandardopeningranges.
InPart3we'lldiscuss3/4/5bettingheadsupwiththeraiseroutofposition,forexamplewhenbuttonopenraises,
andsmallblind3bets.ThetheoryisbasedonthesamemathematicalprinciplesusedinPartandandPart2,but
therangeswillchangeabit.Theraisercannowdefendagainst3betsbyflattinginposition,andnotonlydefendby
4bettingorfolding.Havingtheoptiontoflat3betsinpositionmakestheoveralldefensestrategymoreflexible,and
we'lluselessmathematicsandmoregoodpokersense.
Goodluck!
Bugs

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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart3
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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
1,572 likes

1.Introduction
ThisisPart3intheseriesOptimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesiNLHE6max.InPart1weoutlinedthenecessary
theoryandmathematicsbystudyingasimplemodel:Aplayer(Alice)raisesfromsomepositionoutsidetheblinds,
andshegets3betbyaplayer(Bob)withpositiononher.Bothplayersstartwith100bbstacks,boththeraiseand
the3betarepotsized,andAlice'soptionsoutofpositionwere4betorfold.Wethenusedmathematicstoestimate
optimalstrategypairsforAlice'sandBob's3/4/5betwar.

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InPart2wegeneralizedthisscenariobyestimatingoptimalstrategypairsforawideselectionofpossibleopening
rangesforAlice.WealsogaveBobtheoptiontocalltheraise(flat)inposition.InPart2wealsolookedcloserat
how to implement these optimal strategies in practice, and we finished our discussion of the scenario where the
raiserisheadsupandoutofpositionagainstthe3bettor.
The plan for Part 3 is to study the opposite scenario, namely when the raiser is headsup with position on the 3
bettor.We'lluseamodelwhereAliceopenraisesfromoutsidetheblinds,thenBob3betsfromoneoftheblinds,
anda3/4/5betwararises.We'llgivethisscenariothesamesystematictreatmentasthescenariowithAliceoutof
position,andwe'llspecifyacompletesetofstrategiesforbothplayers,flattingincluded.
Asbefore,weassume:
Bothplayersstartwith100bbstacks
Theraiseandthe3betarepotsized
The4betis27bb(abitlessthanpotsized)
The5betisallin
Thismeanswecanusethemathematicsfromtheprevioustwoarticles.Toavoidgapingovertoomuchatonce,
we'llnarrowthescopeforthisarticletothescenariowhereAliceopenraisesfromthebutton,andthenBobissitting
in the small blind, or in the big blind after small blind has folded. We'll use the standard ranges for openraising
describedinPart2,andAlicewillopenourdefault35%buttonrangedefinedthere.WhenPart2waspublished,the
planwastoalsostudysqueezinginPart3,plus3bettingfromtheblindsagainstopenraisesfromotherpositions
thanthebutton.Butduetospaceconstraintswe'llmovethesetopicstoafuturearticle.
Bobcanbothflattheraiseand3betfromtheblinds,andflattingthe3betnowbecomesanoptionforAlicebecause
shehaspositiononBob.WhenAlicewasoutofpositioninPart1andPart2,wechosetoletheusea4betorfold
strategy.Heroptionswerethento4betherbesthandsforvalue,plussome4betbluffs,andotherwisefold.The
rationalebehindthisisthatit'sdifficulttodefendagainst3betsbycallingwithmediumstronghandsoutofposition
(i.e.handsnotstrongenoughto4betforvalue),tryingtoplaythemprofitablypostflopwith100bbstacks.
It'seasyforBobtopegAlicewitharangefullofmediumstronghands(KQ,AJ,JTsandthelike)whensheflatsthe
3bet,sinceshe4betsherbesthandsforvalue.Alicethengetsadifficultjobpostflop,tryingtoplayhermedium
strong hands profitably out of position. Bob both has position, and more information about Alice's hand (medium
strong)thanshehasabouthishand(eitherastronghandorabluff).Bob'srangeiseasytoplaypostflop,sincehe
polarized his 3betting range preflop by 3betting an optimal mix of value hands and 3bet bluffs (and flatting his
mediumstronghands).Polarizinghis3bettingrangeintostronghandsandbluffsmakesit'seasierforBobtoknow
whether he's strong or weak postflop when his 3bet gets called, and this makes his postflop decisions easier.
Therefore,witharangethat'seasytoplaywell,andwithpositiononAlice'smediumstrongrange,it'srelativelyeasy
forBobtooutplayAlicepostflop.
ThereforewedeniedAlicetheoptionofflatting3betsoutofposition,eveniftherearen'tany"laws"thatforbidit.But
inPart3,Alicehasposition,whichmakesiteasierforhertoplaymediumstronghandswellpostflop.Sonowshe
willflat3betswitharangeofmediumstronghandsthatarenotgoodenoughto4betforvalue(handslikeJJ99,
AQ, AJ, KQs, etc), and then use position to play them profitably postflop. Alice will still 4bet her best hands for

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value,togetherwithanoptimalnumberof4betbluffs,andthensheflatswiththenexttierofhandsthataregood
enoughtoplay,butnotstrongenoughto4betforvalue,andshefoldstherest.Notethat"forvalue"inthiscontext
meanshandswe'replanningtogoallinwithpreflop,eitherbycallinga5bet(whenwe'retheraiser),orby5betting
allin(whenwe'rethe3bettor).
For example, if Alice raises KQs on the button, and Bob 3bets from the small blind, we'll see that this is an
automaticcallforAlice.Shehasadecentsuitedandcoordinatedhighcardhand,andshehasposition.ButinPart1
andPart2,Alicefoldedthistypeofmediumstronghandstoavoidputtingherselfindifficultpostflopscenariosoutof
position.
Themathematicsandthetheorybehindoptimaloptimal3/4/5bettingwiththeraiserinpositionisthesameaswhen
theraiserisoutofposition,butAlice'soptiontocallthe3betmakeshertotaldefensestrategyaftera3betmore
flexible.Therefore,thetheoreticalworkwedoinPart3willinvolveabitmoresoundpokersensethantheverystrict
strategieswefoundwhenAlicecouldonly4betorfoldoutofposition.
When Alice has position and the option to flat Bob's 3bets as well as 4bet, we have to take two things into
consideration:

Alicenowhasmorestrategicchoicestomake,whenshehastodefinebotha4bettingrangeandaflatting
rangeaftera3bet
WhenBobcangethis3betscalled,hischoiceof3betbluffsand5betbluffsbecomesmoreimportant

Wedefinedbothan"IP3betairlist",an"IP5betairlist"andan"IPflatlist"forBobinPart2.Thesewerethehands
Bob picked his 3bet bluffs, 5bet bluffs, and flatting hands from, when he was in position (IP). These lists were
basedonthefollowingsimpleprinciples:

Bob3betshisbesthandsforvalue,planningto5betallinifhegets4bet
Bobflatswiththebesthandsnotstrongenoughto3betforvalue,butstrongenoughtoplayprofitably
Bob3betbluffswithhandsthatareabittooweaktoflat(andhealso3betbluffssomeAxshandsthathe
planstouseas5betbluffsaftera4bet)

Bobusesthesameprincipleswhenoutofposition,butnowhe'llusehandsthatareabitstrongeronaverage.The
reason is that Alice's positional advantage reduces the profitability of all of Bob's hands that are forced to play
postflop(afterAlicechoosestoflathis3bet).ThismeansBobshouldusestrongerhandsforboth3betbluffingand
5betbluffing.Forexample,inPart2wedefinedQTsasacandidateforflattinginposition,butoutofpositionBob
willuseQTsasacandidatehandfor3betbluffing.
The fact that Bob often gets his 3bets called also has consequences for his choice of 5bet bluff hands. For
example,we'llnotuseAxsasdedicated5betbluffhandsforBobwhenheisoutofposition,sincetheseplaypoorly
againsttherangeAliceflats3betswith.WhenAliceonlydefendedby4bettingorfolding,wepickedBob's5bet
bluffsfromtheregionofhandsnotstrongenoughtoflatAlice'sopenraise.WechosetheAxshands,sincethese
neverhaveverypoorequityagainstAlice'svaluerange(thatshecalls5betswith),nomatterwhatitis(Axshas
about 30% equity, no matter what Alice calls our 5bets with). The reason for picking our 5bet bluffs from this
region, was that we didn't want to use hands good enough to flat as bluffs, thereby wasting their postflop value.
KeepinmindthatwhenAliceneverflats3betsoutofposition,our3betbluffswillhavetoplaypostflop.Theywill
eitherwinthepotrightthere,orbefoldedtoAlice's4bets.
Sinceour3bettinghandsnevergetstoplaypostflopwhenAliceisoutofposition,weprefertoflatwiththebest
nonvalue hands like AQ, rather than 3betting them and turning them into bluffs. AQ has decent equity against
Alice'sopenraisingrange,butifweuseitfor3bettingagainstaraiserwhoeither4betsorfolds,itbecomesabluff
inpractice.Wecan't5betitforvalue(unlessAliceopenraisesanextremelywiderange),soourresponsetoa4bet
istoeitherfold(andthenwehavewastedthehand'sdecentpostflopvalue),or5betallin(andonlygetcalledby
betterhands).ThesamelogiccanbeappliedtoothermediumstronghandslikeTT,99,AJ,KQs,KJs,QJs,etc.
Thus,whenwehavepositionweassumethatthereismorevalueinflattingtheraisewithhandslikeAQandplaya
potpostflopthanturningitintoabluff.Andwhenthesemediumstronghandsareusedasflattinghands,wepickour
5betbluffsfromthenexttierofhands,namelythoseslightlytooweaktoflattheraiseprofitably.Fromthisclassof
hands we picked the Axs hand to use as 5bet bluffs, since they always have decent equity against Alice's value

rangethatcallsour5bet.Inafuturearticlewe'llstudyflattingversus3bettingwithmediumstronghandsinmore
detailandcomparetheEVforthetwolines.Untilthen,we'resimplygoingtoassumethatisthebestwaytoplay
mediumstronghandsinposition.
BacktoBob'schoiceof5betbluffsoutofposition:
Insteadofpicking5betbluffsfromtheregionofhandsslightlytooweaktoflatAlice'sraise,we'llextendBob's3bet
valuerangedownwards.ThevaluerangewillnowincludesomeofthebesthandsthatBobwouldhaveflattedin
position. In other words, when Alice sometimes calls our 3bets, we widen our 3betting value range to include
handsfromtheupperpartoftherangewewouldhaveflattedinpositionagainstaraiserwhoonly4betsorfoldout
of position. These are hands that aren't the favorite when they 5bet allin and get called, but they have decent
equitywhenthishappens,andtheyalsohavegoodequitywhenthe3betgetscalled.AQ/JJ/TT(allwereflatting
handsinposition)areobviouscandidates,andwe'lldiscussthisinmoredetaillaterinthearticle.
Sowe'lldefineanewsetoflistsfor3betbluffing("OOP3betairlist")andflatting("OOPflatlist")forBoboutof
position(OOP).Thismeansmorerangestomemorize.ButifyoualreadyhavememorizedtheIPrangesforBob's
3bet bluffing and flatting in position, his OOP ranges will be relatively easy to commit to memory. They are a bit
different from the IP ranges, but not widely different. Just keep in mind that Bob needs stronger ranges out of
position,andthedifferencesbecomeeasytounderstand.
WestartPart3withBob'sstrategiesfor3bettingandflattingfromtheblinds(e.g.blinddefense)afterabuttonsteal
raisefromAlice.ThenweturntoAlice,andstudyhowshedefendsonthebuttonagainstBob's3bettingfromthe
blinds.
InPart4we'llgeneralizetoscenarioswhereAlicehasopenraisedfromotherpositions.Laterwe'llalsogeneralize
the3/4/5bettheorytosqueezing(3bettingafterAlice'sraisehasbeencalledbyanotherplayer).Themathematics
behindsqueezingisthesameasfor3/4/5bettingheadsup,butthepercentagesandrangeschangeabitwhenthe
raisehasbeencalledinfrontofus,andwe'llusemathematicstoexplainwhysqueezingissoprofitable.We'llalso
lookatthemultiwayscenariocold4betting,whichis4bettingafteraraiseanda3betinfrontofus.
ThestructureofPart3isthus:

Blinddefenseheadsupagainstabuttonstealraise
Thebuttonraiser'sdefenseagainstaheadsup3betfromtheblinds

Thenwelldiscusssqueezingandcold4bettinginPart5.ThiswillbefollowedbythefinalPart6,wherewetestour
strategiesusinganalysissoftware(Pokerazor),andalsotakealookatoptimalpostflopplay.
2.3bettingandflattingheadsupfromtheblinds
When Alice raises from outside the blinds and Bob is in one of the blinds, the discussion of optimal 3/4/5bet
strategiesandflattingisequivalenttoadiscussionofblinddefense.Aswe'llseesoon,wenowhavemorethingsto
think about than the corresponding scenario with Bob in position. Both in and out of position Bob has the 3
alternatives3bet/flat/fold,butwhenBobhadposition,wedidn'tspecifyhowoftenBobshouldflat.
Werememberthattheoptimal3/4/5betstrategypairforAliceandBobwithBobinpositionfollowedfromAlice's
openrange. Then we added a flatting range of medium strong hands for Bob, based on sound poker sense. But
beyondtheoptimal3/4/5betting,wedidn'tmakeanydemandsabouthowoftenBobshouldgetinvolved.Wegave
himadefaultflattingrange,buthedidnothavetoflatthosehands.
Beforewemoveon,let'sdeterminehowoftenBobgetsinvolvedinpositionafterAlice'sopenraiseswhenheuses
optimal3/4/5betting,andalsoflatswithallthehandsfrom"IP3betflatlist".InPart2wedesignedthefollowingset
ofoptimalstrategypairsforvariousopenrangesforAlice,togetherwithBob'slistsof3betbluffhandsandflatting
handsinposition:

Linktodownload(rightclickand"Saveas..."):IP_3bet_summary.doc
Forexample,ifAliceopens25%fromCO,Bobwill3betthevaluerange{QQ+,AK,A5sA3s}=46combos(including
5bet bluffs), and then he adds 1.5 x 46 =69 3bet bluff combos from "IP 3bet air list", which is equivalent to 3
bettingallhandsonthelist69%ofthemtime(roundedto70%inthedocumentabove)usingarandomizer.
Bobthenusesatotalof46+69=1153betcombosandthisresultsinaa3bet%of115/1326=8.7%.Thenheflats
the140comboson"IPflatlist".Bobnowplaysatotalof115+140=255combos,or255/1326=19.2%ofhishands
onthebutton.
CalculatingBob'stotalrangeforallofAlice'sopenranges15%,20%,25%,30%,35%,40%usedinPart2,weget:

Alice opens 15%: Bob plays 15.8% (with 3-bet% =3.6%)

Alice opens 20%: Bob plays 17.0% (with 3-bet% =5.3%)
Alice opens 25%: Bob plays 19.2% (with 3-bet% =8.7%)
Alice opens 30%: Bob plays 19.5% (with 3-bet% =9.4%)
Alice opens 35%: Bob plays 20.3% (with 3-bet% =10.2%)
Alice opens 40%: Bob plays 20.3% (with 3-bet% =10.2%)

Inpractice,Bobshouldadjusthisflattingrangesomewhat,accordingtoAlice'sopenrange,andfoldtheweakest
hands(e.g.QTs,T9s,98s,etc.)ifAliceopensaverytightrange.Regardless,hisoptimalstrategyinpositionfollow

fromtwofactors:
Bob'shalfofanoptimal3/4/5betstrategypair
FlattingwiththemediumstronghandsBobconsidersprofitable
2.1Howoftendotheblindshavetodefendagainstabuttonstealraise?
Usingthesamephilosophyasabove(3/4/5bettingoptimally,andotherwiseflatprofitablehands)whenBobisinthe
blindsisastart.Butaswe'llseeinaminute,wehavemorethingstothinkabout.Weofcoursealwayswanttoplay
profitable hands and fold unprofitable ones (basic exploitative play). But with Bob headsup in the blinds after a
buttonstealraise,wecanalsoformulateamathematicalrequirementforhowoftentheplayersintheblindsneedto
defendtopreventAlicefromprofitablystealingwithanytwocards.
WhenAliceopenraisespot(3.5bb)onthebuttonina12blindstructure(smallblind=0.5xbigblind),she'srisking
3.5bbtowin1.5bb.Theeffectivepotoddsare1.5:3.5,soifAlicesucceedsmorethan3.5/(1.5+3.5)=70%ofthe
time, she can profitably open any two cards on the button. The two players in the blinds can't allow this, so they
havetodefendcombinedatleast30%ofthetime.
WerememberfromthetheoryinPart1thatanoptimal3/4/5betstrategypairisdesignedtomakeouropponent's
worstbluffinghandsbreakeven.Sowestarttheprocessoffindinganoptimal(ish)blinddefensestrategywiththe
assumptionthattheblindplayersshoulddefend30%combined.
Weuseasimplemodelwhereweassumethatthejobofdefendingtheblindsissharedequallybetweenthesmall
blindandthebigblind.Bothblindsdefendacertainpercentagex(wherexisthesameforbothplayers),sothat
there'sa30%chanceofatleastoneofthemdefending.
Thechanceofoneparticularplayerfoldingis(1x),sothechanceofbothfoldingis(1x)(1x).Thus,thechancethat
at least one of them isn't folding is 1 (1x)(1x), and we want this to equal 30%. We can formulate this as an
equation:

1 - (1-x)(1-x) =0.30
1 - (1 -2x +x^2) =0.30
1 - 1 + 2x - x^2 =0.30
x^2 - 2x + 0.30 =0

This is a quadratic equation with solutions x =1.84 and x =0.16 (you can use Quadratic Equation Solver to
computethis).Sincewerequirextobebetween0and1(xisaprobability),wechoosethesolutionx=0.16=16%.
Let'scheckthesolutionbeforemovingon.Withadefensepercentagex=16%forbothblinds,thechancethatat
leastoneofthemdefendsis:

1 - (1 - 0.16)(1 - 0.16) =0.30 =30%

Andweconclude:
Ifthetaskofdefendingtheblinds30%againstabuttonstealraiseissharedequallybetweenthesmallblindandthe
bigblind,bothplayersshoulddefendabout16%ofthetime.
Ifwecombinethiswithourgeneraldesiretodefendwiththehandsthatareprofitable,wecansaythefollowing:
Headsupafterastealraisefromthebutton,youwanttodefendwiththehandsthatareprofitable.Butofthisrange
issignificantlytighterthan16%,youareprobablydoingsomethingwrong,and/oryouareexploitingyouropponents'
mistakes.
Let'spauseforabitandthinkaboutwhatthisstatementmeans.Inpracticeyoucanoftengetawaybydefendingthe
blindstighterthanoptimal,withoutintroducingabigleakintoyourgame.Thisistypicallythecaseinsoftlowlimit
games.Therearetwofactorsatwork:

Whenyouropponentsdon'texploittightblindsashardastheyshouldfromthebutton
Whenyouropponentsalsoplaytootightintheblinds,and/orgiveuptooeasilypostflopwhentheychooseto

defend

Insoftgameswithmanypassiveplayers,thisismoreorlesswhathappens.Youdon'thavetodefendoptimally(i.e.
makeitunprofitablyforthebuttontostealwithanytwo)becausemostplayerswon'ttrytoexploitthisopeningifyou
offerittothem.Andifyouloseabitbydefendingtoolittleagainstsomeplayers,youcangetitbackwhenit'syour
turn on the button, since your opponents often make the same mistakes as you in the blinds. So errors tend to
canceleachother.
But then we're in the realm of exploitative play where we're profiting from opponent leaks, and not optimal play,
whichisthecentraltopicforthisarticle.Wewanttoexplorewhatoptimal(ornearoptimal)playisforthisscenario,
so that we can design a blind defense strategy to use against strong players who use aggressive button
openrasisingforwhatit'sworth.
Ifyouthink16%blinddefenseistoolooseforthelimitsyou'replaying,andyoudon'tthinkyoucandefendsucha
rangeprofitably,thinkahead.Workonmakingthisstandarddefensepercentageprofitableforyou,andthinkofitas
preparationsfortoughergamesinthefuture.Also,youshouldreplacethe"fitorfold"mantrapostflopwithamore
aggressivestyle.
Thelooseryourpreflopranges,themoreimportantitbecomestoexploitstealopportunitiespostflop.Keepthisin
mindwhenyou'reworkingonyourblinddefense.Forexample,whenyouflatahandlikeKJsinthebigblind,don't
alwayscheckfoldtheflopwhenyoumiss.Lookforprofitablestealingspots,basedonfloptexture(e.g.sometimes
checkraisingdryflopslike

3 ),andbasedonyouropponent'stendencies(youcanstealmoreagainst

weakplayers).
Postflopplayisnotatopicforthisprefloparticleseries,butI'dliketopointoutthecouplingbetweenpreflopplay
andpostflopplay,andthatstrictfitorfoldgenerallyisn'tagoodstrategytouseinheadsuppostflopplaywhenboth
playersstartwithwideranges.We'llnotgofurtherintothis,butImightwriteanarticlelateraboutusingprinciplesfor
optimalplaypostflop.
Postflopplayaside,ourjobisnowtodesignBob'sstrategiesfor:
3/4/5bettingfromtheblindsheadsupafterabuttonstealraise
Flattingfromtheblindsheadsupafterabuttonstealraise
Andwewanttoendupwithatotaldefensepercentageofabout16%whenBobisinthesmallblind,orinthebig
blindafterthesmallblindhasfolded.Bothblindsdefendingthesamepercentage16%isanapproximation,since
the big blind should defend somewhat more than the small blind. But it's a good approximation, and we'll use it
throughoutthisarticle.
WebuildBob'sstrategystepwisebygivinghimatotalvaluerangeofvaluehands+5betbluffs,arangeof3bet
bluffs (defined as an "OOP 3bet air list") and a range of flatting hands ("OOP flat list"). As always, we use the
strengthprincipleasaguideline:

We3betthebesthandsforvalue
Weflatwiththebesthandsnotstrongenoughto3betforvalue
We3betbluffsomehandsamongthosenotstrongenoughtoflat,andwefoldtherest

Sincewe'reoutofposition,thehandsweflatandbluffwillbeabitstrongerthantherangesweusedinposition("IP
3betairlist"and"IPflatlist")inthepreviousworkdoneinPart1andPart2.
2.2Bob'svaluerangefor3bettingOOPagainstabuttonstealraise
Beforewegetintodetails,let'slookatthebigpicture,takingintoconsiderationthedifferencebetweenbeinginand
outofposition.ThenweusetheworkdoneinPart1andPart2asastartingpointfordefiningBob'sstrategiesfrom
theblinds.
WestartwithBob'svaluehandsthathe3betsforvalue,planningto5betshoveallinifAlice4bets.WhenBob
had position on Alice, his value hands followed from Alice's value range, which followed from her opening range
(moreprecisely,thenumberofhandsinheropeningrange),plustherequirementthatAlicecouldonly4betorfold.
ButwithBoboutofposition,thestrategiesaremoreflexible,sinceAlicenowhastheoptiontoflatBob's3bets.

Let's start by assuming Alice opens our default 35% button range. According to the list of optimal strategy pairs
definedinPart2,Aliceshouldusea4betvaluerangeof{99+,AJ+}=84combosifsheonly4betsoffolds.Shethen
uses{ATA8,A7sA6s}=56combosas4betbluffstotogeta60/40ratioofvaluehandstobluffs.
But now we have to take into consideration Alice's positional advantage. When Alice has position on Bob, she
doesn't have to 4bet all hands that are playable after Bob's 3bet. She can now choose between 4betting or
flatting.TheweakestvaluehandsAlice4betsoutofpositionwitha4betorfoldstrategyare4betbecause they
gainenoughEVfromfoldingoutBob's3betbluffs,notbecausetheyareafavoriteagainstBob's5betrange.Ifthe
EVshegainsfromfoldingoutBob's3betbluffsismorethantheEVshelosesfromgetting5betandbeingforced
tocallbecauseofpotodds,shehasaprofitablevalue4bet.Butinpositionitmightbemoreprofitabletoflatthis
typeofhandsandplaypostflopagainstBobtotal3bettingrange.
For example, it's seems reasonable to flat a 3bet in position with one of the weaker OOP value hands like AQ,
instead of 4betting and planning to call a 5bet. AQ should do well against Bob's total 3betting range (40%
premium hands like AAQQ,AK and perhaps a few more, and 60% 3bet bluff hands like A9s, K9s, J8s, etc). So
whenAlicecanplayagainstthistotalrangewithpositionfortherestofthehand,thisseemsbetterthan4betting,
drivingoutmostworsehands,andgettingallinagainstmostlybetterhands.
If Alice 4bets AQ, she'll probably get sufficient potodds to call a 5bet against Bob's total 5bet range (we
rememberfrompreviousarticlesthatweneedminimum36%equitytocallBob'sshove).AndsinceAQgainsalotof
EVfromfoldingoutBob's3betbluffs,a4bet+call5betmightbeprofitableoverall.Butthisdoesn'tmeanthat4
betting is the best way to play AQ when we have position. When Bob has to play his total 3betting range out of
position postflop (and 60% of this range consists of bluffs) he will get plenty of opportunities to make postflop
mistakesthatAlicecanexploit.SoitcouldverywellbethatAlice'salternativeswithAQinpositionarerankedcall>
4bet>fold.We'lllookintothisinmoredetailwithanalysissoftwareinPart5.
Atanyrate,byflatting3betsinpositionwiththeweakesthandsshewouldhave4betforvalueoutofposition,itis
reasonabletoassumeshe'llbeabletoextractmorevaluethanbyplayingforallinpreflop.Afterall,shehasposition
andahandthat'safavoriteagainsttherangethat3bether.WehavetalkedaboutAQhere,butthesameargument
canbeusedforforAJ,JJ,TTand99(whichwouldallbe4betvaluehandsoutofpositionaftera35%openraise).
Wecanalsoflat3betsinpositionwithvariousmediumstrongsuited/coordinatedhandslikeKQs,KJs,QJs,etc..
TheyhavedecentequityagainstBob'stotal3bettingrange,andourplanistousepositiontoplaythemprofitably
postflopthroughacombinationofshowdownequity(theabilitytomakehands)andstealequity.
SowhenBob3bets,hecanexpectAlicetoflatalotwithmediumstronghands(mediumpairs,highcardhandsof
thetypegoodbutnotgreat,andthebestsuited/coordinatedhands).ThismeanstwothingsforBob:

His3betbluffsshouldbestrongerthaninposition,sincetheynowoftengetcalled.Bobisthenforcedtoplay
aweakhandpostflop
ThesamegoesforthehandsBob3bets,planningto5betbluff

Comparedto3bettinginposition,Bobshouldnowdroptheweakest3betbluffslikeK6s.Andinsteadofusinglow
Axs hands as 5bet bluffs (they do poorly against Alice's 3bet flatting range), he should use hands that perform
betterwhenthe3betgetscalled.
Let'sstartbyestimatingBob'svaluehandsandseewherethistakesus.WithvaluehandswemeanthehandsBob
3betsforvalue,planningto5betallin,andwhereheexpectstoprofitfromgettingcalledbyAlice'svaluehands.
From the list of optimal strategy pairs we made in Part 2, we see that Bob will use the value range {JJ+,AK} in
positionagainsta35%openrange.Thesamevaluerangeisalsousedagainst30%and40%openranges,soit
seems reasonable to use {JJ+,AK} as our starting point for building a value range to use in the blinds against a
buttonstealraise(whichisrarelytighterthan30%,andoftenlooserthanthis).
Whataboutthenexttierofhands?IfwemoveontoTT/AQ,we'renolongerfavoritesagainstAlice'svaluerange
correspondingto35%openrange,sowecan'tdefineTT/AQstrictlyasvaluehands.Rememberthatourdefinition
ofvaluehandforthe3bettor(andthisdefinitionismostlyaconceptualtooltohelpusbuildranges),isahandthat
we3betand5bet,expectingtobeafavoriteagainstthehandsthatcallour5bet.Ifthisisnotthecase,wedefine
thehandas5betbluff.
To see that TT/AQ can't be value hands under this definition against a 35% button openrange, note that Alice
optimalvaluerangefora35%openrangecan'tbewiderthan{99+,AJ}.Thisisthevaluerangeshewilluseifshe

onlydefendsagainst3betsby4bettingorfolding,andifshealsocanflat,hervaluerangewillbesomewhattighter.
Against{99+,AJ},bothTTandAQaresmallunderdogsasshownbelow:

AndinpracticeTT/AQshouldbesomewhatbiggerunderdogsagainstAlice'sactualvaluerangeinposition,since
sheflatssomehands,andthereforecan4bettighterthanoutofpositionwhenshedefendsoptimally(30%defense
whenshe4betsorfolds,andabitmorewhenshe4bets/flats/folds).Forexample,AlicemightelecttoflatwithTT
99andAJinposition.Ontheotherhand,TT/AQwillhavegoodequityagainstAlice'sflattingrange,soTT/AQcan
beviewedasvaluehandswhenthe3betgetscalled.Forexample,ifAlice4bets{QQ+,AK}forvalue(plussome4
bet bluffs) and flats a medium strong range {AQ,AJ,JJ99,KQ,KJs,KTs,QJs,QTs,JTs}, TT and AQ have 60% and
55%equityagainstthehandsthatcallthe3bet,asshownbelow::

We can therefore view both TT and AQ as a "value/bluff hybrid" where we 3bet for value against Alice's flatting
range,butwhenweget4bet,weturntheminto5betbluffsand5betthemallin.Usingthesehandsas5betbluffs
makes more sense equitywise than using Axs hands as 5bet bluffs. Axs are underdogs against Alice's flatting
rangeasshownbelow,andinadditiontheyaredifficulttoplaywelloutofpositionpostflopina3betpot:

Sowechoose:
Bob'svaluerangeOOPagainstabuttonopenraise
TT+

AQ+
62 combos

We landed on this range using a combination of theory from previous articles and sound poker sense. From the
previousworkit'sclearthat{QQ+,AK}canalwaysbeusedasvaluehandsagainstanormalbuttonrange,andwe
chosetoalsoincludeJJbasedonthestrategypairsweestimatedinPart2.ThenweconcludedthatTT/AQworkas
"hybrids"betweenvaluehandsand5betbluffs.TT/AQhavegoodequityagainstthehandsthatcallour3bet,so
theycanbeviewedasvaluehands.Butwhenweget4bet,weusethemas5betbluffs,sothatwedon'thaveto
useweakhandslikeAxs(poorequityagainstAlice'sflattingrange)forthispurpose.
We'llalsospecifythehandsBobusesfor3betbluffing.Firstwe'llspecifyhisflattingrange,andthenwepickhis3
betbluffsfromthehandsabittooweaktoflat.
2.3Bob'srangeforflattingOOPagainstabuttonstealraise
WenowturntoBob'sflattingrange.Wecanusehisflattingrangeinposition("IPflatlist")asourstartingpointand
tightenitupabittocompensateforBob'spositionaldisadvantage.Beforewelistspecifichands,wenotethatwe
needabout57combosintheflatlisttoendupwithatotalblinddefenserangeof16%,whichistherequirementwe
estimatedpreviously.
Bobhas62combosinhisvaluerange,andhewantsto3bet1.5x62=93bluffcombostogetanoptimal60/40
ratio of value hands to bluffs. So he 3bets a total of 62 + 93 =155 combos. Since a 16% total defense range
contains0.16x1326=212combos,Bobneeds212155=57flattingcombos.
IntheStoxpokervideoseriesOptimalPreflopPlayIIII(whichwehaveusedasbackgroundmaterialforthisarticle
series),MattJandarecommendsthefollowingOOPflattingrange,whichgivesusafewmorecombosthatweneed:
OOPflatlist
99-77
AJs-ATs, AJo
KTs+ KQo
QJs
JTs
70 combos

Wehavenoreasontomakeanybigchangeshere,sowe'llusethisOOPflatlistasstandardfromtheblindsaftera
buttonstealraise.There'salsoamathematicalargumentforflattingwithafewmorehandsthanweneedtogetto
exactly16%totaldefense.Whenwedefendby3betting,Alicehastofoldalotofweakhandspreflop,butwhenwe
flat, these weak hands get to see a flop. Therefore, Alice "freerolls" flops with many weak hands when we flat
preflop, and she now gets an opportunity to flop something with these hands, or bluff us out postflop when both
players miss the flop. We'll return to this concept when we discuss Alice's defense strategy against Bob's 3bet,
whereshewillcallalotandthereforegiveBobanopportunitytofreerollflopswithhis3betbluffs.
2.4Bob'srangefor3betbluffingOOPagainstabuttonstealraise
Bob has 62 combos in his valuerange, so he needs 1.5 x 62 =93 bluff combos. Matt Janda recommends the
followinglistof3betbluffhandsagainstabuttonstealraise:
OOP3betairlist
66-22
A9s-A6s
K9s-K8s
QTs-Q9s
J9s-J8s
97s+
87s
76s
65s
98 combos

Abitmorethanweneed,butthat'snotaproblem.Havingan"OOP3betairlist"withabout100comboswillalso
comeinhandyfor3bettingagainstopenraisesfromotherpositionsthanthebutton.Thenwewantto3bettighter,
sowe'lluse"OOP3betairlist"asacandidatelistfor3betting.Withabout100combosinthelistwecaneasily
convert between the number of bluff combos we need, and the corresponding bluff percentage that we can use
together with a randomizer. For example, if we decide to 3bet {QQ+,AK} =34 combos for value against an MP
openraise, we know that we need 1.5 x 34 =51 3bet bluff combos for an optimal 60/40 ratio. So we need 51
combosfromthelist,andwith~100combosinthelist,thiscorrespondsto3betbuffingthewholelist51%ofthe
time(andweusearandomizerforthis,asillustratedinPart1andPart2).
Wenotethatweshoulduseallthehandsin"OOPflatlist"and"OOP3betairlist"whenAliceopenraisesonthe
button, since these lists we designed to give a total defense percentage of about 16% for this case. But if Alice
raisesfromanearlierposition,Bobshouldtightenupabit.BothbecauseAlice'sopenrangenowisstronger,and
because the players with position on Alice will do some of the job of defending the blinds. Therefore, the
responsibility of denying Alice the opportunity to profitably openraise any two is now shared between the players
behind Alice and the two players in the blinds. We'll talk more about this concept in Part 4, and use a simple
mathematicalmodeltostudytheeffectofhavingplayerswithpositiononAlicewhenBobisintheblinds.
Thus,againstopenraisingfrompositionsearlierthanthebutton,we'lluse"OOPflatlist"and"OOP3betairlist"as
candidatelists,andthenweuseabitofcommonsensetoreducethenumberofhandsthatweuse,accordingto
theraiser'sposition.We'llplaysomewhattighteragainstaCOopenraise,andalottighteragainstanopenraise
fromearlyposition.Inprinciple,therearetwowaystotightenupthecombomethod(playingspecifichandsfrom
OOP flat list" and "OOP 3bet air list") and the percentage method (playing all hands on the lists a certain
percentageofthetime,usingarandomizer).
For the flatting hands, it's obvious that we should fold the weakest hands on "OOP flat list" when we tighten up.
Flattingimplieswe'llalwaysplaypostflopoutofposition,andthismakesitimportanttoalwaysusethebestpossible
hands.However,forthe3betbluffsthisislessimportant,sincewe'lloftenwinthepotpreflop.Therefore,tokeep
thingssimpleIuse"OOP3betairlist"witharandomizerinscenarioswhereIdon'tneedtousethewholelist.ButI
choosemyflattinghandsbypickingthebesthandsfrom"OOPflatlist",usingcommonsense.
But we won't look at blind defense against raises from other positions until Part 4. Here we'll finish our work with
Aliceopenraisingonthebutton,andthenweuseallhandsfrom"OOPflatlist"and"OOP3betairlist".
Before we move on to Alice's strategies for defending in position against Bob's 3bets, here's a "cheat sheet" for
Bob'sblinddefensestrategiesagainstabuttonstealraise.Youcandownloadthedocumentandhaveitopenonthe
screenwhenplayingforquickaccess.Thisstrategycanbeusedasyourdefaultbothfromthesmallblind,andfrom
thebigblindaftersmallblindhasfolded.:
2.5SummaryofBob'sdefensestrategyheadsupOOPagainstabuttonopenraise
Wedefendatotalof62+98+70=230combos.Thisis230/1326=17%ofallhands,whichisabitmorethanthe
16%wewanted.Thisisfine,sinceflattingletsAlicefreerollflopswithherweakestraisinghands,soinpracticewe
should defend a bit more when we sometimes flat. If both blinds defend 17%, their total combined defense
percentageis:

1 - (1-0.17)(1-0.17) =32%

Linktodownload(rightclickand"Saveas"):blind_defense_vs_button_summary.doc
3.DefenseagainstOOP3betafteropenraisingonthebutton
InPart1wesawthatwhenAliceopenraisespotandBob3betspotinposition,Aliceneedstodefend30%witha
4betorfold strategy to prevent Bob from exploiting her by 3betting any two cards. This percentage changes
slightlywhenBobisintheblinds(it'scheaperforhimto3bet),butwe'llkeepthingssimpleanduse30%asour
startingpoint.
3.1Defendinganopenraiseagainsta3betusing4bettingandflattingwitha"callmultiplier"
WhenAlicedefendswithboth4bettingandflattinginposition,sheneedstodefendabitmorethan30%,sinceher
flattingletsBobfreerollflops.Forexample,ifBobhas3betahandlikeK9sasabluffinposition,hewillneverseea
flopwhenAlicedefendswithonly4bettingorfolding.SoBob's3betbluffsnevergettheopportunitytooutflopAlice
thosetimesshedefendswithabetterhand.ForexamplewhenAlice4betsTTforvaluefromCOaftera3betfrom
Bobonthebutton.
But when Alice raises TT on the button, Bob 3bets K9s from the blinds, and Alice defends by flatting, Bob gets
additionalwaystowin.Hecanoutflopheriftheflopcomessomethinglike
bluffonflopsthatcontainoneormoreovercardstoAlice'sTT,forexample

K
A

8
J

4 ,orhemightwinwitha
7 . Thus, Alice's defense

strategyinpositiongivesBobtheopportunitytowinsomepotshewouldneverhavewonhadAliceuseda4betor
foldstrategy.WhenBobcanfreerollflopsthisway,Aliceneedstodefendabitmorethan30%intotal.
WecanadjustAlice'sstrategytocompensateforthiseffectbyusingsomethingMattJandacallsa"callmultiplier".
WeknowthatAliceshoulddefendatleast30%ofheropeningrangeagainsta3bet,sowestartbychoosingher4
bettingrange,forexample10%ofheropenraisingrange.Thenwemustdefend3010=20%byflattingtoget30%
total. But since flatting lets Bob freeroll flops, we scale up this flatting percentage with some constant factor > 1.
Janda suggests using a factor 1.5. So we end up with 1.5 x 20% =30% flatting in addition to 10% 4betting. We
namethisconstantfactor"thecallmultiplier".
3.2Alice'stotalstrategyfordefendingherbuttonopenrangeagainsta3betfromtheblinds
Aliceopenraisesourdefault35%buttonrangethatwedefinedinPart2:
Default35%openrange
22+
A2s+ A7o+
K2s+ K9o+
Q6s+ Q9o+
J7s+ J9o+
T7s+ T9o+
96s+

86s+
75s+
65s
458 combos
35%

WhenBob3betsheadsupfromtheblinds,Aliceknowsthatshewilldefendatleast30%,usingacombinationof4
bettingandflatting.Alice'sjobisnow:

Chooseavaluerangeofhandsshe4bets,planningtocallanallin5bet
Addanoptimalpercentage(60/40ratioofvaluehandstobluffs)of4betbluffsthatshefoldstoa5bet
Find the percentage of her opening range she needs to flat to defend a total of 30%, then multiply this
numberwithourcallmultiplierof1.5tofindthetotalpercentageofflatting

Alice'svaluerange
WhenAlicewasoutofposition,hervaluerangewasuniquelydeterminedfromtherequirementthatsheshould4
bet30%ofheropeningrange,usinga60/40ratioofvaluehandstobluffs.Butwhenshealsohastheoptiontoflat
the3betinposition,hervaluerangeisnolongerasimplepercentageofheropeningrange,andwehavetouse
somejudgment.
IfAlicehadn'tusedflattinginposition,shewouldhavedefendedher35%buttonrangeby4betting{99+,AJ+}for
valueand{ATA8,A7sA6s}as4betbluffs,aswefoundinPart2.Sowhenshedefendspartlybyflatting,shewill
obviously 4bet tighter than this. Let's use the valuerange {QQ+,AK} =34 combos as a start, and see where this
takesus.ThesehandsareobviouslystrongenoughtogetprofitablyallinagainstBob's5bettingrangeasshown
below(werememberfromPart1andPart2thatweneedatleast36%equitytocalltheallin5bet):

Alice's4betbluffs
Usingthevaluerange{QQ+,AK}=34combos,weneed34x(2/3)=23combosof4betbluffsforanoptimal60/40
ratioofvaluehandstobluffs.Wethenpickthebesthandsnotgoodenoughtoflat,forexample{ATo,A9sA7s}=24
combos. Alice's total 4betting range then becomes {QQ+,AK} + {ATo,A9sA7s} =34 + 24 =58 combos. This is
58/458=13%ofhertotalopeningrange.
Alice'sflattingrange
Alice4bets13%ofher35%buttonopeningrange,andsheneedstoflat3013=17%togetto30%totaldefense.
Thenwescaleupthispercentagewiththecallmultiplier1.5tocompensateforthefactthatBobnowcanfreeroll
flops.Weendupwithaflattingpercentageof17x1.5=26%oftheopeningrange(35%=458combos),whichis
0.26x458=119combos.Forexample,wecanuse{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs}=120combos.
Summary
Our estimate of Alice's optimal total defense strategy headsup against a 3bet from the blinds after openraising
35%onthebuttonis:

4bet{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalue
4bet{ATo,A9sA7s}=24combosasabluff
Flat{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs}=120combos
Alice'snowdefends34+24+120=178combos.Thisis178/458=39%ofheropeningrange,andtop178/1326
=top13%ofallhands.Ifyouthinkthisislooseforthegamesyou'replayingin,keepinmindthatwe'renottryingto
adjust to the tendencies of the 3bettor here, we're trying to make it impossible for him to exploit our button
openraises by 3betting any two cards from the blinds. If the 3bettor is tight, feel free to tighten up yourself. For
example,ifyouthinkheonly3bets{JJ+,AK}forvalueandnever3betbluffs,youobviouslyshouldadjustbynever
4bet bluffing and fold your medium strong hands (unless you think you have the implied odds to call). But then
we'reintherealmofexploitativeplay,notoptimalplay.
Notethatevenifyouchoosetonotuseexploitativeplayagainstaparticularopponent,yourknowledgeaboutwhat
optimal(ish) play is will make it easier to adjust to exploit him. You know that the strategy above is designed to
prevent a loose 3bettor from exploiting you, and then you can drop most of this defense against a tight 3bettor
whenyouhaveastrongreadyoucanusetoincreaseyourprofits.Dropall4betbluffing,4betatightvaluerange,
andonlyflatwiththeverybestflattinghandswhenyouthinkthisisprofitable.
Anotherthingworthmentioningisthatifyoudon'tthinkyoucanplaythesebuttondefenserangesprofitablyagainst
aloose3bettor,youcantakethisasasignthatyourpostflopplayneedsimprovement.Flattinghandslike88,ATs,
andJTstoa3bet,andthenplayingthemprofitablypostflopisnotnecessarilyeasy.Youwillgetintomanytricky
spots postflop, but never forget that your position allows you to "turn the table" to some degree, and let your
opponentgetmorethanhisfairshareofpostflopmisery.
It'simportanttorealizethatyoushouldnotflat3betswithmediumstronghandsinpositionandonlyplantoplayfit
orfold postflop. The weakest hands in our flatting range will probably be unprofitable for you, if you never use
positiontobluffandstealpostflop.Aggressiveandopportunisticpostflopplayisthereforearequirementwhenyou
try to defend optimally preflop, using a wide flatting range. Your postflop strategy for your flatting range should
includeafairamountof(semi)bluffraisingandfloating.
Finally, note how loose you have to defend when trying to defend optimally, even when you're starting with a
relatively tight button range of 35%. Now think about how ultraloose you would have to defend if you open
somethinglike50%onthebutton,andyouwanttodefendoptimallyagainst3bets.However,ifyouraisethisloose
onthebutton,it'sprobablybecauseyou'retryingtoexploitweakplayersintheblinds.Ifthisisthecase,itdoesn't
makemuchsensetotrytodefendoptimallyagainsttheir3betting(sincewedon'texpectthemto3betverylight,
perdefinition).
Thereforeit'sfinetouseourestimateddefensestrategyfora35%buttoncorerangealsowhenyou'reopenraisinga
looser range in practice. You can think about the button openraising you do above and beyond 35% as "bonus
raising",basedonanopportunitytoexploitweakplayersintheblinds.Ifyou'retryingtoexploittheblinds,it'sfineto
givethemanopeningtoexploit(sinceweassumetheywon'ttrytoexploitus),andthenyoudon'tworryabouttrying
todefendtheextraraisinghandsoptimally.Youjustfoldtheseadditionalweakhandswhenyouget3bet,andyou
don'tworryaboutgettingexploiteduntilyounoticetheblindshaveloosenedupsignificantlyagainstyou.Iftheystart
fighting back by 3betting a lot, it's probably better to tighten up to something close to the 35% core range and
defendthisrangeoptimally,thantotryanddefendaverylooseopeningrange(e.g.50%)optimally.
This will be discussed further in Part 6, where we'll talk about optimal versus exploitative play. Until then, train
optimaldefenseofourdefault35%buttonrange,andyouwillbeatoughnuttocrackforblindstryingtofightback
againstyourbuttonstealsby3bettingyoualot.Ifyoucanplaywellpostflopafterflatting3bets,aplayer3betting
youoftenandlightfromoutofpositionislikelytofindhimselfinlotsoftrouble.He'lloftenbefacedwithyouroptimal
4bettingrange(mathematicallyimpossibletoexploit),andwhenyoudon't4bet,he'lloftengetcalled.Whenyouflat
yourrangeofmediumstronghands,the3bettorisforcedtoplaypostflopoutofposition,oftenwithaworsehand
thanyours.Thiswillbedifficultforhimwhenyouplaywellpostflop,includingknowingwhentosteal.
Asathoughtexperiment,thinkabuthowyouwouldliketositintheblindsagainstabuttonplayerwhoplaysthis
way. If you fold too much, he will rob you blind preflop. If you get feisty and try to defend with uncontrolled and
overlyaggressive3bettingyouwillrunintoawallofoptimal4bettingplusflattingfollowedbyaggressivepostflop
playwhereyouareoutofpositionwithalotofweakhandsinyourrange.Thesolutionisofcoursetodefendthe
blindswithacontrolledmixtureofoptimal3bettingandflatting,asdiscussedpreviouslyinthisarticle,butthiswillbe
hardenoughagainstabuttonplayerwhoplaysclosetooptimalbothpreflopandpostflop.
Ifbuttonisastrongplayer,think"damagecontrol".Acceptthathisposition+skillsentitleshimtomakeaprofitin
this scenario. Focus on limiting your losses, and don't get fancy and try to outplay him from out of position. Stick
closetotheoptimalstrategiesoutlinedhere,anddon'tspazzout.Spewy3bettingandflattingoutofpositionwon't

doyoumuchgoodagainstastrongplayer,butthemathematicsofthesituationguaranteesthatyoucangetaway
with some bluffing, and the optimal guidelines tells you how much. By sticking closely to a memorized optimal
strategy, many of your preflop decisions become automatic, and you can direct more of your attention towards
exploitingtheweakerplayersatthetable.
3.3Questionsthatgoawaywhenwe'reusingoptimalstrategies
Newplayersthinkalotabouthowtoplayindividualhands,andtheycanspendalotoftimemullingoverrelatively
unimportantquestionsthattheybelieveareimportant.
Forexample:
IraisedJJonthebutton,andanunknownplayerinthesmallblind3bet.CanI4bet?ShouldI4bet?WhatdoIdo
ifI4betandget5bet?Isitperhapsbesttoflatthe3bet?
A consequence of using a rangebased way of thinking is that such specific questions about individual hands
becomelessinteresting.It'sobviousthatJJisahandwecanplayprofitablyheadsupinpositionagainstasmall
blindwhousesanoptimaldefensestrategy,soourchoiceisbetween4bettingforvalueandflatting.Thequestion
abovecanthereforbereplacedby:
Do I want to 4bet JJ for value or flat as a default? How does my choice affect the rest of my default defense
strategyagainstsmallblind's3bet?
Aboveweoutlinedadefensestrategyagainst3betswhereJJwasputintheflattingrange,butthereisnothingthat
forbids us from 4betting it for value. We have 43% equity against small blinds estimated optimal value range
{TT+,AQ}whichwedefinedearlierinthisarticle.Sowehaveenoughequitytocalla5betshovefromthisrange(we
needmorethan36%equityagainsta5betshovingrangetocallprofitably,whichyoucaneasilyverifyforyourself).

SinceJJisanunderdogagainsttherangeitgetsallinagainst(butwehavetocalltheshovebecauseofpotodds),
weseethatJJ'ssourceofprofitwhenusedasa4bettinghandisfoldingoutsmallblinds3betbluffs.Andwhenwe
get5betandhavetocall,welosebackalittlebitofthatmoney.However,sincetherearemany3betbluffsinsmall
blind'srange,wemightmakemoneyoverallby4bettingJJ,evenifwe'reanunderdogagainsttherangethat5bets
us.Butevenifthisisthecase(andwecanverifywhetherthisisthecasewithalittlemath)wemightmakemore
moneybyflattingJJandplayingapotpostflopinpositionagainstsmallblind'stotal3bettingrange.Thiswasour
choiceearlierinthisarticle.
Butlet'sstudy4bettingasanalternativedefaultlineforJJheadsupinpositionagainstasmallblind3bet.Ifwe
decidetouseJJasavalue4bettinghand,therestfollowsautomatically.We4betandcalla5bet(sincethisis
what we do with all value hands). Then we adjust our 4bet bluffing range to our new value range, so that we
maintaintheoptimal60/40value/bluffratio.Finally,wealsoadjustourflattingrangeaccordingly,sothatweendup
withanoptimaloveralldefensestrategyagainstsmallblind's3bet(accordingtotheprinciplesof30%totaldefense,
adjustedwitha1.5callmultiplierforflatting).
Westartwiththepreviousvaluerangeforbutton,{QQ,AK}=34combos,andthenweaddJJandget{JJ+,AK}=40
combos.Togetanoptimal60/40ratioofvaluehandsto4betbluffs,weneed40x(2/3)=27bluffcombos.Westart
withthepreviousbluffingrange{ATo,A9sA7s}=24combosthatweusedwith{QQ+,AK}.ThenweaddA6sandget
{ATo,A9sA6s} =28 combos. So we're 4betting 40 + 28 =68 combos, which is 68/458 =15% of our total button
range.
Wethenhavetoflat3015=15%ofourbuttonrangetodefendatleast30%total.Thisnumberisscaledupusing
thecallmultiplier1.5,soweendupwithatotalflattingpercentageof1.5x15%=22.5%.Thiscorrespondsto0.225
x 458 =104 combos from our 35% button opening range with 458 combos in it. We can choose {JJ88,AQ
AJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJs,JTs} =104 combos (where we somewhat arbitrarily have removed QJo and QTs from the
flattingrangeusedpreviously).
Ournewestimateofbutton'soptimaldefenseofa35%openingrangeagainsta3betfromtheblindsisthen:

4bet{JJ+,AK}=40combosforvalue
4bet{ATo,A9sA6s}=28combosasabluff
Flat{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJs,QTs,JTs}=104combos
The original question How do I play JJ on the button after a 3bet from an unknown small blind? has now
disappeared. Instead we have the answer to how our total default button strategy against a 3bet changes as a
functionofhowwechoosetoplayJJinthissituation(4betforvalueorflat).
Previously in this article we defined a button strategy where JJ was placed in the flatting range. But that doesn't
meanthatyouhavetoflatit.Feelfreetoexperimentwithotherdefaultdefensestrategiesinpositionagainst3bets,
basedonthemathematicalrelationsdefinedinthisarticle:
Optimal60/40value/bluffratiowhenyou4bet
Asastartingpoint,useatotaldefensepercentageof30%oftheopeningrange
Adjustthispercentagebyusingacallmultiplier(weused1.5)onyourflattingrange
Within these limits you can define your default strategies more or less as you please. But of course you should
makesurethatthehandsyouincludeinyourvaluerangeareactuallyvaluehands(i.e.theycanprofitablycallan
allin5betagainstthe3bettors5bettingrange).We'llhavemoretosayaboutthisinalaterarticle,butit'seasyto
fallfortheillusionthatahandisbestplayedasa4bettinghand,justbecauseitmakesmoneywhenwe4betit.It
mightbethatthehandmakesmoneyfromgettingVillaintofoldhis3betbluffs,andthatwe'reasmallunderdog
whenwecalla5bet.Ifthisisthecase,wemightmakemoremoneybyputtingthehandinourflattingrangeand
playingapotpostflopwithposition.
We'llreturntothisproblemforJJinalaterarticleandanalyzetheEVfor4bettingversusflattingonthebuttonafter
a 3bet from the blinds. We'll use the analysis software Pokerazor for these calculations, plug in small blind's
defense strategy, and compute the EV for the two ways we can play JJ after a 3bet. We already know from
ProPokerToolscalculationsthatJJisasmallunderdogagainstsmallblind's5bettingrange(butwehavepotodds
tocallthe5bet).SoweknowthatJJ'sprofitafter4bettingcomesfromgettingBob's3betbluffstofold,andthen
welosebackasmallamountthosetimesBob5betsusallinandwecallforpotodds.
But we'll show that JJ makes money overall when we 4bet it as a value hand. But we also know that JJ can be
playedprofitablybyflattingagainstsmallblind'soptimal3bettingrange(with60%bluffsinit).Sothequestionwe
wanttheanswertoiswhat'sthemostprofitablewaytoplayJJinpositionaftera3bet.Thedifferenceisprobably
notbig,andinthatcaseit'simpossibleforustomakeabigmistake.Andwhenonealternativeisaboutasgoodas
the other, the decision is not all that important. What's important is that we adjust the rest of our strategy
accordingly, after we have made our choice. And then the what'sthebestwaytoplayJJ question simply
evaporates.
Weseethatwhenwehaveahandthatworksbothasa4bettinghandandaflattinghand,wehavetousesome
judgmentandtrytochoosethemostprofitablelineforthehand.Notethatwhenwe'retheraiseroutofposition,the
mathematicsofthesituationforcesusto4betandcalla5betallinasansmallunderdog,sincewenowdon'thave
theoptiontoflatthe3bet(whichisachoicewe'vemade).Inotherwords,we4betandcalla5betasanunderdog
becausethisismoreprofitableoverallthanfoldingtothe3bet.WehaveseenexamplesofthisinPart1andPart2.
Forexamplewhenwecallanallin5betoutofpositionwithAKfromUTGafterhaving4betagainstabutton3
bettor, even if we know that Villain only 3bets {KK+} for value, plus some 5bet bluffs. AK now becomes a small
underdogagainstVillain'stotal5bettingrange,butwehavemoreequitythantheminimum36%weneedtocall,so
weautomaticallygoallinaftera5bet.
But when we're the raiser in position, we have the option to flat hands that are small underdogs against Villain's
valuerange.Sowecaninsteadchoosetoplaythempostflopwithpositiononhisentire3bettingrange,whichis
heavy with weak 3bet bluffing hands. In the scenario we studied above, JJ is a small underdog against Villain's
value range from the small blind after our button openraise. So even if we might make money by 4betting it and
callinga5betasasmallunderdog,wehavetothinkaboutwhat'sthemostprofitableline4bettingandendingthe
handpreflop,orflattingandplayingpostflop.
Atanyrate,thestrategieswehavedefinedinthisarticlegiveyousoliddefaults.AndIthinkevenanoptimalstrategy
withoutoverlyaggressive3/4/5bettingwillcauseyouto3betanddefendagainst3bettingmuchmoreaggressively
aroundtheblindsthanwhat'scommonatthelowlimits.Trainthesestrategiesandplayaroundwiththem,knowing
thatthemathematicsbehindthemwillprotectyoufromgettingexploitedpreflop.
Someofyoumightfeeluncomfortableplayingpostflopin3betpots,orafterflattingpreflop,usingthesestrategies.
Takethisasasignthatyouneedpostfloptraining.Sticktotheoptimalpreflopstrategiesfor3/4/5bettingandflatting

in blind stealing and blind defense, and force yourself to deal with the tricky postflop situations as they come.
Gettingbetterpostflopisamatterofpractice,andtherearenoshortcuts.Don'tbeafraidtomakemistakes,aslong
as you learn from them afterward. Keep in mind that when your preflop strategies are mathematically sound, you
don't have to worry about big preflop leaks, and you can focus on your postflop decision making when plugging
leaks.
4.Summary
Wehavediscussed3bettingheadsupfromtheblindsagainstabuttonstealraise,andtheraiser'sdefenseagainst
this.Wehavedesigneddefaultrangesfor3bettingandflattinginthisscenario,bothforthe3bettorintheblinds
andfortheraiseronthebutton.
When flatting is an alternative for the raiser, the choice of 4betting range becomes more ambiguous, and we
thereforeusedmorejudgmentthanforthecorrespondingscenariowiththeraiseroutofposition(discussedinPart
1andPart2).Someoftheraiser'smediumstronghandscanbeplayedprofitablybothby4bettingthemandflatting
theminpositionaftera3bet.Forthesehandswehavetochooseanalternativebasedpartlyonjudgment.
Inadditionto3/4/5betstrategieswithanoptimalvalue/bluffratio,wealsotookintoconsiderationthattheplayersin
theblindsneedtodefendatleast30%todenythebuttonraiserthepossibilityofmakingaprofitfromstealingwith
any two cards. This mathematical requirement for minimum blind defense is not something we have discussed
previously,butit'salwaysthecasethattheplayerssittingaftertheraiserhaveacollectiveresponsibilityfordenying
the raiser an opportunity to raise any two cards profitably. When button is the openraiser, all of this responsibility
falls on the two players in the blinds. We used a simple assumption (both players in the blind defend the same
percentage) to estimate an optimal defense percentage of 16% for the players in the blinds, headsup against a
buttonstealraise.
InPart4we'llgeneralizethetheoryof3bettingfromtheblindstoincludescenarioswheretheraiserhasopened
from an arbitrary position (button, CO, MP or UTG). We'll also talk more about the collective responsibility of
defendingtheblindssufficientlyoften.We'llshowthatit'smostlybuttonopenraisingthatforcestheblindstodefend
veryaggressively,andthatwecanplaymuchtighteragainstraisesfromearlierpositions,withoutopeningourselves
upfromgettingexploitedbylooseopenraising.
After that we'll talk about two multiway 3betting scenarios in Part 5, namely squeezing (3betting after the raise
alreadyhasbeencalled),andcold4betting(4bettingafteraraiseanda3bet).
Thenwe'llendthisNLHEprefloparticleserieswithPart6,wherewetestourstrategieswiththeanalysissoftware
toolPokerazor,andalsodiscussoptimalplayversusexploitativeplay,andwhenweshoulduseoneortheother.In
Part6we'llalsodiscussblindvsblindscenarioswherethesmallblindopenraisesandthebigblinddefendsby3
bettingandflatting,andwe'llusethisscenariotogiveatasteofoptimalpostflopplay.
Sowe'llendupwithapreflopseriesin6parts,andwhenwe'redone,we'llhavetoucheduponmostoftheheadsup
preflopscenarios,andsomeselectedmultiwayscenarios.
Goodluck!
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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesinNLHE6maxPart4
4yearsago|WrittenbyDonkr

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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
1,572 likes

1.Introduction
ThisisPart4intheseriesOptimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesiNLHE6max.InPart1andPart2wediscussed3
bettingheadsupwiththe3bettorinposition.InPart3webeganworkingonthescenariowherethe3bettorisout
ofposition(inotherwords,blinddefenseheadsup).
We then looked at the scenario where the raiser openraises on the button, and then the 3bettor is in the small

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blind, or in the big blind after the small blind has folded. We assumed that the raiser (Alice) opened our default
buttonrange,andthenwedefineddefaultrangesforflattingand3bettingfortheplayerintheblinds(Bob).Wealso
definedadefensestrategyforAlicetouseagainstBob's3bets.
In Part 4 we'll continue this work and generalize the strategies from Part 3 to include openraising from other
positions than the button. We'll let Alice openraise from UTG, MP, CO or button, and then Bob 3bets headsup
fromoneoftheblinds.InPart3weusedasimplemodelwhereweassumedthatthetwoplayersintheblindshared
equallytheresponsibilityofdefendingtheblindsagainstAlice'sraise.SinceAlicethereraisedfromthebutton,the
twoplayersintheblindshadtodothewholejobofdefendingtheblindsenoughtopreventAlicefromraisingany
twocardsprofitably.Wefoundthattheyhadtodefendatotalof30%toachievethis.Andwhenthisjobisshared
equallybetweenthem,theyhavetodefendabout16%each.
In Part 4 we'll let Alice openraise from other positions. Then there will be some player(s) between her and the
blinds.Thetotaljobofdefendingtheblind30%isthensharedbetweentheblindsandtheplayer(s)betweenAlice
andtheblinds.Thismeanstheplayersintheblindsdon'thavetodefendasmuchastheyhadtoagainstAlice's
button raises. Furthermore, it's reasonable that most of the blind defense should be done by the players with
positiononAlice,especiallytheplayeronthebutton.
We'lluseasimplemodeltostudythedistributionofblinddefenseresponsibilitybetweentheplayerslefttoactafter
Alice'sopenraise.WhenAliceraises,theremainingplayershavetodefendatleast30%topreventherfromhaving
aprofitableraisewithanytwocards.Themoreplayerslefttoact,thelesseachofthemhavetodefendforthistobe
achieved.
Our starting point will be the default ranges we have defined in the first 3 parts of this article series plus simple
mathematical modeling. We want to study how often the blinds minimum have to defend headsup against raises
from various positions to prevent the raiser from having a profitable raise with any two cards. We're mostly
interested in qualitative trends, but we'll also use the results to estimate reasonable blind defense ranges to use
againstraisesfromallpositions.
WhenwehavegeneralizedBob'sblinddefensestrategiestodefenseagainstraisesfromallpositions,we'llturnto
AliceandgeneralizeheredefensestrategiesinallpositionsagainstBob's3betsfromtheblinds.
ThestructureforPart4isthus:
A generalization of headsup 3betting out of position (i.e. blind defense) against an openraise from any
position
Ageneralizationoftheraiser'sdefenseheadsupinpositionagainsta3betfromtheblinds

Theworkinthisarticlewillbesomewhatabstractandmathematicalinnature,andourpurposeisfirstandforemost
tolearnhowtothinkcorrectlyaboutthesetopics.Forexample,we'lllearnthatthereisahugedifferenceinblind
defense strategies against a button raiser and against an UTG raiser, and we'll use mathematical modeling to
quantifythisdifference.
Wealwayswanttoplayhandsthatareprofitableandfoldthosethatarenot,butinpracticewedon'tknowforsure
whichhandsaretheprofitableonesinagivenscenario.Weknowwhichhandsareclearlyprofitable(e.g.thebig

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pairs)andwhichhandsareclearlyunprofitable(e.g.72o),butinallpreflopscenariosthereisawiderangeofhands
thatarenotclearlyprofitableorunprofitable(e.g99,AJ,KQ,JTsandothermediumstronghands).
Instead of thinking about how profitable a hand is, we can complement our understanding of the situation by
attacking it theoretically from a different angle. Instead of asking "which hands are profitable?"we can ask "How
many hands do I have to play to prevent my opponent from having a profitable bluffing opportunity with any two
cards?".Workingalongthislinewecanpaintapictureofwhichhandsweshouldbeabletoplayprofitablyinagiven
scenariotopreventouropponent(s)fromexploitingus.Thisisthekindofthinkingwe'lluseinthemodelingwork
doneinthisarticle.
TheoriginalplanforPart4wastoalsotalkaboutsqueezing(3bettinginamultiwaypotaftertheraisehasbeen
calledbeforeit'sourturntoact)andsmallblindvsbigblindscenarios,butwe'llmovethesetopicstofuturearticles.
2.Generalizationofthetheoryfor3betting/blinddefenseheadsupandoutofposition
Let'sfirstquicklyrepeatthetheoryforblinddefenseagainstabuttonopenraisedefinedinPart3:
Weusedthefollowingmodel:
Bothplayersstartwith100bbstacks
Aliceopenraisespot(3.5bb)onthebutton
BobdefendsagainstAlice'sraiseby3bettingpot(12bb)withanoptimal40/60ratioofvaluehandsand3
betbluffs,plusflattingsomemediumstronghands
AlicedefendsagainstBob's3betsby4bettingto25bb(alittlelessthanpot)withanoptimal60/40ratioof
valuehandsand3betbluffs,plusflattingsomemediumstronghands
BobdefendsagainstAlice's4bettingby5bettinghisvaluehandsandfoldingeverythingelse

Alice'sopenrangefromthebuttonwasdefinedinPart2:
Defaultbuttonrange
22+
A2s+ A7o+
K2s+ K9o+
Q6s+ Q9o+
J7s+ J9o+
T7s+ T9o+
96s+
86s+
76s
65s
458 combos
35%

Since Alice risks 3.5 bb to win 1.50 bb when she openraises, she can steal profitably with any two cards if she
succeedsmorethan(1.5+3.5)=70%ofthetime.Theblindscan'tallowthis,sotheyhavetodefend30%ofthe
timetomakeAlice'sweakestraisinghandsbreakeven.We'llassumetheysharethisresponsibilityequally,andthat
theybothdefendsomepercentagex.

Theprobabilitythatbothofthemfoldisthen(1x)(1x),sothechancethatatleastoneofthemdefendsis1(1x)
(1x).Thisexpressionshouldbe30%topreventAlicefromraisinganytwocardsprofitably,soweget:

1 - (1-x)(1-x) =0.30
1 - (1 -2x +x^2) =0.30
1 - 1 + 2x - x^2 =0.30
x^2 - 2x + 0.30 =0

Thisquadraticequationhasthesolutionsx=1.84andx=0.16(youcanusetheonlineQuadraticEquationSolver),
andwechoosethesolutionx=0.16=16%,sincexisaprobability(anumberbetween0and1).Wethendefineda

3bet value range, a 3bet bluffing range, and a flatting range for Bob so that his total blind defense was
approximately16%.Theratioofvaluehandstobluffsinhis3bettingrangewastheoptimal40/60ratiothatwehave
usedthroughoutthisarticleseries.InadditionBobflatsarangeofmediumstronghandsthatarenotgoodenough
to3betforvalue,buttoostrongtofoldorturninto3betbluffs.
2.1Minimumdefaultblinddefenseheadsupagainstabuttonopenraiser
WeestimatedthefollowingdefenserangesforBobagainstAlice'sbuttonopenraise:
Value3betrangeOOPagainstabuttonopenraise
TT+
AQ+
62 combos

Werememberthattheweakesthandsinthisvaluerangeworkasa"hybrid"betweenvaluehandand5betbluff.
AlicewilloftenflatBob's3betwithposition,andTT/AQhavegoodequityagainstherflattingrange(mediumhands
like 99, AJ, KQ, etc). When she 4bets, we don't expect TT/AQ to be favorites against her valuerange (i.e. the
handssheplanstocallanallin5betwith),sowhenwe5betthesehandsitmakesmoresensetothinkofthemas
5betbluffs(thatprofitfromfoldingoutAlice's4betbluffs,butareunderdogswhenshecalls).SeePart3foramore
thoroughdiscussionofthistopic.
InadditiontothevaluehandsBob3bets,planningto5betallin,heusesarangeof3betbluffs("OOP3betair
list")andarangeofmediumstronghandsthatheflats("OOPflatlist"):
OOP3betairlist
66-22
A9s-A6s
K9s-K8s
QTs-Q9s
J9s-J8s
97s+
87s
76s
65s
98 combos

OOPflatlist
99-77
AJs-ATs, AJo
KTs+ KQo
QJs
JTs
70 combos

Bob'slistof3betbluffstouseoutofpositionisstrongerthanthelistofhandshe3betbluffedwithinposition(see
Part1andPart2).ThisisbecauseAlicewillsometimesflatthe3betinposition,andthenBobwillbeforcedtoplay
postflopoutofposition.Tomakethemostoutofthesescenariosit'simportantforBobto3betbluffwiththebestof
hisworsthands,i.e.therangeofhandsjustbelowhisflattingrange.
Bobdefendsatotalof62+70+98=230combosagainstabuttonstealraise,or230/1326=17%ofthetime(abit
morethantheminimum16%thatweneed,whichisfine).We'llnowplaceAliceinCO,MPandUTGandestimate
howoftenBobminimumhastodefendtopreventherfromhavingaprofitableraisewithanytwocards.
WithplayersbetweenAliceandBobwealsohavetotakeintoaccounttheblinddefensedonebytheseplayers,and
lessofthetotalblinddefenseresponsibilityfallsonthetwoplayersintheblinds.We'llaccountforthisbyusinga

simplemathematicalmodel.
NotethatwhenBobtightensuphisblinddefenseagainstopenraisesfromearlierpositions,handsshouldintheory
movebetweenranges.Whenwedropsomehandsfromourvaluerange,thesehandsshouldbemoveddowntothe
flattingrange,andsomeflattinghandsshouldbedemotedto3betbluffs.Thisfollowsfromthestrengthprinciple.
Butinpracticewe'llsimplifythingsbykeepingour"OOP3betairlist"constant,sothatwewon'thavetomemorizea
range of 3bet bluffing hands for each of the raiser's positions. This is not quite optimal, but we accept this
simplificationinordertomakeiteasytobuildandmemorizesounddefaultranges.Whenthisworkisdone,wecan
alwaysfinetuneourrangeslater.
2.2BlinddefenseheadsupagainstaCOopenraise
WeassumeAliceopensourdefault25%COrange:

22+
A2s+ A9o+
K9s+ KQo
Q9s+ QTo+
J8s+ JTo
T8s+
97s+
87s
76s
65s
326 combos
25%

Buttonandthetwoplayersintheblindsnowhaveacollectiveresponsibilityofdefendingtheblindsatleast30%.
Westartbyassumingbuttonusesouroptimal3/4/5betstrategyagainsta25%COopenraise,andalsoourdefault
flattingrangeinposition.SowestartbyestimatinghowoftenbuttondefendsagainstAlice'sCOraise.
InPart2wedefinedthefollowingrangesforthe3bettorinposition:
IP3betairlist
A9s-A6s
K9s-K6s
Q9s-Q6s
J9s-J6s
T8s-T7s
97s-96s
87s-86s
76s-75s
65s
100 combos

IP5betairlist
A5s-A2s
16 combos

IPflatlist
22+
ATs+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
JTs

T9s
98s
Without {KK+}: 162 combos
Without {QQ+}: 156 combos
Without {QQ+,AK}: 140 combos
Without {JJ+,AK}: 134 combos

Button first defines a value range. Then he finds the percentage of the 3bet bluff list he needs to use to get an
optimal40/60value/bluffratio.Andthenhechooseshisflattingrange.We'llassumethataplayeronthebuttonwill
flatallhandsfrom"IPflatlist"regardlessoftheraiser'sposition.
InPart2wefoundthefollowingoptimalstrategytouseinpositionbehinda25%COraiser:
Flatthewhole"IPflatlist":{22+,ATs+,AJo+,KTs+,KQo,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s}=140comboswhen{QQ+,AK}are
3betforvalue
3bet{QQ+,AK,12air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bet70%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

Sobutton3bets{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalue,togetherwith12Axscombosthathe5betbluffsallinifAlice4
bets.Thisgivesbuttonatotalvaluerange(morecorrectly:allinrange)of34+12=46combos.Buttonthenneeds
1.5x36=693betbluffcombostogetanoptimal40/60value/bluffratio.
Soweuse69%ofthe"IP3betairlist",whichweroundto70%tokeepthingssimple.Toachievethisweusea
randomizereverytimewehaveoneofthe3betbluffcandidatesfromthelist.We3betbluffwhentherandomizer
returnsanumberbetween0and70,andotherwisewefold.Sincethereareare100combostotalin"IP3betair
list", this corresponds to 3betbluffing 70 combos on average, which is what we want. Finally, we flat the 140
combosfrom"IPFlatList"thatremainwhen{QQ+,AK}get3betforvalue.
Buttonthen3bets34+12+70=116combostotal(i.e.116/1326=8.7%)andflats140combos(140/1326=10.6%).
Thismeansbuttondefends8.7+10.6=19.3%totalafteraCOopenraise.Sincebutton,smallblindandbigblind
needtodefend30%combined,thismeansthatbuttondoesmostofjobofdefendingtheblinds.Thetwoplayersin
theblindscanthereforetightenupconsiderablycomparedtotherangestheyhadtodefendwithagainstabutton
openraise.
Weusethesamemathematicalmodelasbeforeandassumebuttondefends19.3%asestimatedabove.Thenthe
restoftheblinddefenseresponsibilityissharedequallybetweensmallblindandbigblind,andbothofthemdefend
some percentage x those times button folds. The probability all 3 players fold is then (10.193)(1x)(1x), so the
probabilityatleastoneofthemdefendsis1(10.193)(1x)(1x).Thisexpressionshouldbeequalto30%,sowe
get:

1 - (1-0.193)(1-x)(1-x) =0.30
1 - 0.807(1 -2x +x^2) =0.30
1 - 0.807 + 1.614x - 0.807x^2 =0.30
-0.807x^2 + 1.614x - 0.107 =0

WesolvethisexpressionwithQuadraticEquationSolver,andgetthesolutionsx=0.068andx=1.93.Wechoose
thesolutionbetween0and1,andfindthateachoftheplayersintheblindsneedtodefendx=0.068=6.8%.We
roundthisto7%.
Thisisaveryinterestingresultcomparedtothedefensepercentageof16%againstabuttonopenraise.Whenwe
getoneplayer(button)betweentheraiserandtheblinds,theminimumdefensepercentageforthetwoplayersin
theblindsisreducedfrom16%toonly7%!
Sowhatdoesa~7%defenserangelooklike?Asalways,westartwithavaluerangefor3betting.Thenweadd3
betbluffstogetanoptimal40/60value/bluffratio.Finallyweflatwiththebesthandsnotgoodenoughto3betfor
value.
Wehavesomeflexibilityhere.AsdiscussedinPart2,wearetryingtodothebigandimportantthingscorrectly,and
wedon'tworryaboutthegreyareaswherethedifferencesbetweenthealternativesaresmall(forexample,whether

weshould3betforvalueorflatwithagoodbutnotgreathandlikeJJ).Ourstartingpointistheoptimalvalue/bluff
ratioforour3bettingrange,andthenwetrytodesignasolidandreasonabletotaldefensestrategy.
Against a button openrange we used {TT+,AQ} as our value range. Against a default CO openrange we should
tightenupourvaluerangesomewhat,let'ssayto{JJ+,AK}or{QQ+,AK}.Let'schoose{QQ+,AK}=34combosand
seewherethistakesus.Wenowneed1.5x34=513betbluffcombosforanoptimal40/60value/bluffratio.Since
thereareapproximately100combosinour"OOP3betairlist",thiscorrespondsto3betbluffingallhandsonthe
list51%ofthetime,usingarandomizer.Weroundthisnumberto50%tokeepthingssimple.
Sowe3bet34+50=84combostotalfor84/1326=6.3%ofallhands.Thismeansthatalmostalloftheestimated
minimaldefenseresponsibilityof7%canbedoneby3betting{QQ+,AK}forvalue,togetherwiththeoptimalnumber
of3betbluffs.
In addition, we can pick the best medium strong hands to flat with. Since the 3betting range makes up almost
everythingweneed,wecanbepickyandchooseforexample{JJTT,AQ}=28combos(32/1326=2.1%).Thisgives
usatotaldefensepercentageof6.3+2.1=8.4%,whichisabitmorethantheminimum7%weneedaccordingto
ourmodel.
Notethatwhatwe'redoinghereistoplaywithamathematicalmodeltoestimatehowoftenweminimumhaveto
defend in the blinds against a CO openraise to prevent him from openraising any two cards profitably. We're
assumingbuttondoeshispartofthejobbyfollowingouroptimal3/4/5bet+flatstrategyinposition,andthenthe
smallblindandbigblindtakecareoftherest.
ThisisnotthesameasestimatingwhichhandsareprofitabletoplayfromtheblindsafteraCOstealraisewhen
buttonhasfolded.Butisgivesusastartingpointtobuildon.Forexample,ifCOispassivepostflopandoftenlets
yougetcheaplytoshowdownwithmarginalhands,thiswillmakeiteasiertoplaypostflopoutofpositionwithyour
mediumstrongflattinghands.Soitwouldmakesensetoexploithistendenciesbyaddingmorehandstotheflatting
range,forexample9988,AJ,KQs.Butourmodelindicatesthatyoucan'tgetexploitedbyCOifyouchoosetoplay
verytight,andfoldthesehandsheadsupoutofposition(assumingbuttondefendsasactivelyasheshould).
It'salsopossibletodefineaminimumblinddefensestrategyagainstaCOopenraisewithoutflatting.Forexample,
wecanchooseto3bet{JJ+,AK}=40combosforvalue,andthen1.5x40=603betbluffcombos(i.e.allhands
from"OOP3betairlist"60%ofthetimeusingarandomizer).Thisgivesusatotal3bet%of(40+60)/1326=7.5%
whichisslightlymorethantherequired7%.
Youcanofcoursealsousethelooser3bettingrange{JJ+,AK}+{3betbluffs}togetherwithaflattingrange,asyou
wish.AswediscussedinPart3,what'smostimportantforusistousestrategiesandrangesthatareconsistentand
based on optimal 3/4/5betting. Exactly what we choose in marginal spots (e.g. should JJ be flatted or 3bet for
value?)islessinterestingforuswhenwe'redefiningareasonabledefaultstrategy.Also,notethatinpracticewe'll
oftenusereadstohelpuschoosebetweensimilaralternativesatthetable.
Atanyrate,wecanusethefollowingstrategyasaminimumdefaultblinddefensestrategyagainstaCOopenraise
headsupfromtheblinds:
Minimum~7%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstaCOopenraise
Theminimum7%blinddefenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{JJTT,AQ}
Thisgives~8%totaldefense

Ourstartingpointistoplayminimum34+50+28=112combos,i.e.112/1326=8.4%ofallhands.Thenwecan
addmorehandswhenwethinkit'sprofitable.Exactlywhattherangeofprofitablehandsisforusinthisscenariois
partlyafunctionoffactorslikeCO'spostflopskills,ourpostflopskills,andthehistory/metagamebetweenus,sothis
is impossible to determine exactly in practice. But we'll talk more about this towards the end of this article series
wherewe'lldiscussexploitativeplayversusoptimalplay,andadjustmentsbasedonreadsandmetagame.
Wemoveon,andplaceAliceinMP.Therearenowtwoplayers(COandbutton)betweenAliceandtheblinds,and
theblindscannowgetawaywithdefendingevenless.
2.3MinimumdefaultblinddefenseheadsupagainstanMPopenraise
WeassumeAliceopensourdefault15%EPrangefromMP:

22+
A9s+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
J9s+
T9s
98s
87s
76s
65s
194 combos
15%

Button,COandthetwoplayersintheblindsnowsharethecollectiveresponsibilityofdefending30%againstAlice's
openraises.WestartbyassumingCOandbuttonbothuseouroptimal3/4/5bet+flatstrategyinpositionagainsta
15%openraise.FromPart2werememberthatthe3/4/5betstrategyis:
3bet{KK+,7air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bet30%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

COandbuttonthenboth3bet{KK+}=12combosforvalue,togetherwith7Axscombosas5betbluffsforatotal
valuerangeof12+7=19combos.Thenweneed1.5x19=293betbluffcombosforanoptimal40/60value/bluff
ratio,whichwecanroundto30.Soweadd30%ofthe100combosin"IP3betairlist"usingarandomizer.Both
COandbuttonthen3bets12+7+30=49combostotal,i.e.49/1326=3.7%.
Button flats the whole "IP flat list" as before. This is 162 combos when {KK+} is 3bet for value, which gives
162/1326=12.2%.FortheflattingdonebyCO,weassumehewillflattighterthanbuttonbecauseofpoorerposition
(a reasonable assumption) and that he effectively flats with half the flat list. So MP flats 162/2 =81 combos, or
81/1326=6.1%.
UndertheseassumptionsCOdefends3.7+6.1=9.8%,whilebuttondefends3.7+12.2=15.9%.Asbeforewefind
thattheprobabilityofallplayersfoldingtoAlice'sraiseis(10.098)(10.159)(1x)(1x),sothechanceofatleastone
ofthemdefendingis1(10.098)(10.159)(1x)(1x).Thisshouldbe30%,soweget:

1 - (1-0.098)(1-0.159)(1-x)(1-x) =0.30
1 - 0.759(1 -2x +x^2) =0.30
1 - 0.759 + 1.517x - 0.759x^2 =0.30
-0.759x^2 + 1.517x - 0.059 =0

WeplugthisexpressionintoQuadraticEquationSolver,andfindthesolutionsx=0.040andx=1.96.Wechoose
thesolutionbetween0and1andfindthateachoftheplayersintheblindsneedtodefendx=0.040=4.0%.
As expected even less of the blind defense responsibility falls on the players in the blinds. We now have two
players,COandbutton,withpositiononAlice,andtheydomostofthedefense.ButtondefendstighteragainstMP
thanhedidagainstCO,sincethe3bettingrangebecomestighteragainstanMPopenrange.Butthisismorethan
compensatedforbythepresenceofCO,whoalsodefendswith3bettingandflatting.
Defininga4%minimalblinddefenserangeissimple.Wecanusethevaluerange{QQ+,AK}=34combosasour
startingpointlikewedidagainstCO.Wethenused50%of"OOP3betairlist"foroptimal3betbluffing,andlanded
onatotal3bettingrangeof34+50=84combos,or84/1326=6.3%.
This means that we cover the minimum necessary blind defense (and then some) against an MP raiser by only
3/4/5bettingoptimallywitha{QQ+,AK}valuerangeandnoflatting.Wedon'thavetouseadefaultflattingrangeto
preventMPfromopenraisinganytwocardsprofitablywhenCOandthebuttondefendoptimallyinposition.Soif
you want to, you can play very tight and fold hands like JJ, AQ and KQ against a 15% openraise from early
position.Theraisercan'tbegintoexploitthisbylooseningup,evenifitmightfeellikeyou'rebeingexploitedwhen
foldingdecenthands.Ofcourse,ifyouthinkyouhaveaprofitablehand,youshouldplayit,butthemodelindicates
thatwedon'thavetoplaymorethan4%ofhands.

Notethatthetightertheraiser'srange,themore5betblufflikethehandsQQ/AKbecome.QQ/AKhavegoodequity
againsttherangetheraiserflats3betswith,butwedon'tnecessarilyhavegoodequityagainsttherangeofhandsa
tightplayercallsanallin5betwith(forexample,ifheonlycallsa5betwith{QQ}).Soinasense,QQ/AKcanbe
viewedasavalue/bluffhybridagainstatightopenraisingrange,similartohowweplayedTT/AQagainstabutton
openraiser.
Alternatively, there's nothing that prevents us from 3betting an even tighter value range against MP and then
addingaflattingrangethatincludesQQ/AK.Ifwechoosethis,it'sobvioustoreducethevalue3betrangeto{KK+}
=12 combos, and then we add 1.5 x 12 =18 combos from "OOP 3bet air list", or 18% for all hands using a
randomizer (and we can round this to 20%). Then we effectively 3bet 12 + 20 =32 combos total, or 32/1326
=2.4%.
We then need a flatting range of at least 4.0 2.4 =1.6%, or 0.016 x 1326 =21 combos. This is covered pretty
accuratelyby{QQ,AK}=22combos.Sowecaneasilydefendtheminimum4.0%evenwithasupertightstrategy
whereweonly3bet{KK+}forvaluetogetherwithanoptimalnumberof3betbluffs,andthenweflatonly{QQ,AK}.
Welistboththesealternatives:
Minimum~4%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstanMPopenraise
Theminimum4%defenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Thisgives6%totaldefense

Alternatively
3bet{KK+}forvaluetogetherwith20%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{QQ,AK}
Thisgives~4%totaldefense

Startingwithoneoftheseminimaldefaultstrategieswecanthenaddmoreflattinghandsifwethinkit'sprofitable
(handslikeJJ,TT,AQ,etc).Wecanusereadstohelpushere.
It'sobviousthataminimalheadsupblinddefensestrategyagainstanUTGopenraisewillbesqueakytight,based
onourmodel.Butlet'scompletethemodelingbyalsoworkingthroughthiscase:
2.4MinimumdefaultblinddefenseheadsupagainstUTGopenraise
WeassumeAliceopensourdefault15%EPrangefromUTG:

22+
A9s+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
J9s+
T9s
98s
87s
76s
65s
194 combos
15%

MP, button, CO and the two players in the blinds now share the collective responsibility of defending 30% total
againsttheraise.WeassumeMP,COandbuttonalluseouroptimal3/4/5bet+flatstrategyinpositionagainstthe
raiser.The3/4/5betpartofthatstrategyis:
3bet{KK+,7air}forvalue,planningto5betallinaftera4bet
3bet30%of"IP3betairlist",planningtofoldtoa4bet

AndallplayersbetweenUTGandtheblindsthus3bet3.7%asshownpreviously.Inadditionbuttonflatsthewhole

flat list of 162 combos =12.2%, while CO flats half the list and 162/2 =81 combos =6.1%. We now assume
(somewhat arbitrarily) that MP uses a tight flatting range of 1/4 of the list because of his poor position. In other
words162/4=41combos(rounded),or41/1326=3.1%.
So MP defends 3.7 + 3.1 =6.8% total, while CO and button defend 9.8% and 15.9%, like they did against MP
previously.Wesetupthesameequationasbeforeandget:

1 - (1-0.068)(1-0.098)(1-0.159)(1-x)(1-x) =0.30
1 - 0.707(1 -2x +x^2) =0.30
1 - 0.707 + 1.414x - 0.707x^2 =0.30
-0.707x^2 + 1.414x - 0.0070 =0

Wefindthesolutionsx=0.0050andx=1.995,andchoosex=0.0050=0.5%.
0.5%correspondsto0.05x1326=7combos,whichisbasically{AA}.Inotherwords:IfMP,COandbuttondefend
inpositionwithacombinationofoptimal3/4/5bettingandflatting,theblindsdon'thavetodefendwithanythingelse
than{AA}topreventUTGfromexploitingthem!
The minimal defense percentage 0.5% is of course only meaningful within the context of our model. The number
itselfismuchlessinterestingthanwhatitrepresents.Whatthetrendinourmodel(16%>7%>4%>0.5%)
tellsusisthatyoudon'thavetoworryaboutgettingexploitedifyoushouldchoosetoplayverytightfromtheblinds
headsupagainstanearlypositionraiser.UTGandMParehandledeffectivelybytheplayerswithpositiononthem,
andtheplayersintheblindscanbasicallyjustsitbackandcherrypickhandstheythinkareclearlyprofitable.
Thisisinstrongcontrasttothe16%defaultblinddefensewewereforcedtodoagainstabuttonstealraise.There
wehadto3betawiderangeandalsoflatoutofpositionwithmanysosohandslike77,ATs,KTs,QJs,etc.Allthis
topreventbuttonfromrunningoveruswithlooseopenraising.Inotherwords,wewereforcedtodoalotof"dirty
work"outofpositionwithlessthanstellarhands.
Ontheotherhand,ourattitudeheadsupintheblindsagainstatightearlypositionraisershouldbemorelikethis:

Soshouldweonly3bet{AA}fromtheblindsagainstanUTGraiserandfoldeverythingelse?Ofcoursenot,and
that'snotwhatourmodeltellsus.Butwhatitdoestellusisthatwecan'tbeexploitedbyalooseUTGraiser,evenif
weshouldchoosetodefendextremelytightwhenit'sfoldedtous.Inpractice,let'susethesameminimumdefault
defenserangeweusedagainstMP:
Minimum~0.5%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstanMPopenraise

Theminimum0.5%defenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Thisgives6%totaldefense

Alternatively
3bet{KK+}forvaluetogetherwith20%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{QQ,AK}
Thisgives~4%totaldefense

Andthenwecanaddarangeofflattinghandsontopofthis,whenwethinkthisisprofitable.
2.5Summaryofthetheoryfor3betting/blinddefenseheadsupandoutofposition
Basedonsimplemathematicalmodelingwedefinedthefollowingminimumblinddefensestrategiesheadsupfrom
theblindsagainstanopenraiserfromUTG,MP,COandthebutton:
Minimum~0.5%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstanMPopenraise
Theminimum0.5%defenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Thisgives6%totaldefense

Alternatively
3bet{KK+}forvaluetogetherwith20%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{QQ,AK}
Thisgives~4%totaldefense

Minimum~4%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstanMPopenraise
Theminimum4%defenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Thisgives6%totaldefense

Alternatively
3bet{KK+}forvaluetogetherwith20%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{QQ,AK}
Thisgives~4%totaldefense

Minimum~7%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstaCOopenraise
Theminimum7%blinddefenseiscoveredby:
3bet{QQ+,AK}forvaluetogetherwith50%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flat{JJTT,AQ}
Thisgives~8%totaldefense

Minimum~16%blinddefensestrategyheadsupagainstabuttonopenraise
Theminimum16%blinddefenseiscoveredby:
3bet{TT+,AQ}forvaluetogetherwith100%of"OOP3betairlist"
Flatthewhole"OOPflatlist":{9977,AJsATs,AJo,KTs+,KQo,QJs,JTs}=70combos
Thisgives~17%totaldefense

Understandingthetrendisjustasimportantastherangeswehavedefined.Thereshouldbeasdramaticchangein
mindset for the players in the blinds when the raiser moves from the button to UTG. Against a button raise we're
prepared to fight fiercely, but against an UTG range we're content playing only our premium hands for value and
avoidingtroubleagainstastrongrangewithourmediumstronghandsandourweakhands.Weshouldnottryto
outplayatightUTGrange,sinceheiseffectivelyprotectedbyhisrange(atightrangeiseasytodefendcorrectly),
andhehaspositiontoboot.

WenowturntoAliceandgeneralizethetheoryforherdefenseheadsupinpositionagainstBob's3betfromthe
blinds.
3.Generalizingthetheoryforheadsupdefenseinpositionagainsta3bet
InPart3westudiedthescenariowhereAliceopenraisesa35%openrangeonthebutton,andthenshegets3bet
by Bob in the blinds. Mathematics dictates that Alice defends 30% of her opening range to prevent Bob from
profitably3betbluffinganytwocards.IfAliceonly4betsorfolds(likeshedidwhenoutofposition)wecanstickto
30%,butwhenAlicehasposition,itwillalsobeprofitableforhertodefendsomehandsbyflatting.
ButwhenAlicedefendspartlybyflatting,Bob's3betbluffswillsometimesgettoseeaflop(insteadofhavingtofold
toa4bet),andthenhewillsometimesoutflopAlice'sbetterhands.TocompensateforthefactthatBobnowgetsto
freerollflopsthisway,Aliceneedstodefendmorethan30%total.
We defined the concept "call multiplier" in Part 3 to take into account that Bob freerolls flops with his 3bet bluffs
thosetimesAlicedefendsagainsthis3betsbyflatting.WestartbygivingAlicea4betvaluerange,andthenwe
addtheoptimalamountof4betbluffstogeta60/40value/bluffratio.Thisgivesusatotal4bet%,forexample10%.
InthatcaseAlicehastoflat3010=20%byflattinggtogetto30%totaldefense.ButsincethisletsBobfreeroll
flops,wescaletheflattingpercentagewithacallmultiplier,whichissomenumber>1.Weelectedtouse1.5,and
withthesenumbersAlicenowhastoflat1.5x20=30%ofherrangeinadditiontothe10%she4bets.
3.1Defaultdefenseinpositionagainsta35%openraisefromthebutton
WedefinedthisstrategyinPart3,andwestartedbychoosing{QQ+,AK}=34combosasour4betvaluerangefor
Alice.Shebalancesthiswith(2/3)x34=23combosof4betbluffsforanoptimal40/60value/bluffratio.Wepickthe
4betbluffsfromthehandsnotquitegoodenoughtoflat,andwechose{ATo,A9sA7s}=24combos.
This gives us a total of 34 + 24 =58 4bet combos, which is 48/458 =13% of Alice's 35% button range with 458
combosinit.Shenowneeds3013=17%flattingtogetto30%totaldefense,andwescaleupthispercentagewith
the call multiplier of 1.5 and get 1.5 x 17% =26% flatting. This corresponds to 0.26 x 458 =119 combos from her
openingrange,andwepicked{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs}=120combos.
Thisgivesusthefollowingtotaldefaultdefensestrategyonthebuttonagainsta3betfromtheblinds:
4bet{QQ,AK}forvalueand{ATo,A9sA7s}asbluffs
Flat{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs}
Wethendefendwith34+24+120=178combostotal,or178/458=39%ofthebuttonopenrange.13%by4
bettingand26%byflatting

We now quickly repeat this process for openraising from CO (25% openrange) and EP =UTG/MP (15% open
rangeforboth).Inallcaseswechoosetostartwiththevaluerange{QQ+,AK},andthenwebuildtherestofthetotal
defense strategy around this value range, using optimal 4betting, 30% total defense, and a call multiplier for the
flattingrange.
3.2Defaultminimumdefenseinpositionagainsta3betaftera25%openraisefromCO
Alice'sdefaultCOrangeis25%with326combosinit.We4bet{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalue,andbalancethis
withthe4betbluffs{AT,A9sA8s}=24combos.Notethatthisisasmallchangerelativetothe4betbluffsweused
onthebutton.Asweshallseeinaminute,wechoosenottoflat3betswithATsinCO,sowedemotethishandto
the4betbluffingrangeandkickoutA7s.
Sowe4betatotalof34+24=58combos,or58/326=18%ofour25%openrangewith326combosinit.Weflat
3018=12%togetto30%totaldefense,andwescalethiswiththe1.5callmultipliertogetto1.5x12%=18%
flatting. This is 0.18 x 326 =59 combos from our opening range, and we can choose {JJ99,AQAJ,KQs,QJs,JTs}
=62combos(usingafewcombosextradoesn'tmatter)
OurtotalminimumdefensestrategyinCOheadsupagainsta3betfromtheblindsbecomes:
4bet{QQ,AK}forvalueand{AT,A9sA8s}asbluffs
Flat{JJ99,AQAJ,KQs,QJs,JTs}
Wedefendwith34+24+62=120combostotal,or120/326=37%ofouropeningrange.18%by4betting
and19%byflatting

3.23Defaultminimumdefenseinpositionagainsta3betaftera15%openraisefromEP=UTG/MP
Wetreatthesetwopositionsasthesame,sinceweopenwiththesamedefaultrangeinthem.Alice'sdefaultEP
rangeis15%with194combosinit.We4bet{QQ+,AK}=34combosforvalueandbalancethiswiththe4betbluffs

{AQ,AJsATs}=24combos(andwe'llseewhyinaminute).
So we 4bet a total of 34 + 24 =58 combos, or 58/194 =30% of the 15% openrange with 194 combos in it. This
meanswedon'thavetoflattodefendsufficiently!WecanflatmediumstronghandslikeAQ,JJ,KQsifwewantto,
but we don't have to in order to prevent Bob from exploiting us with loose 3betting. So if we stick to a minimal
strategy,weendupwiththesamedefenseagainsta3betthatweuseoutofpositioninEP.
ThetotalminimaldefensestrategyinEP=UTG/MPheadsupagainsta3betfromtheblindsthenbecomes:
4bet{QQ,AK}forvalueand{AQ,AJsATs}asbluffs
Noflatting
Wedefendwith34+24=58combostotal,or58/194=30%ofouropeningrange.100%by4bettingand0%
byflatting

Doesthismakesenseintuitively?Yes,sincewehavetoexpectthe3bettortohaveatightrangewhenhechooses
to3betourtightopeningrangeheadsupandoutofpositionfromtheblinds(andwesawthatverytight3betting
wascorrectpreviouslyinthisarticle).EvenifitfeelsoverlytighttofoldhandslikeJJTT,AJandKQsinthiscase,
themathematicsofthesituationensuresthatwedon'thavetoplaythemtodefendoptimally.
Whenwestartwitha15%openingrange,ourtightrangeprotectsus,andallwehavetodoistodefendwithatight
valuerange{QQ+,AK}balancedwithanoptimalnumberof4betbluffs.There'snothinganyonecandotoexploit
thisdefensestrategy,evenifwefoldeverythingelse.
Since 3betting from out of position against an early position openraise usually is done with a very tight range, I
recommendthatyousticktothisminimaldefensestrategyfromEPanddon'ttrytoexploitthe3bettorbyflattinglots
of medium strong hands (unless you have strong reads on him). If he 3bets very loosely and then plays poorly
postflop,youcanofcourseflathandslikeJJ,TT,AQ,AJ,KQandusepositiontoplaythemprofitablypostflop.But
asadefault,protectyourselvesbyusingtheunexploitabledefaultstrategy.
3.4Summaryofthetheoryfordefenseheadsupinpositionagainsta3bet
Weelectedtouseasimpleapproachtothisproblem.Weusedthesamevaluerange{QQ+,AK}forallpositions,
balancedthiswithanoptimalamountof4betbluffs(pickedfromthebesthandsnotgoodenoughtoflat)andthewe
didtherestofthedefensewithaflattingrange.Theflattingrangestartedoutverywideonthebutton,tighterinCO,
anditdisappearedinUTG/MPwherewecoulddefendsufficientlybyonly4betting.
Thesestrategiesshouldbesimpletomemorizeifyoualreadyknowthestrategiesfordefendingagainst3betsout
ofposition(whereweonly4betorfold)andthebuttondefensewedefinedinPart3.ThedefensefromUTG/MPis
identicalbothinandoutofposition,andwehavealreadycovereddefenseagainst3betsonthebutton.Sotheonly
newstrategytomemorizeistheCOstrategy(andit'snotcomplicated).
Wehavenowdefinedacompletesetofdefensestrategiestouseagainst3betsheadsupafteropenraisingfrom
outside the blinds, both in and out of position. Memorize all of these strategies, and you will have a strong
foundation to build your preflop game on. It will also be easy for you to adjust to your opponents when you spot
opportunitiestoimproveonthedefaultstrategiesbydeviatingfromoptimalplay.
4.Summary
We have generalized the theory for 3betting headsup out of position against an openraise from an arbitrary
position,andwehavealsodiscussedtheraiser'sdefenseagainstthis.Weusedasimplemodeltostudytrendsin
theminimumblinddefenserequirementsforheadsupblinddefenseasafunctionoftheraiser'sposition.Wefound
that we have to defend loosely and aggressively against a button openraise, but we can play very tight against
raisesfromearlypositions(assumingtheplayerswithpositionontheraiserdefendasactivelyastheyshould).
Thereasonforthistrendisthatallplayerssharetheresponsibilityofdefendingtheblindsagainstaraiser.Andthe
players with position (particularly the button) should defend more than the players out of position. So headsup
againstanearlypositionopenraiserwecanplaytight,withoutworryingaboutbeingexploited.Butagainstanopen
raisefromlatepositionwehavetodefendverylooselytopreventtheraiserfromrunningoveruswithlooseopen
raising.Particularlywhentheraiserisonthebutton.
InPart5we'lldiscusstwotopics:
Squeezing(3bettinginamultiwaypotafteraraise+callinfrontofyou)
Cold4betting(4bettingafteraraise+3betinfrontofyou)
Goodluck!

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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart5
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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
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1.Introduction
ThisisPart5intheseriesOptimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesiNLHE6max.InPart1,Part2,Part3andPart4we
studied3/4/5bettingheadsup,withtheraisereitherinpositionoroutofposition.InPart5we'lllookattwocasesof
3/4/5bettinginmultiwaypots,namelysqueezing (3betting after the raise has been called) and cold4betting (4
bettingwhenthepothasbeenraisedand3betbeforeit'sourturntoact).Inthisworkwe'llusethepokersimulation
softwarePokerazortoestimatetheEVforcold4betting.

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Multiwayscenariosarefarmorecomplextomodelthanheadsupscenarios,sotheworkdoneforsqueezingand
cold4bettingwillbelessexactthanwhatwehavedoneinthepreviousarticles.Butwecanuseourunderstanding
ofheadsupscenariosplussimplemodelingtofindqualitativeguidelinesformultiwayscenarios.
ThestructureforPart5is:
Squeezing
Cold4betting
2.Squeezing
The definition of "squeezing" is to 3bet a raiser after the raise has already been called. The raiser now has to
respondtothe3betwithanotherplayerlefttoact,andwesaythatheisina"squeeze"betweenthe3bettorand
thecaller,thusthename.
Belowarethreeexamplesofsqueezingwiththeraiserinpositionandoutofposition:
Example2.1:Squeezingwiththeraiseroutofposition
$100NL
MP($100)raisespotto$3.5,CO($100)calls,button($100)3betspotto$15.50,theblindsfold,andit'sMP'sturn
toact.

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Example2.2:Squeezingwiththeraiseroutofposition
$100NL
CO($100)raisespotto$3.5,button($100)calls,SBfolds,BB($100)3betspotto$14.50,andit'sCO'sturntoact.
Example2.3:Squeezingwiththeraiserinposition
$100NL
Button($100)raisespotto$3.5,SB($100)calls,BB($100)3betspotto$14,andit'sbutton'sturntoact.
If the raiser in these examples should choose to defend against the 3bet by calling, he is setting himself up for
difficult postflop scenarios. He will then often have a weak or marginal hand postflop, and he will often have to
respond to the 3bettor's cbet without closing the betting (when the preflop coldcaller is left to act). All who have
playedabitofNLunderstandintuitivelythatthisisadifficultsituationtoplaywell,andmanythereforefoldalotto
squeezeswhentheyaren'tstrongenoughto4betforvalue.
Asweshallseesoon,themathematicsofthesituationdictatesthattheraiserandthecoldcallerhavetodefenda
lotagainstthe3bettopreventthe3bettorfromhavingaprofitablebluffwithanytwocards.Sincemanyplayers
can't (or won't) defend as actively as they should in an optimal strategy, squeezing is generally a very profitable
strategyagainstweakopposition.
Weshallapproachthetheorybehindsqueezingusingthetheoryforheadsup3/4/5bettingasastartingpoint.We

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letAliceopenraisepotfromsomepositionoutsideoftheblinds,andthensheiscalledbyaplayerbetweenherand
Bob.Bobnow3bets(squeezes)potwithapolarizedrangemadeupofvaluehandsand3betbluffswithanoptimal
value/bluffratio,Notethatthisoptimalratiowillbeslightlydifferentfromthecorrespondingheadsupscenariosince
thepresenceofthecallerchangesthepotsizeandthereforethepotoddsfor3/4/5betting.
Alicedefendsagainstthesqueezeby4betting/foldingoutofpositionand4betting/flatting/foldinginposition.When
she4bets,shewillmakeher4betabitlessthanpotsized(e.g.to32bbinexample2.1insteadof4bettingpotto
46bb),andsheusesanoptimalvalue/bluffratio.Bob'sresponsetoa4betisto5bethisvaluehandsallin,and
foldhis3betbluffs.Alice'sresponsetoanallin5betistocallwithhervaluehandsandfoldher4betbluffs.
We'll now construct a model for a squeeze scenario with the raiser out of position, and then estimate optimal
strategypairsfortheraiserandthe3bettorlikewedidforheadsup3/4/5bettinginPart1andPart2
Weusethefollowingmodel:
Allplayersstartwith100bbstacks
Aliceopenraisespot(3.5bb)fromEP(UTGorMP)
AplayerinCOcoldcalls
Bobsqueezeswithanapproximatelypotsized3bet(14bb)onthebuttonwithanoptimalmixofvaluehands
and3betbluffs
Alice defends against the squeeze by 4betting to 32 bb (a bit less than pot) with an optimal mix of value
handsand4betbluffs,andotherwisefolding
We'llassumethatCOalwaysfoldstoAlice's4bet
BobdefendsagainstAlice's4betsby5bettinghis3betvaluehandsallin,andotherwisefolding
AlicedefendsagainstBob's5betbycallingallinwithher4betvaluehandsandotherwisefolding

Thismodelissimilartotheoneweusedforheadsup3/4/5bettingwithBobinposition.Animportantdifferenceis
thatthepotisbiggerbecauseofCO'scallwhenit'sBob'sturntoact.TheoptimalstrategypairforAliceandBobwill
thereforechangerelativetothestrategypairswefoundforthecorrespondingheadsupscenario.We'llassumethat
CO never continues after a 4bet from Alice, so that his chips are "dead money" when a 3/4/5bet war arises
betweenAliceandBob.Wecanthenestimatetheoptimalstrategypairusingthesamemethodweusedheadsup.
Weuse14bbforBob's3betsizeasanaverageofhisbetsizingfromvariouspositions.Fromtheexamplesabove
weseethatBobrisks15.5bbwhenhesqueezeswithapotsized3betonthebutton,butonly13bb(beyondthe
bigblindhehasalreadyposted)whenhesqueezesfromthebigblind.Soweuse14bbasarepresentative3bet
sizeforallpositions.
WealsoassumethatBobusestheheadsuprangesfor3betbluffing("IP3betairlist"),5betbluffing("IP5betair
list")andflatting("IPflatlist")whenhechooseshisbluffingandflattinghands:
IP3betairlist
A9s-A6s
K9s-K6s
Q9s-Q6s
J9s-J6s
T8s-T7s
97s-96s
87s-86s
76s-75s
65s
100 combos

IP5betairlist
A5s-A2s
16 combos

IPflatlist

22+
ATs+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
JTs
T9s
98s
Without {KK+}: 162 combos
Without {QQ+}: 156 combos
Without {QQ+,AK}: 140 combos
Without {JJ+,AK}: 134 combos

So Bob's candidate hands for 3bet bluffing are the same as when 3betting headsup. But since the pot now is
bigger, Bob's optimal distribution of value hands and bluff hands will change relative to the headsup scenario.
Exceptforthis,we'reusingamodelidenticaltotheheadsupscenario.
Westartbyasking3importantquestions:
How often do Alice and the coldcaller have to defend against the 3bet squeeze to prevent Bob from
profitably3betbuffinganytwocards?
HowisthedefenseagainstthesqueezesharedbetweenAliceandthecoldcaller?
Whatistheoptimalstrategypairfortheheadsup3/4/5betwarthatoccursbetweenAliceandBobafterAlice
4betsandthecoldcallerfolds?

Nextwe'llfindtheanswerstothesequestions:
2.1Optimaldefensefrequencyagainsta3betsqueeze
WhenAliceandBobwereheadsup,Bob3betto12bbtowina3.5+0.5+1=5bbpot.Hegoteffectivepotodds5
:12,andhadtowinatleast12/(5+12)=70%tohaveanautomaticprofitwithanytwocards.HeadsupAlicehad
thewholeresponsibilityfordefendingsufficientlyoftentopreventthis.SoAlicehadtodefend30%ofthetimeinan
optimalstrategy(andabitmoreinpositionwhereshesometimesdefendsbycallingandletsBobfreerollflopswith
his3betbluffs).
ButwhenAlice'sraisehasgottencalledbyCO,thepotis3.5+3.5+0.5+1=8.5bbwhenit'sBob'sturntoact.His
14bb3betsqueezethenrisks14bbtowin8.5bbandtheeffectivepotoddsbecomes8.5:14.Bobneedstowinat
least14/(8.5+14)=62%tohaveaprofitable3betsqueezewithanytwocards,andAliceandthecoldcallerneedto
defendatleast10062=38%topreventthis.
Thenextquestionishowthis38%defensejobshouldbesharedbetweenAliceandthecoldcaller.Thisquestion
cannotbeansweredexactly,butwecanstatesomequalitativeguidelines:
Thecoldcallerhassignaledarangewithfewpremiumhandswhenhechoosesnotto3betAlice
Alicemustthereforeexpectthatthecoldcallerwilloftenfoldtothesqueeze
SomostofthejobofdefendingwillfallonAlice

Togetfurther,let'sassumethatAliceuseshercorrespondingheadsupdefensestrategyasastartingpointforthe
squeeze scenario, and then she makes adjustments in the value/bluff ratio to adapt to the new pot size. In other
words,shestartswithadefensestrategywhereshedefends30%(only4bettingandnevercalling,sincesheisout
of position), and that the cold caller takes care of the rest by defending some percentage x% . The probability of
bothAliceandthecoldcallerfoldingisthen(10.30)(1x),andtheprobabilityofatleastoneofthemdefendingis1
(10.30)(1x).Thisshouldbe38%inanoptimalstrategy,andweget:

1 - (1-0.30)(1-x) =0.38
1 - 0.70(1-x) =0.38
0.70(1-x) =0.62
1-x =0.62/0.70
x =1 - 0.62/0.70 =0.11 =11%

Sotomakethetotaldefensepercentage38%,thecoldcallerneedstodefend11%ofhisrangeifAlicedefends30%
ofherrangeby4bettingorfolding.Furthermore,ifthecoldcallerdefendspartlybyflatting,heshoulddefendabit
morethan11%,sinceflattingletsBobfreerollflopswithhis3betbluffsinsteadofhavingtofoldthemtoa4bet.But
herewe'llfocusonAlice'sstrategy,andsimplyassumethatthecoldcallerdefendsenough.
We'llseelaterthatAliceendsupdefendingabitlessthan30%afteradjustingherstrategytothenewpotsize,so
COhastodefendabitmorethan11%.Butwe'llassumethatthedistributionofthedefenseresponsibilityis30%
and11%beforeAlicebeginsadjustingherstrategies.
Afterchoosingthisstartingpointforherdefensestrategy,Aliceneedstofindthevalue/bluffratiofor4bettingthat
correspondstotheactualpotsize.WemakeanewsimplifyingassumptionandletAliceusethesamevaluerange
shewouldhaveusedintheheadsupscenario.Thenweonlyhavetoadjustthenumberof4betbluffstothenew
optimalratio,whichfollowsfromthenewpotsize.
WerememberthatAlice's~15%EPopeningrangeis:

22+
A9s+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
J9s+
T9s
98s
87s
76s
65s
194 combos
15%

AndwhenworkingwiththecorrespondingheadsupscenariowefoundthatAliceusedthevaluerange{QQ+,AK}
when defending her EP opening range optimally out of position against Bob's headsup 3bets. So we have
simplifiedourwaydowntothis:
Aliceusesthecorrespondingheadsupstrategyasastartingpointforherdefenseagainstthesqueeze,and
thensheadjustsittomatchthenewpotsize
Aliceusesthesamevaluehandsshewouldhaveusedinaheadsupscenario,sothatheronlyadjustmentis
tochangethenumberof4betbluffstogettothenewoptimalratio(whichfollowsfromthenewpotsize)
Aliceassumesthecoldcallerwilltakecareoftheremainingdefense,sothatthetotaldefenseaddsupto38%

Whatremainsistoestimatehowmany4betbluffsAliceneedstogettothenewoptimalvalue/bluffratioforher4
bettingrange.Headsupthisratiowas60/40,andnextwe'llrecalculatethisratioasafunctionofthenewpotsize.
2.2Bob'svalue/bluffratiofor3betsqueezing
BobknowsthatAliceandthecoldcallerwilldefendatotalof38%againsthissqueeze3bet(abitmorewhenthe
coldcallerdefendspartlybyflatting).WhenAliceresqueezeswitha4betto32bb,sherisks28.5bbmore(32bb
minustheoriginalraiseto3.5bb)towina3.5+3.5+14+0.5+1=22.5bbpot.
Alicethengetseffectivepotodds22.5:28.5,andsheneedstosucceed28.5/(22.5+28.5)=56%.SoBobneedsto
defendagainsta4betby5betting10056=44%ofhis3bettingrangetopreventAlicefromhavingaprofitable4
betwithanytwocards.Therefore,44%ofBob'shandsneedtobevaluehands.Wecanroundthistothenearest
5% to keep things simple, and we find that the optimal value/bluff ratio for Bob's 3bet squeezing range is 45/55
(comparedto40/60fortheheadsupscenario).
2.3Alice'svalue/bluffratiofor4betting
WhenAliceresqueezesBob's14bbsqueezeby4bettingto32bb,andthecoldcallerbetweenthemfolds,thepot
growsto32+3.5+14+0.5+1=51bb.WhenBobshoveshisremaining86bb,he'sgettingeffectivepotodds51:
86.
Bobalwayshassomeequitywhenhis5betbluffsgetcalled,andwe'llmakethesameassumptionwemadeinPart
1. There we showed that Bob's weakest 5betting hands (the Axs hands he used as 5bet bluffs) had about 30%
equitywhentheygotcalledbyAlice'svalue4bettinghands.SoBob's5betbluffswinbackabout30%ofa100+

3.5+100+0.5+1=205bbpot,or0.30x205=61.5bb.SoBobeffectivelyrisks8661.5=24.5withhis5betbluffs
andnot86bb.
TheeffectivepotoddsforBob's5betbluffsisthen51:24.5,andheneedstowin24.5/(51+24.5)=32%.Tomake
Bob's5betbluffsbreakeven,Aliceneedstodefend10032=68%againstBob's3bets,whichweroundto70%.
It follows that Alice's 4betting range needs to contain 70% value hands (compared to 60% in the headsup
scenario).Alice'soptimalvalue/bluffratiofor4bettingisthen70/30.
2.4Adjustingtosqueezescenariosinpractice
We have now established that Bob should change his value/bluff ratio for 3betting from 40/60 to 45/55, which
means his 3betting range should be more weighted towards value hands. Alice's value/bluff ratio for 4betting
shouldchangefrom60/40to70/30,sorangealsobecomesmoreweightedtowardsvalue.
Do these changes make sense intuitively? Yes, since both players should be less willing to fold when the cold
caller'sdeadmoneyhasmadethepotbigger,givingthemabetterrisk/rewardratiowhencontinuinginthehand.So
bluffingbecomeslesseffective,andbothplayersadjustbyreducingtheirbluffingfrequency.
WehavealreadydoneasystematicdiscussionofAlice'sandBob's3/4/5betstrategypairsinpreviousarticles.In
Part2andPart3weestimatedspecificrangesforbothofthemwhenAliceraisesoutofpositionandBob3betsher
inposition.InPart4wedidthesameforthescenariowhereAlicehaspositiononBobafterhehas3betfromthe
blinds.
Soinsteadofgoingthroughthesescenariosonemoretimewiththenewvalue/bluffratios,we'llinsteadlookatan
examplethatillustrateshowwecanadjustinpractice.We'llthenusethepreviouslyestablishedheadsupoptimal
strategypairsasourstartingpoint.
Whenwe'reinapotentialsqueezesituation,therearetwodifferentwaystoapproachit:
Wecanusedpreciselydefinedrangesbasedonavaluerange+"IP3betairlist"and"OOP3betairlist"
togetherwitharandomizer.Inotherwords,we'retryingtosqueeze3betoptimally(thetopicforthisarticle)
Wecanrealizethatwe'reinasqueezeandsqueezewithwhatevercardswehave,ifwethinkthesituationis
goodforit(butwe'rerarelysqueezingwithpuretrashhands).We'renowplayingexploitatively,probablywith
anunbalancedrange(weightedtowardsanexcessof3betbluffs)inselectedspots

Forexample,let'ssaybuttonopenraisesandSBflats.Buttonfoldsoftenagainst3bets,andSBisloosepassive
withawideflattingrange,andhealsofoldsoftento3bets.YouhaveK7sinthebigblind.K7sistoweakforflatting,
andit'snotamemberofthe3betbluffcandidatelist("OOP3betairlist")thatweuseoutofpositionintheblinds.
Soifyou'reusingastrictlydefinedoptimalstrategybasedonlists+arandomizer,youfold.Youknowthatinthe
longrunyou'llsqueezeanoptimalamount(whichisprettyaggressive)bystickingtoyourstrategy,andyoudon't
have to add more bluffing hands to get there (and if you do add more bluffing hands, your strategy will become
unbalanced,whichisn'tnecessarilywhatyouwant).
Anotherapproachistoexploitwhatevergoodsqueezingopportunitiesthatcomeyourway,withoutworryingabout
moving away from an optimally balanced 3betting range. If you want to play this way (deviating from optimal
strategywheneveryouseeanopportunitytoexploitaprofitablescenario),you'll3betK7sandsimilarhandsinthe
scenariodescribedabove.Youdothisbecauseyouexpecttomakeagoodprofitfrompickingupthepotpreflop
againsttwoplayerswhofoldtoomuchto3bets(andwhentheloosestplayercalls,youwillhavepositiononhim
postflop).Thisisobviouslyafinewaytoplaythesescenarios.
But if you choose the exploitative approach, be aware that you might have to tighten up your 3betting if your
opponentsrealizeyouare3bettingtoolooselyanddecidetofightback(forexampleby4betbluffingyoumore).
Ontheotherhand,ifyouchooseanoptimalstrategy,youropponents'strategyadjustmentswillhavelessimpact.If
you use an optimal value/bluff ratio for 3betting, they can't exploit you with any change they make. So you don'
havetomakeanychangesinyour strategy, unless you want to deviate from optimal play in order to exploit your
opponentsnewtendencies.
Belowareadjustments(basedonoptimalheadsupstrategypairs)forAliceandBobinasqueezescenariowhere
Aliceopenraises35%onthebutton,smallblindcalls,andBobsitsinthebigblind.Thisisacommonsqueezespot,
andyouwillprofitfromtrainingsoliddefaultstrategiesforit(bothastheraiserandasthesqueezer)sothatyouboth
cansqueezeanddefendagainstsqueezeswithstrongcontrolpreflop.
Example2.4:Squeezingfromtheblindsagainstabuttonstealraise

$100NL
Alice($100)raisespotto$3.5fromthebutton,smallblind($100)calls,Bob($100)isinthebigblind.
Aliceusesherdefault35%buttonrangedefinedinPart2:
22+
A2s+A7o+
K2s+K9o+
Q6s+Q9o+
J7s+J9o+
T7s+T9o+
96s+
86s+
75s+
65s

458combos
35%

Bob'sstrategy
Let's start with Bob's 3betting range against Alice. We have assumed that Alice uses the same value range
{QQ+,AK}thatshewoulduseheadsuponthebuttonagainsta3betfromtheblinds.SoBob'sresponseistouse
thesamevaluerangeforsqueezingthathewouldhaveusedheadsup.Thenheadds3betbluffsuntilhehasa
45/55value/bluffratioforhis3bettingrange.
UsingtheoptimalheadsupstrategypairfromPart3asourstartingpoint,weget:
Bob3bets{TT+,AQ+}=62combosforvaluefromtheblindsagainsta35%buttonopenraise,planningto5
betallinagainsta4bet
Bob then needs (55/45) x 62 =76 3bet bluff combos to get a 45/55 value/bluff ratio. So he 3bets 76% of
"OOP3betairlist"asabluff.Wecanroundthisto75%.

Werememberthat"OOP3betAirlist"is:
OOP3betairlist
6622
A9sA6s
K9sK8s
QTsQ9s
J9sJ8s
97s+
87s
76s

65s

98combos
Sincethelisthasabout100combos,wecanconvertdirectlybetweennumberofcombosandpercentagestouse
witharandomizer.SoBob3bets{TT+,AQ+}forvalue,andwhenhehasahandfrom"OOP3betairlist"heuses
therandomizer.He3betbluffsiftherandomizerreturnsanumberbetween0and75,andotherwisehefolds.This
giveshimtheoptimal45/55value/bluffratioforsqueeze3betsina3waypot.
Alice'sstrategy
FromPart3werememberthatAlice'svaluerangeafteropeningher35%buttonrangeandgetting3betheadsup
was{QQ+,AK}=34combos.Thensheaddedthe4betbluffs{ATo,A9sA7s}=24combostogetaheadsupoptimal
60/40ratiobetween4betvaluehandsand4betbluffs.
WehavechosenamodelwhereAliceusesthesamevaluerangeinsqueezescenarios,butnowwitha70/30value
bluff ratio instead of 60/40. So Alice needs 30/70 bluff combos for every value combo, She therefore 4bet bluffs
with(30/70)x34=15combos.Forexample,wecandropA8s/A7sfromtheheadsup4betbluffingrangeanduse
{ATo,A9s}=16combos.Thevalue/bluffratiothenbecomes34/16=68/32whichisclosetothe70/30thatwewant.
Inaddition,Alicedefendsbyflattingawiderangeinposition,alsowhenthereisacoldcallerbetweenherandBob.
HeadsupinpositionwegaveAlicetheflattingrange{JJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs}=120combos,and
we can use this as a starting point also in a squeeze scenario. We can adjust as needed, for example by calling
tighterifthecoldcalleristightandplayswellpostflop.
2.5Summaryofthetheoryforsqueezing
Weusedamodeltoestimatethenewoptimalvalue/bluffratiosthataroseina3waysqueezescenario.Wefound
thatthesewere45/55forBob's3bettingand70/30forAlice's4betting.
ThenwelookedatanexamplewithAliceonthebutton,thecoldcallerinthesmallblindandBobinthebigblindto
illustratehowwecanadjusttothesenewoptimalratios.Wemadesomesimplificationsalongtheway.Forexample
byassumingthatAliceusesthesamedefensefrequency(30%)asinaheadsup3betscenario.Wealsoassumed
she uses the same value range. Adjusting the ranges to the new value/bluff ratios then simply becomes an
adjustmentofthenumberof3bet/4betbluffs,whilethevaluerangesarethesameasintheheadsupscenario.
This method is of course only an approximation, but it captures the essence of the difference between headsup
potsandmultiwaypots,namelythatboththeraiserandthe3bettorshouldblufflessand3/4/5betmoreforvalue.
Wecanmakemoreaccurateadjustments,butIrecommendyoukeepthingssimpleandstickwiththesimplemodel
wehaveusedherewhenyoufindyourselvesinasqueezescenario.Usethecorrespondingheadsupstrategypair
forAliceandBobasastartingpoint,andtightenupthebluffingrangessomewhat.
Themostimportantpointstotakewithusfromthisdiscussionare:
The raiser and the coldcaller have to defend alot (38%) against the squeeze to prevent the squeezer to
haveaprofitable3betwithanytwocards
A bigger pot before it's the 3bettors turn to act means a higher value/bluff ratio for all players involved. A
biggerpotmeansbetterrisk/rewardratiosandthereforelessfolding.Theplayersadjustbybluffingless.

If you understand these things and use the model presented above to design (or at least think about) new
value/bluffranges for 3/4/5betting adjusted to the new potsize, you should feel comfortable playing squeeze
scenarios.
We discussed one specific example here to show how these adjustments can be done. Those of you who have
trained the 3/4/5bet strategy pairs for the headsup scenarios can now work through any squeeze scenarios on
yourownandimplementthenecessaryadjustments,basedonthemodelusedinthisarticle.
3.Cold4betting
"Cold 4betting" is 4betting in a multiway pot after a raise and a 3bet has occurred before it's your turn to act.
Whenthepothasbeenraisedand3bet,weexpecttooftenclashwithavaluehand,andtherangewe4betfor
valueshouldthereforebeverytight.Havingadefault4bettingrangeofonly{KK+}inthisscenarioisreasonable
andfairlystandard.

Belowisanexampleofacold4betforvalue:
Example3.1:Cold4betting
$100NL
UTG($100)raisesto$3.5,button($100)3betsto$12,youhave

K inthesmallblindand4betto$25.UTG

andbuttonfolds.
Theexampleaboveillustrateswhatoftenhappensinthesesituations.AtypicalUTGraiserwillopenatightrange.
Therefore, the 3bettor will also have a tight value range (of course mixed with a lot of 3bet bluffs if he plays
optimally). So when you 4bet, you are telling both opponents that you have an extremely tight valuerange. Two
thinking opponents will put you on mostly {KK+}, fold all medium and weak hands, and only 5bet allin with their
absolutelybesthands.
Sincecold4bettingwithanultratightvaluerangeforcesyouropponentstofoldalot,it'sobviousthatyoushould
balanceyourvaluehandswithsome4betbluffs.Thisdoestwothingsforyou:
Yourbluffsmakeanimmediateprofitifyouropponentsfoldtoomuch
Eveniftheydon'tfoldtoomuch,thusmakingyourbluffsbreakevenorclosetoit,youhavenowguaranteed
thatyouropponentscan't"escape"yourextremelytightvaluerangebyfoldingallweakerhands.Iftheydo,
yourbluffswillmakemoremoney

The last points needs a bit more explaining. Let's say that you choose to only cold 4bet {KK+} for value in this
situation. Two observant opponents can now save money by folding everything but AA! They will fold KK without
hesitationiftheyarecertainyou'reonly4betting{KK+},sincetheAA/KKratioinyourrangeis6:1whentheyhave
KK(therearenow6possibleAAcombos,butonly1possibleKKcombosinyourrange).Sotheprobabilityoftheir
KKhandsrunningintoyourAAhandsis6/(6+1)=86%,sotheyhaveanautomaticfoldwithKKagainstyour{KK}
valuerangeifyounevercold4betbluff.
So you will pick up lots of pots with your {KK+} value range, but you will never get action from worse hands,
assumingyouropponentsareobservantandplaywell.Ofcourse,youropponentswillnotplayperfectlyinreality,
butweshouldrememberthatplayingoptimallymeansremovingopportunitiesforouropponentstoexploitus.Andif
wenevercold4betbluff,theycanexploitusbyfoldingallhandswebeat.
Therefore, by adding some cold 4bet bluffs to our {KK+} value range, we're forcing our opponents to choose
between:
Giveour{KK+}valuerangeactionwithmorehandsthanAA
Orlosetoour4betbluffs
An optimal mix of {KK+} value hands and some cold 4bet bluffs guarantees a better average profit than only 4
bettingforvalue,regardlessofwhatouropponentsdotodefendthemselves.Wewillnotestimatewhattheoptimal
ratiois,butinsteadtalkaboutqualitativeguidelinesforcold4betting,sothatyoucanrecognizethegoodcold4
bettingspotswhentheyoccur.
We'lluseanexploitativemindsetwherewe'retryingtocold4betbluffinsituationswhereweexpectourbluffsto
make money. As a bonus we'll balance our {KK+} value range, but we're not necessarily trying to use an optimal
value/bluff ratio for all situations. This is fine if we save our cold 4bet bluffs for situations where expect our
opponentstofoldtoomuch,sothatwecanexploitthemby4betbluffingmorethanoptimally.
We'lllookathowthefollowing4factorsinfluencetheEVofcold4betbluffing:
Theeffectofopponentrangesforopenraisingand3betting(whicharefunctionsoftheopenraiser'sposition)
Therangestheychoosetogoallinwithagainstourcold4bet
Ourchoiceofcold4betbluffinghands(whereweusetheblockereffecttoouradvantage)
Ourchoiceofvaluerange.{KK+}isasensibledefault,butwhenouropponentsstartoutwithwideranges,we
mightwanttoalsoincludeQQandAK

Westartbydefiningthemodelwe'llusetostudythesituation:
3.1Modelforcold4betting
We'llusethefollowingmodel:
Allplayersstartwith100bbstacks

Theraiser(Alice)andthe3bettor(Bob)useourdefaultrangesforopenraisingandourestimatesofoptimal
headsup3/4/5betstrategies
Alice raises pot (3.5bb) from some position outside the blinds, and Bob 3bets pot from some position
betweenAliceandus
Wecold4betto25bb(alittlelessthanpot)fromthebigblindwithamixofvaluehandsand4betbluffs
AliceandBobdefendagainstour4betby5bettingallinwithsomevaluerangeandotherwisefolding
Ifweget5betallin,wefoldourbluffsandcallwithourvaluerange(where{KK+}isagooddefaulttouse
againstunknownortightopponents)

WewillinthefollowingonlystudytheEVofourcold4betbluffs,andnottheEVofourtotalcold4bettingrange
(remember:We'retryingtoexploitouropponentsinthissituation,sowe'relookingforthespotswherecold4bet
bluffingismostprofitable)
Westartbyinvestigatingtheeffectofopponentranges,whichisafunctionofthepositionAliceopenraisesfrom.For
example,it'sreasonabletoassumethattheprofitabilityofacold4betbluffwillincreaseasAlicemovesfromUTG
(tightopenrange)tothebutton(looseopenrange).WhenAlice'sopenrangewidens,Bobwillrespondby3bettinga
widerrange,andbothofthemwillhavetofoldmorehandstoacold4bet.
Of course, if Alice and Bob are trying to play optimally against our 4bet, both of them will make sure they are
defendingwithanoptimalmixofvaluehandsand5betbluffs,sothattheyaredefendingcorrectlyagainstgetting
exploitedbyacold4bettorwhoisbluffingwithanytwocards.Butinpracticemostplayersyoumeetwillonlyshove
atightvaluerangeandalmostnever5betbluff.Soweshouldbeabletoexploitthemby4betbluffingmorethanwe
shouldbeallowedto,ifwepickgoodspotsforit.
We'llstartbyassumingAliceandBobareusingthesamevaluerangesfor5bettingallinthattheywouldhaveused
in a headsup 3/4/5bet war against each other (but they drop all 5bet bluffs from their strategies after we come
charginginwithacold4betandmakethepotmultiway).SoifAliceopenraisesfromUTG,andgets3betbyBob
onthebutton,theirvaluerangesare{QQ+,AK}and{KK+},respectively,asshowninpreviousarticles(seePart1,
Part2).Laterwe'llstudytheeffectofallowingthemtouseothervaluerangesagainstour4bet.
3.2Theprofitabilityofcold4betbluffingasafunctionofouropponents'positions
We'llinvestigatetwoscenarios:
AliceopenraisesfromUTGandBob3betsfromthebutton
AliceopenraisesfromCOandBob3betsfromthebutton
In both scenarios we'll assume that Alice and Bob are using the optimal headsup 3/4/5bet strategies we have
definedinpreviousarticles.We'llassumethatweareinthesmallblindwithahandweelecttocold4betbluff.Then
weusePokerazortocalculatetheEVofourcold4betbluff.
Foreachscenariowe'llcold4betbluffwith4differenthands:

2 isaworthlessbluffwithnoblockereffect.

T takesadvantageoftheblockereffect,sinceanacein

our hand reduces the probability that our opponents have the value hands AA and AK.

K and

blockthevaluehandsAA,KK,QQandAK,andtheyalsohavedecentequityagainstouropponentsvalueranges.
They are also borderline value hands for us in this situation, so it will be interesting to see if they can be played
profitablyasvaluehands(i.e.we4betthem,planningtocalla5bet),evenifwestartoutwithadefaultvaluerange
ofonly{KK+}.
We'llfirstfindtheEVforall4handswhenweplaythemasbluffs(i.e.we4bet,planningtofoldtoa5bet),andthen
we'llseeifanyofthemcanincreasetheirEVbycallingthe5betinsteadoffolding.WesuspectthatAKandQQ
mightbeprofitablevaluehandsforuswhenAlicestartswithawide25%openrangeinCO(whichwillcauseBobto
3betawiderange),butprobablynotwhenAlicestartswithatight15%openrangeinUTG(whichwillcauseBobto
3betatightrange).
Thesecalculationswillbeveryhardtodomanually,butPokerazorwilldoitforusinafewseconds.Theprogramlet
us specify complete ranges and strategies for all players on all streets, and then it can find the EV for these
strategies.Unfortunately,Pokerazorisnolongercommerciallyavailable,butthedevelopersseemtobeworkingon
anewandimprovedversiontobereleasedsometimeinthefuture.Thismeansyoudon'thavetheopportunityto

usethisfinepokersoftwaretooltoverifymycalculationsordosimilarmodelingworkonyourown.That'sapity,but
yousimplyhavetoacceptthenumbersIpresenthere,andfocusontheresults,notthecomputationalmethod.
Wewon'trepeatalltheoptimal3/4/5bettingrangesandstrategieshere,solookthemupinthepreviousarticlesif
youneedtorefreshthem.
Scenario1:AliceopenraisesfromUTGandBob3betsfromthebutton
Thecompletelistofstrategiesis:
Alice's strategy in EP: Openraises to 3.5 bb with the ~15% EP default range, 5bets the corresponding
valuerange{QQ+,AK}allinagainstourcold4betandfoldseverythingelse
Bob's strategy on the button: 3bets to 12bb with an optimal {value range} + {bluff range} ={KK+,
A5s,As4s,Ah4h,Ad4d}

{30%

of

"IP

3bet

air

list"}

={KK+,A5s,As4s,Ah4h,Ad4d}

{A9s,As8s,Ah8h,K9s,Q9s,J9s,T8s,97s,65s}, 5bets the corresponding value range {KK+} (where all 5bet
bluffshavebeendropped)againstacold4betfromus,andfoldseverythingelse
Smallblind:Foldsarandomhand
Ourstrategyinthebigblind:Cold4betbluffto25bb,foldingtoanallin5bet

Note that we have replaced Bob's 30% random 3betting of bluff hands from "IP 3bet air list" with 30 specific
combosfromthelist(whichhas100combos).ThismakesiteasiertoconstructthePokerazorinput.
WehavealsoassumedthatSB'sfoldmeanshefolds100%ofhishands,includingAAandKK.Tobeexact,we
shouldhavetakenintoconsiderationthefactthatsmallblindwillsometimeswakeupwithavalue4bettinghand,
butignoringthiswon'tmakemuchofadifference(sincethisrangeisverytight).Ignoringthesmallblindcompletely
makesthecalculationsmuchsimpler.Infact,includingthesmallblind'srangewhenAliceandBobareusingwide
rangesmakesthecalculationsprohibitivelycomplexforPokerazor,sincethenumberofpossiblehandcombinations
"explode".ButIcheckedthissimplifyingassumptioninasetofseparatecalculationswithtightrangesforAliceand
Bob(wherethecalculationscouldbedonetakingintoaccountsmallblind'srange),andtheEVdifferencesforour
cold4betbluffswerenegligible(lessthan0.05bbdifferencebetweentheexactandapproximatecalculations).
WestartbycomputingtheEVforour4candidatehandswhenweplaythemaspurebluffs,andalwaysfoldtoa5
bet.TheEVsaregiveninbigblinds,andcomputedasthedifferencebetweenourfinalstackandourstartingstack.
Forexample,EV=+0.66bbmeansourstackchangedfrom100bbatthebeginningofthehand(includingthebig
blindweposted)to100.66bbwhenthehandwasover.
TheEVforcold4betbluffingwitheachofthe4candidatehandsare:

2 :+0.66bb

T :+2.35bb

K :+5.51bb

Q :+0.83bb

AgainstatightEPopenrangefollowedbyatight3bettingrangearandombluffwithatrashhandisapproximately
break even under the assumptions made in our model. Using the blocker effect to our advantage increases the
profitability,and

K performsbestwithanEVofmorethan+5bb

Theblockereffectfor

T and

K issignificant,particularlyfor

AK in our opponents' value ranges, and it also has good equity against QQ.

K whichblocksbothAA,KKand
Q

Q also has a small blocker

effect against opponent value hands, but the hand is just barely performing better than the trash hand
Thismakessense,since

2 .

Q onlyblocksotherQQinAlice'svaluerange{QQ+,AK}andnohandsinBob's

tightvaluerange{KK+}.
ThenweinvestigatehowtheEVschangewhenweplay

K and

Q as value hands headsup those

timesoneopponentfoldsandtheotherone5betsallin.Wecallthe5betifAlice5betsandBobfolds,orifAlice
foldsandBob5bets.IfAlice5betsallinandBobcalls,wewillfoldasbefore.
Itmakessensetoonlycallanallin5betwhenweareheadsup,sincetheprobabilityofbeingupagainstAAorKK
ishugewhentwoplayershavegoneallininfrontofus.InthisparticularcaseweofcourseknowthatBobonlycan
have{KK+}whenhegetsallin(soweshouldfoldagainsthimheadsupaswell),butwemakethingssimpleand
assumewe'rewillingtogetallinwithQQandAKandtakeourchances,ifwecandosoheadsup.

K :+3.37bb

Q :6.38bb

Weseethatbothhandsperformworseasvaluehandsthanasbluffsafteratightopenraiseandacorrespondingly
tight3bettingrange,evenifthe3bettorhasarangefullof3betbluffs(60%ofhis3betsarebluffsinanoptimal
strategy).Callinga5betallinwith

K whenheadsupisnotverybad,butweloserelativetofolding(+5.51bb

> +3.37bb) and playing the hand as a 4bet bluff. For

Q calling an allin is horrible, and this is due to a

"doublewhammy"wherewedon'tblockanyofthehandsAA/KKthatbeatus,andwehaveverybadequityagainst
thosehands(whileAKisblockingbothofthosehands,andonlyhasterribleequityagainstAA).
Weconclude:
Againstatightopenraiserfromearlyposition,followedbya3betfromanoptimal(ornearoptimal)3bettingrange,
cold 4bet bluffing with a random trash hand is close to break even if the raiser and the 3bettor use the value
ranges{QQ+,AK}and{KK+},respectively.WecanincreasetheEVofourbluffbyusingtheblockereffect,picking
ourbluffsfromthebestAxhands(AKinparticular).Butweshouldnotuseavaluerangewiderthan{KK+}inthis
case.AKdoesn'tsuffermuchfromgettingallinheadsup,butQQ(andsimilarlyalllowerpairs)performsverypoorly
asavaluehand).
Now we move Alice to CO and let her open her standard 25% CO range, while Bob attacks her with the
correspondingoptimal3bettingrange
Scenario2:AliceopenraisesfromCOandBob3betsfromthebutton
Thecompletelistofstrategiesare:
Alice's strategy in CO: Openraises to 3.5 bb with the ~25% default CO range, 5bets the corresponding
valuerange{TT+,AQ}allinagainstour4bet,andfoldseverythingelse
Bob's strategy on the button: 3bets to 12 bb with an optimal range {value range} + {bluff range} =
{QQ+,AK,A5s,A4s,A3s} + {70% of "IP 3bet air list"} ={QQ+,AK,A5s,A4s,A3s} + {A9sA6s,K9sK6s,Q9s
Q6s,J9sJ8s,T8sT7s,97s,6s5s,6h5h},5betsthecorrespondingvaluerange{QQ+,AK}(whereall5betbluffs
havebeendropped)againsta4betbyusorbyAlice,andfoldseverythingelse
Smallblind:Foldsarandomhand
Ourstrategyinthebigblind:4betbluffto25bb,andfoldtoa5bet

Theassumptionsarethesameasinthepreviousscenario.Wehaveherespecified703betbluffcombosfrom"IP
3betairlist"forBobtouseinsteadofarandomizer,andwehaveassumedsmallblindisfolding100%ofhishands
tomakethePokerazorcalculationspractical.
TheEVforplayingour4candidatehandsas4betbluffsnowbecomes:

2 :1.60bb

T :+0.27bb

K :+2.00bb

Q :+0.02bb

Thetrendbetweenthehandsisthesameasinthepreviouscase(theblockereffectissignificant),butnowonlyAK
has positive EV. However, none of the hands are losing big. Is this surprising? Not really. We would intuitively
expecttomakemorefrombluffingwhenAlice'sandBob'srangesarewide,butwehavetorememberthatbothof
themareusingtheoptimalHUstrategiesthatdefendthemagainstbeingexploitedbyaanytwocardsbluff.These
strategies/ranges are not quite optimal in multiway scenarios, but they still do a pretty good job. So it's not really
surprisingthatourbluffsareclosetobreakeven,nomatterwhereAliceisopeningfrom,whenbothsheandBob
areusingthevaluerangestheywouldhaveusedheadsupina3/4/5betwaragainsteachother.Thisillustratesan
importantpropertyofoptimalstrategies:Theyarerobust.Smallchangesinthesituationdon'tcauselargechanges
intheoptimalstrategies,andplayingnearoptimallyforanygivensituationisusuallygoodenough.
ThesmallchangesinEVforour4betbluffswhenAlicemovesfromUTGtoCOprobablycontainssome"numerical
noise"aswell,sowewon'tdrawanystrongconclusionsfromthesechanges.Forexample,ourdefinitionsofranges
forAliceandBobarenotperfectdowntothelastcombo,andwealsodidsomenumericalroundingalongtheway
whenwedefinedthesestrategies.Themostimportantobservationisthatourcold4betbluffswithrandomtrashis
close to break even when both Alice and Bob defends with something close to the optimal headsup 3/4/5bet
strategiestheywouldhaveusedagainsteachother.
This means that the defense strategies for Alice and Bob work well against random 4bet bluffing, and defending
againstrandombluffingispartlywhattheyweredesignedtodo.IfwehadbeenabletoexploitAliceandBobhard
bycold4betbluffinganytwocards,somethingwouldhavebeenwrong.
Likeinthepreviouscasewenowmoveontoseeif

K and

Q workasvaluehandsinthisscenario.

Likeinthepreviouscasewenowcalla5betifwecangetallinheadsupagainsteitherAliceorBob,butnotboth
(we'reassumingtheriskofclashingagainstAA/KKistoohighwhenthishappens).

K :+8.29bb

Q :+6.91bb

Notsurprisinglybothhandsnowperformwellasvaluehands,andwithabigincreaseinEVcomparedtobluffing
with them. This is obvious when we look at some of the value hands Alice is now shoving: JJ, TT and AQ. All of
thesearedominatedhardbyAKandQQ.Also,whenAliceisraisingfromCO,BobisalsoshovingQQandAKfor
value,soourAKandQQarehurtmuchlesswhentheygetallinagainsthistightvaluerange.
Finallywe'llrunaseriesofcalculationswhereweletAlicetightenuphervaluerangefrom{TT+,AQ}to{QQ+,AK}
out of respect for our signal of strength when we 4bet cold from the blinds. And we let Bob continue with his
{QQ+,AK}valuerange.
TheEVfor4betbluffingnowincreases(notunexpectedly)forallhands,sinceAlicefoldsalotmore:

2 :+0.97bb

T :+2.56bb

K :+4.76bb

Q :+2.12bb

And it's here we can gain EV by 4betbluffing against wide ranges. We saw previously that there wasn't much
differencebetweencold4betbluffingagainstwideandtightopponentranges,iftheydefendedclosetooptimally,
andhadthe"guts"tokeep5betshovingwiththevaluerangestheywouldhaveusedheadsupagainsteachother.
ForAlicethismeansshehastobewillingtocontinuetoshovewithbothTTandAQtoavoidgivingusandBoban
opportunitytoexploither25%openingrange(whichiswhatwillhappenwhenshebeginsfoldingtoomuch).This
valuerangeisdesignedtouseheadsupagainstBob,butifshedeviatesdrasticallyfromit,shewillmakeherself
vulnerableagainstourcold4betbluffs.
WhenAlice"chickensout"bydropping3ofhervaluehands(JJ,TT,AQ),sheleaves"deadmoney"inthepot,and
creates an opening for profitable cold 4betbluffing with any two cards. Bob can now decide to take some of the
defenseresponsibilitythatAlicerefusestotake,butrememberthatBob's3betstrategyagainstaCOraiserstarts
with choosing {QQ+,AK} as value range and placing the next tier of good hands (JJ, TT and AQ) in the flatting
range.
SoBobcan'tincreasehisdefensefrequencyagainstour4betby5bettingmoreforvaluesincehedoesn'thave
anymorevaluehandstouse,only3betbluffhands.Soifhewantstodefendmore,hehastostart5betbluffing.
Butbluffshovingallinwithhandslike

9 and

4 afterbluff3bettingandthengettingcold4bet,takes

abetterunderstandingofthedynamicsofthesituation,betterreads,andmoregutsthanmostplayerspossess.
NotethatfoldingJJ,TTandAQagainstour4betisn'tunreasonableforAlice.We'resignalinggreatstrength,and
sheisinasqueezebetweenusandBobwhohas3bet.Butthemathematicsdictatesthatifshedoesn'tdefendher
25%openrangeoftenenough,wehavetomakeaprofitwithour4betbluffsifBobdoesn'tdoanythingtopreventit
(andaswesaw,thisishardforhimtodo).
Still,thereisabalancingeffectatworkhere,sinceAlicenowpaysofflesstoourvaluehands.TheEVforplaying
A

K and

K :+7.81bb

Q :+4.61bb

Q asvaluehandsisnow:

ButifAlice'sfoldsofJJ,QQandAQhavegivenusanopeningfor4betbluffinganytwocardsprofitably,shecan't
makebackthislossbyfoldingthefewtimeswehaveavaluehand.Afterall,thereareonly34combosof{QQ+,AK}
inourrange,and1292otherrandomhandswecannowcold4betbluffprofitably.
Finally,ifAliceshouldbescaredenoughtofoldevenQQandAKagainstourcold4bet(forexample,ofsheplays
tootightagainst4betstobeginwith,andifourtableimageisgood)wecanprintmoneybycold4betbluffingwith
anytwocards:

2 :+2.92bb

T :+4.46bb

K :+6.42bb

Q :+3.80bb

Weconclude:
Cold 4bet bluffing is not necessarily more profitable when the raiser and 3bettor are using wide ranges, unless
theybegintodeviatesignificantlyfromoptimalplaybyfoldingtoomanyvaluehandsagainstourseeminglystrong4
bet. If Alice and Bob are playing wide ranges, and they defend against our 4bet using the optimal headsup
strategies they would have used against each other, our cold 4bet bluffs are about break even But if they begin
folding value hands against us that they would have played against each other, our bluffs become much more
profitable.It'stheraiserinparticularwhoisvulnerabletothis,sincesheis"forced"toplaymanyhandsforvalueto
defendcorrectlyagainstgettingexploited.
3.3Summaryofcold4betting
Welearnedthefollowing:
Cold4betbluffingwithrandomtrashagainstaraiseranda3bettorwhobothdefendoptimally(orclosetoit)
isaboutbreakeven,regardlessoftheirpositions.
By using the blocker effect (first and foremost hands with an ace) we can improve the EV of our bluffs
significantly.
The raiser and the 3bettor can give us openings for profitable cold 4bet bluffing if they begin to fold their
weakest value hands (that they would have played against each other, but now decide to fold after getting
cold4bet).Forexample,ifaCOraiserfoldshisvaluehandsJJ,TTandAQ
Using{KK+}asvaluerangeforcold4bettingisagooddefaultagainsttightranges(forexampleagainsta
~15%raiserfollowedbyanoptimal3bettingrange).Butagainstwideranges(forexample,a~25%COraise
followedbyanoptimal3bettingrange)QQandAKalsobecomevaluehands

We have discussed cold 4bet bluffing in isolation, but it's important to see the cold 4bet bluffing as "twin" to the
value4betwemakeinthissituation.Forexample,ifwealwayshave{KK+}when4bettingcoldagainsttwotight
opponentranges,it'seasyfortheoppositiontoadapt.Theycanshove{AA}andfoldeverythingelse,andneverlet
usgetourstackinasbigfavoritespreflop.Butifwecold4betbluffoccasionally,it'simpossibleforthemtoavoid
paying us off one way or the other. They will either fold too often and make our bluffs nicely +EV, or they will be
forcedtopayoffourAandKKwithworsehandssometimes.
Intheoryonecancalculatehowtoperfectlybalancea{KK+}or{QQ+,AK}valuerangesina3wayraisedand3bet
potwithcold4betbluffs,butwewon'tdothathere.Thepointofourdiscussionwastoillustratewhatmakescold4
betbluffingwork,howdifferenttypesofhandperform,howweshouldchooseourvaluerange,andhowtheraiser
andthe3bettormakethemselvesvulnerableiftheyarenotwillingtofelttheirweakestvaluehands.
IftheyrefusetogetallinwithhandsweakerthanQQandAKafterstartingwithwiderangesforopenraisingand3
betting,wecancold4betbluffanytwocardsprofitably.Atleastuntiltheyadjust,butwhentheybeginadjusting,our
4betvaluehandsmakemoremoney,andnowwecandialbackonthebluffingandinsteadexploittheirlooseness.
Notethatwhentheyhavepeggedusasaloosecannonwhoiswillingtocold4betbluffoften,thisimpressionwill
lastalongtimesincethesesituationsdon'tcomeupoften.
Using bluffs to guarantee ourselves action on our good hands is one side of optimal play that we haven't talked
muchabout,butit'sanimportantpartoftheequation.
Bymixingvaluehandsandbluffsinanoptimal(orclosetoit)ratio,we'remakingitimpossiblefortheoppositionto
"escape" our value hands by folding a lot, and we guarantee ourselves a certain minimum profit. Then our
opponentscanchoosewhetherthey'dlikeustogetthisguaranteedprofitfromourvaluehands(whentheycallor
playbackatustoomuch)orfromourbluffs(whentheyfoldtoomuch).We'lltalkmoreaboutthissideofoptimal
strategiesinPart6andPart7.
4.Summary
Westudiedtwocasesof3/4/5bettinginmultiwaypots,namely"squeezing"and"cold4betting"
Forsqueezingwestartedwiththeheadsupstrategiesfrompreviousarticlesandadjustedthemtothenewmultiway
scenariobytakingthenewpotsizeintoaccountandthendoingsomesimplifyingassumptions.Thisletusestimate
new optimal value/bluff ratios, and we used an example to illustrate how we can adjust our headsup 3/4/5bet
strategiestouseinsqueezescenarios.
Forcold4bettingweassumedthatouropponentsstartedwiththeheadsupoptimal3/4/5betstrategies,andthat
theyrespondedtoourcold4bettingbyonly5bettingtheirvaluerangesfromthosestrategies.Weusedthepoker
analysissoftware"Pokerazor"tostudythisscenarioindetail,andwesawthattheprofitabilityofacold4betbluffis

verydependentontheblockereffect,andouropponents'valueranges.
WhatremainstobedonebeforeweendthisarticleseriesondefaultpreflopstrategiesinNLHE6maxbasedon
principles for game theory optimal play, is to do some numerical testing of the strategies we have designed. We
shalldothisinParts6and7.We'llusePokerazoragaintodonumericalsimulationsforvariouspreflopscenarios.
We'llalsodiscussexploitativeplayversusoptimalplay,andwhentouseoneortheother.InPart7we'llalsolookat
3/4/5bettinginablindvsblindscenario,whichisatopicwehaven'tlookedatsofar.
Goodluck!
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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart6
4yearsago|WrittenbyDonkr

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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
1,572 likes

1.Introduction
ThisisPart6intheseriesOptimal3bet/4bet/5betstrategiesiNLHE6max,andthenexttolasttheoreticalpartof
theseries(therewillpossiblybeapracticalpartlaterthisyear,andwe'lltalkaboutthatinPart7).InPart1toPart5
webuiltafoundationfordefaultNLHEpreflopplaybasedonmathematicalprinciplesfromgametheory,plussome
commonpokersense.Inthisandthenextarticlewe'lltestthesestrategiesnumerically.

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ThearticleseriesstartedwithasimplescenarioinPart1wherewestudied3/4/5bettingheadsupwiththeraiser
outofposition.Thenwegeneralizedthestrategieswefoundtootherheadsup3/4/5betscenarios,andalsotoa
fewselectmultiwayscenarios.Alongthewaywealsodefineddefaultrangesforopenraisingfromallpositions.
BelowisasummaryofthecontentinPart1toPart5:
Part 1: Introduction to the mathematics behind game theory optimal 3/4/5betting headsup, studying the
scenariowheretheraiserisoutofposition
Part 2: We discussed in greater detail how to implement the theory from Part 1, and we defined default
openrangesforallpositions.Thenwedefinedtheheadsup3/4/5bettheoryforawiderangeofopenranges
withtheraiseroutofposition.
Part 3: We let the raiser and the 3bettor switch positions, and we studied the scenario where the raiser
opensonthebuttonandgets3betbyaplayerintheblinds.
Part4:WegeneralizedthetheoryfromPart4andlookedat3/4/5bettingheadsupwiththeraiseropening
fromanypositionoutsideoftheblinds,andthe3bettor3bettingfromoutofpositionintheblinds
Part5:Wediscussed3/4/5bettingfortwomultiwayscenarios(squeezingina3waypotandcold4bettingin
a3waypot).

Throughout Part 1 to Part 5 we have gone through most of the possible preflop scenarios and discussed good
defaultstrategiesforthem.Inall3/4/5betscenarioswehaveusedthetheoryfromPart1asourstartingpoint,and
thenadjusteditforsimilarscenarios.Wehaveusedamixofmathematicalreasoningandgoodpokersense.
TheplanforPart6istotestthestrategiesforheadsup3/4/5bettingusingthepokeranalysissoftware"Pokerazor".
Thefinaltestforastrategyisofcoursetotryitoutatthetablesandseehowitperforms.Butwecanalsostudyour
strategiesnumericallyusinganalysissoftware.Todaytherearetwoprogramsavailablethatletusstudycomplete
preandpostflopstrategiesforanynumberofplayers:
Pokerazor
StoxEV
Pokerazorisforthetimebeingnolongercommerciallyavailable,butanewversionisexpectedsometimeinthe
future.StoxEVisavailableandbeingactivelydeveloped.IhaveelectedtousePokerazorforthisarticle,sincethisis
the program I am most familiar with. But StoxEV will work just as well if you are interested in doing this type of
analysisworkonyourown.
What we'll do first in this article is to study the typical ABC poker new players are advised to use when they get
startedwithNLHEatthelowestlimits("playtight","blufflittle","foldalotwhenyouget3bet",etc.)Thenwe'llshow
how this ABC poker makes us vulnerable for attacks from aggressive opponents (particularly when they have
positiononus).Wewillhereonlylookatpreflopplay,butthesameprinciplesapplypostflopaswell.
Then we'll go one step further and show how we can improve on ABC preflop strategy by adding strategy
componentsthatfullyorpartlyneutralizetheattacksaggressiveplayerssubjectusto(forexample,weadd4bet
bluffingtoourpreflopstrategytodefendagainst3betbluffing).Thenwegobacktoouropponents'strategiesand
discusshowtheycanadjusttoouradjustments,andsoon.

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Inthismannerwe'llshowhowtheoptimal3/4/5betstrategieswehavedesignedcanbeviewedasthefinalproduct
of an evolutionary process based on our desire to defend against profitable bluffing with any two cards from
aggressiveopponents.Themainpointisthatwedon'twanttoputourselvesinasituationwhereouropponent(s)
canexploitusbybluffingprofitablywithanytwocards,beitopenraising,bluff3betting,bluff4betting,orbluff5
betting.Anoptimalstrategy"plugs"allsuchopeningsforouropponents,butofcoursethisdefensedoesnotcome
entirelywithoutcost.
Throughthisdiscussionwe'llalsoshedlightonthedifferencebetweenoptimalplayandexploitativeplay,andwhen
weshoulduseoneortheother.Optimalstrategiesputalotofweightondefense,andtheyarenotnecessarilythe
most profitable strategies against players with big leaks. One reason is that optimal strategies include defensive
components (for example, 4bet bluffing as a defense against light 3betting) that are often unnecessary against
weakplayers(forexample,wedon'tneedto4betbluffagainstanopponentwhoonly3betspremiumhandslike
{JJ+,AK}).
Againstplayerswithbigandeasilyexploitableleaks,we'dratherdeviatefromoptimalplayandplayexploitativelyto
take full advantage of these leaks. But we need to be aware that by doing so we are creating openings in our
strategies that can be exploited by observant opponents. So we have to find a balance between optimal and
exploitativeplay,andweshouldusedifferentstrategiesagainstdifferentopponents.Wewilldoourbesttoexploit
weakplayers'bigmistakes,butwecanalwaysfallbackonoptimalplayagainstgoodopponentswithoutbigleaks.
Wecanalsoreturntooptimalplayiftheplayerwe'retryingtoexploitwithexploitativeplaysuddenlychangeshis
strategiestotakeadvantageoftheopeningscreatedbyourexploitativestrategies.
Forexample,let'ssaywechoosetonever4betbluffagainstapassiveplayerwhonever3betbluffs.Hemightnow
noticethis,andadjusttoourtightplaybystartingto3betbluffus.Ourexploitativeadjustmentagainstthisparticular
opponentthenrunstheriskofgettingcounterexploitedifhestarts3betbluffingusoftenwithrandomweakhands.
If this happens, we should return to our optimal optimal 3/4/5bet strategy. Alternatively, we can make another
exploitativeadjustmenttohisadjustmentby4betbluffinghimalot(sinceweknowheoftenisweakandhaveto
fold).Buttheoptimalstrategyisalwaysanalternativeifwearen'tsurewhetherornotwecanexploithisaggressive
3betting.
Inmyopinion,thismindsetisatthecoreofthethoughtprocessesofastrongNLHEplayer.Hedoesn'thavetouse
mathematicslikewehavedone,buthewillhaveagoodfeelforwhatanoptimal(ornearoptimal)strategyisinthe
situation he is in. So he has a strong default strategy to fall back on against unknown players or known strong
players,sothathecan'tbeeasilyexploited.Butatthesametimeheknowshowtodeviatefromoptimalstrategies
toexploithisopponents'systematicleaks.Sohecanadjusthisplayinacontrolledmanneragainsteachindividual
opponentinsteadofbeinglockedintoastaticstrategythatheusesagainsteveryone.
Rulesofthumbsuchas"never4betbluffagainstfish"or"don't3bethandsthatperformpoorlywhencalled"are
thenreplacedbyadynamicalmindsetthatgivesisstrongcontroloverourchoiceofstrategies.Usingoptimalplay
asastartingpoint(andasastrategywecanalwaysfallbackonregardlessofwhowe'replayingagainst),wecan
movearoundfreelyin"strategyland"andexploitopponentleaksaswepickupinformationabouthowtheyplay.
Optimalplayisneverbadplay,butexploitativeplayisalwaysbetter.Butweneedinformationaboutouropponents'
strategiesbeforewecanexploitthem.Ifwedon'thavethisinformation,wecanalwaysfallbackonoptimalplayasa
gooddefault.
2.Testingpreflopstrategiesusingtheanalysissoftware"Pokerazor"
Inthispartofthearticlewe'llusePokerazortostudy2things:
1. How a tight openraise strategy without defense against light 3betting is vulnerable to 3bet bluffing with
anytwocards
2.Whattheraisercandotoplugthisleak,andhowthisleadstoanoptimalstrategypairfortheraiserand
the3bettor

2.1ABCpreflopstrategiesandhowthesecanbeexploited
Thoseofyouwhohaveplayedforawhileprobablyrememberthegoodolddays(uptoaround2007orthereabouts)
whenmicroandlowlimitNLHEwaseasilybeatablebystickingclosetothefollowingrulesofthumbforpreflopplay:
Those
Opentightfromallpositions(say,1012%fromUTG/MP,~20%fromMPand~30%fromthebutton
3betonlyforvaluewith{QQ+,AK},andpossibly{JJ+,AQ+}againstalooseraiser
Whenyouget3betandyouareoutofposition,foldeverythingbut{QQ+,AK}regardlessofyourpositionand
wherethe3betcomesfrom
Defendtheblindsverytightly(typically10%)

Believeitornot,butthiswasmoreorlessthestandardgettingstartedpreflopstrategyrecommendedtobeginning
players at the micro and low limits up to $100NL or so. And it worked well, since the games were so loose and
passivethatitwascorrectbothtoopenraisetight,andtofoldalotagainst3bets.
ThoseofyouwhohavebeenmembersofCardrunnersforawhilemightrememberBrystmar'sbeginnervideoseries
"SmallStakesNL"in6parts(publishedduringthespringof2007).Thisseriesbeganwithtightaggressivepreflop
recommendationsbasedontightopeningrangesand3bettingonlyforvalue:
Brystmar'spreflopstrategyformicro/lowlimitNLHE
Let'stakeatripdownmemorylandandstudyBrystmar'sprefloprecommendationsgiven3.5yearsago.Thosewho
want to read discussion about his video series or download his preflop scheme can look at this Cardrunners
forumthread.
Belowisasummaryofthedefaultopenraisingranges(notethat"KTs"and"KTo"denotesuitedandoffsuithands,
while"KT+"meansbothsuitedandoffsuit:
UTGopenraise:
{22+,AJ+,KQs}=9.8%
MPopenraise:
{22+,AJ+,KQ}=11%
COopenraise:
{22+,A7s+,A9o+,KT+,QTs+,QJo,J9s+,JTo,T9s}=19%
Buttonopenraise:
{22+,A4s+,A7o+,KT+,QTs+,QJo,J9s+,JTo,T8s+,
T9o,98s,98o,87s,87o,76s}=26%
Raisingfromthesmallblind:
Openraisethebuttonrangeifitgetsfoldedtoyou.Inalimpedpot,raise{JJ+,AK}forvalueandoverlimpall
otherhandsfromyourbuttonrange,plusallAxsandKxs.
Raisingfromthebigblind:
Ifthesmallblindopenlimps,raisethebuttonrangeandotherwisecheck.Outofpositioninalimpedpot,raise
{JJ+,AK}forvalueandotherwisecheck

Tightopeningrangesallaround.Thisisofcoursenotaleakouropponentscanexploit,butwemightperhapssay
thatweareexploitingourselvesbyfoldingsomeprofitablehands,particularlyonthebutton.
Butthestrategiesbecomeeasytoexploitwhenwegettoplayingagainstaraise:
InMPwithpositiononaraiser:
Reraise{JJ+,AK}forvalueandcallwith{TT22,AJs+,AQo}
InCOwithpositiononaraiser:
Reraise{JJ+,AK}forvalueandcallwith{TT22,AJ+,KQ,QJs,JTs}
Onthebuttonwithpositiononaraiser:
Reraise{JJ+,AK}forvalue(andAQoiftheraisecamefromCO)andcallwith{TT22,AJ+,KQ,QJs,JTs}.With
callersbetweenyouandtheraiser,alsocallwith{JTo,T9s,98s,87s}
InSBafteraraise:
Reraise {QQ+,AK} for value (and also JJ/AQ if the raise came from CO or the button) and call with {TT
22,AJ+,KQ}
InBBafteraraise:
Reraise {QQ+,AK} for value (and also JJ/AQ if the raise came from CO or the button) and call with {TT
22,AJ+,KQ}.Withcallersbetweenyouandtheraiser,alsocallwith{QJs,JTs}

Wenotetwosystematicerrorsinthesestrategies:
We're3bettingmoreorlessthesamerangeregardlessoftheraiser'sposition
We'renever3betbluffing
WerememberfromPart1andPart2thatanoptimal3bettingrangeonthebuttonvariedfrom3.6%againsta~15%
EPopenraiseto8.7%againsta~25%COopenraise.Andinallscenariosweusedanoptimalbluffingfrequencyof
60%.Inotherwords,morethanhalfofour3betswerebluffsInBrystmar'sstrategiesthe3bettingrangeisatight
and static value range {JJ+,AK} =3.0%, which is sometimes widened to {JJ+,AQ+} =4.2% against a wide
openraisingrange.WealsonotethatBrystmarchoosestoincludeAQwhenlooseningup.Thisisahandwenever
3betforvalueinpositionwhenwe'replayingoptimally(sinceAQworksbetterasaflattinghandinposition).

Brystmar'sstrategiesdon'tmentiondefenseagainst3betting,butwecanassumethatdefaultdefenseisto4beta
tightrange{QQ+,AK}fromallpositions.Anothersignificantleakisthesqueakytightblinddefense.Forexample,of
buttonopenraises,thepreflopschemetellsusto3bet{JJ+,AQ}=4.2%fromthesmallblindandflat{TT22,AJ,KQ}
=7.4%.Thisresultsinatotaldefenseof11.6%,whichiswaylowerthantheoptimaldefensethresholdof16%that
weestimatedinPart3.
SotherearehugeopeningsinBrystmar'sprefloprecommendations,andtheseopeningscanbeeasilyexploitedby
anaggressiveandobservantopponent.We'realsoleavingmoneyatthetablebecausewe'reopenraisingtotight,
andthemainreasonforthisisthatBrystmardoesnottakefulladvantageofposition.Wecanopenraiseatonof
handsonthebuttonwhenit'sfoldedtous,andwecanmakelifehellforaraiserby3betbluffinghiminposition,but
Brystmarchoosesnottodoso.
NB!BeforewemoveonIwanttopointoutthatIamnottryingtoputBrystmar'slowlimitpreflopdefaultsfrom2007
inanegativelight.HisprefloprecommendationsforbeginningNLHEplayerswereveryusefulbackintheday,and
gavemanynewplayersaneasystart.Hisstrategiesarebestviewedas"trainingwheels"forstayingoutoftrouble
(and he no doubt saw them as such himself) and they were tailored towards the micro/low limit conditions that
existedatthetime.Theywillprobablystillworkokayatthelowestmicrolimits,butIwouldnotrecommendanyone
toplay$25NLandhigherwithsuchtightandeasilyexploitablepreflopstrategies.
It'sclearforeveryonewhoplays$25NLandhigherthesedaysthatcommonNLHEstrategyhasdevelopedinleaps
and bounds since Brystmar's 2007 recommendations. Light 3betting was rare in the "old days", even at $100NL
and$200NL.Todayit'scommon,evenifyoubeginaslowas$5NL.
ThenextstepofthedevelopmentoftheaveragelowlimitNLGEregularbackinthedaywastoaddsomelight3
bets in position (and Green Plastic's 2006/2007 NLHE videos at Cardrunners inspired many to do so), call more
raises and 3bets in position, and in general get better at using positional advantage. A common mistake many
aggressive players did was to 3bet bluff with hands that were too strong to use as bluffs (for example, JTs).
However,thisdidnotcausemanproblemssincemostplayersdefendedpoorlyagainst3bets,particularlyfromout
ofposition.
Sothestandardrecipeinthegoodolddaysforanadvancedlowlimitplayerwhowantedtorampuptheaggression
was to LAG it up in position. But not necessarily with balance in mind, and not necessarily with a good
understanding of how to chose his value range, bluffing range and flatting range in a consistent manner. But this
wasnotabigdeal.Heplayedtightoutofposition,openedaverywiderangeinposition,and3betsomethingfierce
inpositionagainstweakopponents.The3bettingwasveryeffective,sincetheraisersoftendidoneofthefollowing
twomistakes:
Foldedalotoutofpositionandnever3betbluffed
Calledalotwithnonpremiumhandsoutofposition
Thefirstmistakeletsthe3bettorprintmoneybygivinghimanopeningto(inprinciple)3betbluffanytwocards.
Thesecondmistakeoccurswhentheraisertriestocorrectthefirstmistake,buthegoesaboutitthewrongway.
Defending against 3bets by flatting weak hands out of position is ineffective, since the raiser now has to play
postflop out of position in a scenario where it's difficult for him to win without hitting the flop well. Playing weak
startinghandswelloutofpositionagainstagoodLAGplayerishard,andoftenresultsinyoulosingmoremoney
postflopthanifyouhadjustfoldedtothe3betpreflop.
Thecureagainstlight,positional3bettingisofcoursetorespondby4bettingacorrectvaluerange(whichfollows
from the size of our opening range), balanced with a correct amount of 4bet bluffing. We have studied this in
previousarticles,andwehavedefinedoptimalstrategiesfortheraiserfromallpositions.The3bettorusessimilar
thinking to design his 3bet strategy so that the raiser can not 4bet bluff any two cards profitably. This way an
equilibriumgetsestablished.
Thisequilibriumisgivenbytheoptimalstrategypairsfortheraiserandthe3bettordefinedinPart1andPart2.We
usedmathematicstodefinethesestrategypairs,butwecanalsothinkaboutthemasaproductofanevolutionary
process.
The 3better starts out by exploitative anttwocards 3bet bluffing against a raiser that defends way too tight and
foldstoomuch.Thentheraiseradjustbychoosingacorrectvaluerangeandintroducing4betbluffing.The3bettor
respondsbyadjustinghisvaluerangeandintroducing5betbluffing.Topreventtheopponentfrombluffingwithany
two cards anywhere, both players finetune their ranges until both are using an optimal set of ranges for 3/4/5
betting."Optimal"heremeansthatneitherplayercanimprovehisEVbyadjustingfurther.Ifoneofthemtriestodo
so,heisgivingtheotherplayeranopportunitytoincreasehisEVbymakingandexploitativeadjustment.

WewillnowillustratesuchanevolutionaryprocessusingPokerazorsimulations:
2.2Numericaltestingofoptimalheadsup3/4/5betstrategies
Westartwiththefollowingmodel:
Alice(100bb)openraisesto3.5bbwithherstandard25%rangefromCO
Bob(100bb)isonthebuttonand3betsto12bborfolds
Alicedefendsagainst3bettingby4bettingto25bborfolding
Bobdefendsagainst4bettingby5bettingallinorfolding
Alicedefendsagainst5bettingbycallingallinorfolding
Theblindsalwaysfold,nomatterwhatBobdoes

SowearestudyingascenariowhereAliceopenraises,Bob3betsorfolds,andtheblindsnevergetinvolved.Alice
thenmakes1.5bb(theblinds)perraisewhenBobfolds,whichisawinrateof150bb/100.ThisisherbaselineEV
forthesimulation.
Beforewebeginthesimulations,let'srepeattherangesandoptimalstrategypairswedefinedinPart2:
Alice's25%openrangefromCO
22+
A2s+ A9o+
K9s+ KTo+
Q9s+ QTo+
J8s+ JTo
T8s+
97s+
87s
76s
65s
326 combos
25%

The corresponding optimal strategy pair that's being used when Bob 3bets in position can be found from the
summaryofoptimalstrategypairsinPart2:

Hereisadownloadlinkforthisdocument(rightclickandchoose"Saveas"):
IP_3bet_summary.doc
Theoptimalstrategypairisthen:
Bob:
3bets{QQ+,AK,12air}={QQ+,AK,A5sA3s}forvalue(including5betbluffingwithAxshands)and70%av
"IP3betairlist"asabluffusingarandomizer
Alice:
4bets{TT+,AQ+}forvalueand{AJ,AT,A9sA7s}asabluff

Pokerazorsimulation1(Bobfolds)
ThebaselinesimulationistoletBobfold100%.Alicethenpicksuptheblinds,andmakes1.5bbeachtime(=150
bb/10):
Aliceopenraises25%fromCO
Bobfolds

EV (baseline for Alice) =150 bb/100

Bob now begins 3betting so that Alice ends up with EV < 150 bb/100. It's obvious that Alice's EV now becomes

lowerthanthe150bb/100baseline,sinceshecannotpreventBobfrommakingmoneyby3bettingonlyhisbest
hands,forexamplehis{QQ+,AK}defaultvaluerangeagainsther25%COopenrange.Furthermore,it'scorrectfor
Alicetonever4betbluffwhenBobnever3betbluffs,soshehastofoldthehandsnotstrongenoughto4betfor
valueagainstBob'stightvaluerangeandletBobpickuptheblinds.
We start by assuming that Bob never 3bet bluffs and that Alice defends against the 3bet by 4betting the value
range{KK+}afterobservingthatBob's3bettingrangeis{QQ+,AK}.ThisiscorrectsinceAlicedoesnotwanttoget
allinpreflopwithQQorAKagainstBob's{QQ+,AK}range(bothare~40%underdog)withonly3.5bbinvested.
Pokerazorsimulation2(Bob3betsonlyforvalue)
Bob3betshisvaluehands.Welethimusethepurevaluehands{QQ+,AK}thathewouldhaveusedinanoptimal
strategyagainstAlice's25%COopenrange,andthedropshis5betbluffsfornow:
Aliceopenraises25%fromCO
Bob3bets{QQ+,AK}forvalueand5betsallinagainsta4bet
Alice4better{KK+}forvalue
Andtherestfollowsautomatically.Weget:

EV (Alice; KK+) =141 bb/100

IfAlicealsohad4betQQ/AKforvalue,theEVwouldhavebecome:

EV (Alice; QQ+,AK) =139 bb/100

So Alice's choice of value range against Bob's extremely tight 3betting range is correct. Note that Alice is now
exploitingBobbyonly4bettinganextremelytight{KK+}valuerange!WhathappenshereisthatBobmostlyleaves
Alicealonesothatshecanpickuptheblindsalmosteverytime.Bobonlypopsupwithavalue3betthe2.56%of
thetimehehas{QQ+,AK},andAlicethenrespondsbyfoldingeverythingbut{KK+}.
SoAliceexploitsBob'ssqueakytight3bettingbynotpayingoffhisvaluehandswithweakerhands.AndsinceBob
never3betbluffs,thereisneveranydoubtabouthisrange.Alicecanthenplayperfectlyagainsta3betanddrop
allher(nowunnecessary)4betbluffsaswellasherweakestvaluehands(andwerememberthatAlice'soptimal
value range in CO is {TT+,AQ+}). Exploiting someone by folding a lot to his aggression is not the first thing that
comes to mind when poker players think about exploitative play. But avoiding paying off a strong range
unnecessarilyisjustasprofitableasplayingaggressivelyagainstplayersthatfoldtoomuch.
IfAlicehadrespondedwithheroptimal4betstrategywhichis{TT+,AQ}forvalueand{AJAT,A9sA7s}asbluffs,
weget:

EV (Alice; optimal strategy) =126 bb/100

And we see that Alice's optimal 3/4/5bet strategy out of position loses relative to the best exploitative strategy
(whichgaveher141bb/100).Thisisanexampleofageneralrule:Ifwehaveanopportunitytoexploitsomeone,we
will make more money from this than from continuing to use an optimal strategy. The reason is that Alice now
sacrifices EV by defending against a nonexisting threat. She has 4bet bluffs in her 4betting range to defend
againstBob's3betbluffs,butBobnever3betbluffs.
So even if Alice's optimal strategy can not be exploited by anytwocards 3bet bluffing from Bob, this defense is
costing her EV relative to a strategy that exploits Bob's very tight neverbluff 3betting strategy. A good analogy
wouldbeanationsdefensebudgetinpeacetime.TherehasbeennowarfareonNorwegiansoilsince1945,but
Norwayhasstillhadadefensebudgetinalltheyearssincethen.Wearesimplypayingforamilitarydefenseso
thatothernationsdon'tgetanopportunitytoinvadeuswithoutrisk.
Now,let'sassumethatBobhasbeensittingthereand3bettingonly{QQ+,AK}forvalueandfoldingeverythingelse,
whileAlicehasrespondedby4bettingonly{KK+}forvalueandfoldingeverythingelse.BobhasobservedthatAlice
almostalwaysfolds.It'snoweasyforhimtoreachtheconclusionthathecouldmakealotmoremoneybythrowing

in some 3bet bluffs, planning to fold then when Alice 4bets. Since Bob does not have to worry about the blind
playerswakingupwithahand,let'sallowhimto3betanytwocardstomaximallyexploitAlice'ssupertightdefense
against3bets:
Pokerazorsimulation(Bob3betsanytwocards)
Bob uses his read on Alice, and changes his strategy to exploit her. He keeps 3betting {QQ+,AK} for value, and
then he 3bets all other hands as a 3bet bluff. Alice, not knowing that Bob suddenly has changed his strategy,
keeps4betting{KK+}forvalueandfoldingeverythingelse:
Aliceopenraises25%fromCO
Bob3bets{QQ+,AK}forvalue+anytwocardsasa3betbluff
Alice4bets{KK+}forvalue

EV (Alice) =-286 bb/100

AlicenowgetsslaughteredbyBob'sanytwocards3betbluffingandsheactuallylosesmoneyfromtryingtosteal
theblindsfromCO.Herfirstadjustmentistoreturntotheoptimalvaluerange{TT+,AQ+}associatedwithher25%
COopenrange.Thisgivesus:

EV (Alice; optimal 4-bet value range) =-39 bb/100

It helps, but not enough. She will still lose money for every hand she openraises, unless she also starts 4bet
bluffing.AlicenowreturnstohercompleteoptimalstrategyinCO,designedtodefendagainstanytwocards3bet
bluffing:

EV (Alice; optimal total 4-bet-range) =+179 bb/100

Bingo!Alice'soptimal4betstrategynotonlypreventsBobfromexploitingherby3betbluffingwithanytwocards,it
alsopunisheshimforit.Alicenowmakes179150=+29bb/100morethanifBobhadsimplyfoldedeverytimeand
letherpickuptheblinds.
ButisAlice'soptimalstrategythemostprofitablestrategyagainstBob'sanytwocards3betbluffstrategy?No,and
to find Alice's most profitable strategy we use common sense. When Bob is 3betting any two cards, but only
continueswith{QQ+,AK}aftera4bet,heisextremelyvulnerablefor4betbluffing.Heonlycontinueswith2.56%of
hishandsandfoldstheremaining97.44%againstAlice's4bets
AlicecanthenmaximallyexploitBob'sattempttoexploitherby4betbluffinghimwithanytwocards(orrather,any
two cards in her original opening 25% opening range). We let Alice continue with her optimal {TT+,AQ+} value
range.Thenshedeviatesfromtheoptimalstrategybywideningher4betbluffingrangetotherestofher25%CO
opening range. Bob, unaware that Alice has suddenly changed her strategy to exploit his strategy, keeps 3bet
bluffinganytwocards:

EV (Alice; 4-bet bluff any two cards) =+1261 bb/100

AhugeincreaseinEVforAlice,andAlicenowmakesabout8timesmorethanifBobhadfoldedeveryhand.Thisis
an extremely clear illustration of the difference between optimal and exploitative play. Alice's optimal defense
strategyagainstBob's3betsguaranteesthathecannotexploitherby3betbluffinganytwocards,butheoptimal
defense did nothing to counterexploit Bob extreme strategy. Alice made a little bit more than if Bob had folded
everyhand,butnotalot((179bb/100vs150bb/100).
ButwhenAlicerespondsbychoosingthestrategythatexploitsBob'sanytwocardsbluffingstrategymaximally,her
EVexplodes.Still,thisdoesnotcomewithoutriskforher,sinceBobcantakehisexploitativestrategytothenext
levelandbegin5betbluffinganytwocardstoexploitAlice'sanytwocards4betbluffing.Alicemustthenmakea
newexploitativeadjustment(forexample,wideninghervaluerangedramaticallyandcallingBob's5betswithavery

widerangeofvaluehands)tostayonestepaheadofBob.
We can view this exploit/counterexploit process as "strategic pingpong" where both players zig and zag, using
extremestrategychangesindifferentdirectionstomaximallyexploittheiropponent.Whenoneofthemhasmadea
bigstrategychangetoexploitheropponent,shealsocreatesanopeningthattheopponentcanexploitbymaking
an adjustment of his own. Then the first player has to make another big strategy adjustment, and the process
repeatsitselfadinfinitum.
When we are playing optimally, we are using a different mindset. Instead of trying to stay one step ahead of our
opponents by sudden "gear changes", we can fall back on a strategy that performs more or less equally well no
matter what our opponent does. If he uses an extreme strategy, our optimal strategy will win a bit from him, but
maximizing our profit from his mistake(s) is not our main goal. Instead, we simply want to prevent him from
exploiting us. In the simulations above we saw that this worked well for Alice, but not as well as the maximally
exploitativestrategyshecanuseagainstBob'sanytwocards3betbluffing.
OkayBob,nowwhat?BobcanofcourserespondtoAlice'sanytwocards4betbluffingbygoingtothenextlevel
andstart5betbluffingwithanytwocards.Alicethengetsexploitedforawhile,untilsherealizesthisandadjusts.
Butwewillnottakeanytwocardsbluffingbeyondwhatwedidintheprevioussimulations,andweassumethatBob
now adjusts by falling back on his optimal 3betting strategy. Alice in turn falls back on her optimal 4betting
strategy:
Pokerazorsimulation4(bothplayersuseoptimalstrategies)
BothAliceandBobnowusestheoptimalstrategy.Aswehaveseeninpreviousarticles,thisoptimalstrategypair
follows from Alice's openrange. Both players are now protecting themselves against anytwocards bluffing from
theiropponentinallphasesofthe3/4/5betwar.
Alice'sEVnowbecomes:

EV (Alice; both players 3/4/5-bet optimally) =+129 bb/100

Inthelastroundofsimulationswewillletoneplayersticktotheoptimalstrategywhiletheotherplayerislet"offthe
leash",freetotryanythingtoincreaseherorhisEVagainsttheotherplayer'soptimalstrategy.Thenwecompare
the resulting EV with EV when both players play optimally (129 bb/100 for Alice). We start out with Bob playing
optimally,whileAliceistestingoutsomedeviationsfromheroptimalstrategy:
Pokerazorsimulation5(BobplaysoptimallyandAlicecandowhatshewants)
We remember that Alice makes 150 bb/100 when Bob doesn't interfere, and Bob's optimal 3betting strategy
reducesthisto129bb/100whenAliceplaysoptimallytoo.WeshallnowseethatAlicecan'tdoanythingtoincrease
herEVsignificantlywhenBobstickswithhisoptimalstrategy.
Forexample,let'sassumethatAlicedropstheweakesthandsTT/AQfromhervaluerangewhensheseesthatBob
uses the strong value range {QQ+,AK} (and remember that he also 3bets/5bets with his 5bet bluffs A5sA3s).
Alicethenchoosesto4betTT/AQasbefore,butshefoldsthemwhenBob5betsallin:

EV (Alice; folds TT/AQ to 5-bet) =+128 bb/100

Alice'sEVdropsalittle,andshecan'tincreaseherEVbyplayingatightervaluerangeagainstBob'sstrongvalue
range. The reason is that Bob has put exactly so many 5bet bluffs in his 5betting range that Alice becomes
indifferenttofoldingorcallingwithherweakestvaluehands.WhenAlicetriestoavoidpayingoffBob'sbettervalue
hands,his5betbluffsmakesmoremoney.
CanAliceincreaseherEVby4betbluffingmorethanoptimally?Wetestthisbylettingher4betbluffanytwocards
againstBob'soptimalstrategy,keepingeverythingelseoptimal:

EV (Alice; 4-bet-bluffs any two cards) =+139 bb/100

AsmallEVincrease,butnothingcomparabletotheresultsoftheextremeexploitativeanytwocardsadjustmentsin

previoussimulations.NotethataperfectlyoptimalstrategyforBobshouldmakeitimpossibleforAlicetoincrease
her EV, but our optimal strategy implementations probably contain some "numerical noise", since we have made
someapproximationsandroundingalongtheway.
Atanyrate,Alice'sattempttoexploitBob'soptimalstrategywithanytwocards4betbluffingonlyresultsinasmall
EVchange.Bob'soptimalstrategythereforeprotectshimwellagainstexploitative4betbluffingfromAlice.Andif
Bob wanted to, he could probably finetune his strategy (for example, remove a couple of 3bet bluff combos) to
eliminateAlice'ssmallEVincreasecompletely.
So we have seen that Bob's side of the optimal 3/4/5bet strategy pair seems robust against Alice's extreme
adjustments.Let'snowturntoAlice,andletherplaytheoptimalstrategywhileBobisallowedtodowhateverhe
wants:
Pokerazorsimulation6(Aliceplaysoptimally,whileBobcandowhathewants)
WesawpreviouslythatBob'sattemptstoexploitAlice'soptimalstrategyby3betbluffinganytwocardsdidn'twork
forhim.Helostagainstheroptimalstrategy(herEVincreasedfromthebaseline150bb/100to179bb/100),andhe
lostalotwhenAlicecounterexploitedhimby4betbluffinganytwocards(herEVincreasedto1261bb/100).We
shall now repeat this simulation by using Bob's optimal strategy as a starting point, and then we make the
adjustmentthathe3betbluffsanytwocardsontopofthat.Allotherrangesforvalueand5betbluffingareasin
theoptimalstrategy:

EV (Alice; Bob 3-bet-bluffs any two cards) =+179 bb/100

Alice'sEVincreaseswith+50bb/100(from129bb/100)relativetoBob'soptimalstrategy,and+29bb/100relative
tothebaselineEVwhenBobalwaysfolds(150bb/100).AndwerememberthatifAlicewantsto,shecanexploit
Bobhardby4betbluffinganytwocardsandpocketmorethan1200bb/100untilBobadjustsback.SoBobcan't
increasehisEVbyaggressive3betbluffing,whichiswhatweexpected.
ThenweletBob3betbluffanytwocardsandalso5betbluffanytwocards.Inotherwords,welethimplaylikea
completemaniac,wherehe3betsanytwocardsandthen5betsanytwocardsifhegets4bet.

EV (Alice; Bob 3-bet-bluffs/5-bet-bluffs any two cards)

=+300 bb/100

ThiscausesAlice'sEVtomorethandoublerelativetothe129bb/100shehasagainstBob'soptimalstrategy.We
conclude that Alice's optimal strategy is waterproof against anytwocards 3bet bluffing, and that Bob only hurts
himselfifhetries.
Theresultsfromthelasttwosimulationsareworthnoticing,sincetheycanbeuncomfortablescenariostoplaywhen
youdon'tknowwhetherornotyouaredefendingcorrectly.Butaswehaveseen,evenagainstatotalmaniacwho
3betsyoufrompositionateveryopportunity,youdon'thavetodoanythingelsethanrespondwithyourmemorized
optimal4betstrategy.Ifyoudothis,hewillloosemoneyrelativetoplayinganoptimalstrategyhimself,andhewill
probablyenduplosingmoneyoverall(sothat3bettingisworseforhimthanfolding).
Notethatanaggressive3bettorcanstillreduceourEVrelativetothebaselineEV(i.e.wewillmakelesswhenhe
sometimes 3bets than when he always folds), which is of course intuitively obvious since he has a lot of strong
handsinhis3bettingrangeaswell.Forexample,hecouldchooseto3betonlyAA,andwecouldnotdoanything
topreventhimfrommakingmoneyinthissituationandreduceourEV.).Soifwealwaysrespondwithouroptimal
strategy,wecan'tdenythe3bettorsome+EV.
Forexample,ifBobdeviatesfromhisoptimalstrategybyincreasinghis3betbluffingfrom70%of"IP3betairlist"
to100%ofthelist,weget:

EV (Alice; Bob 3-bet-bluffs all of "IP 3-bet air list")

=+130 bb/100

Westillmakealittlebitmore(129bb/100>130bb/100)whenBobincreaseshis3betbluffpercentagebeyond

theoptimalpercentage,buthestillreducesourEVrelativetoourbaselineEVwhenhealwaysfolds(150bb/100>
130 bb/100). We can't prevent Bob from making some money in this situation, and we just have to accept that a
playerinpositionhastherighttomakemoneyby3bettingus.Ofcourse,ouropenraisewillstillbenicelyprofitable
overall,justlessprofitablethanifhehadalwaysfoldedbehindus.
Aswesawpreviously,wecanexploitacompletemaniacbydeviatingfromoptimalplaytotakeadvantageofthe
gapingholesinhisstrategy,particularlyifhefoldstoomuchto4bets.Ifheletsusexploithim,wecanmakemore
moneyfromanexploitativestrategythanfromouroptimalstrategy.Butthenwehavetoplayguessinggameswith
him,andwealsoruntheriskofofferingbigopeningstotheotherplayersatthetable(theycandeviatefromoptimal
playtoexploitournonoptimalplay).Sinceanoptimalstrategywillprotectus(andthensome)fromgettingexploited
byawild3bettor,thistradeoffmightnotbeworthit
Acoupleofobviousadjustmentswecanusetoexploitaveryaggressivewithpositiononus3bettorare:
4betbluffmore,ifhefoldseasilyto4bets(inotherwords,hedefendshisloose3bettingrangetotightly)
Drop4betbluffing,but4betmorehandslikeAJ,AT,99,88,etc.forvalue,ifhefoldstoolittleto4betsand
callsand5betsalotwithweakhands

But we don't have to make these adjustments to defend out of position against overly aggressive 3betting. Our
optimalstrategyismorethanenough.Itmightfeellikewe'regettingexploited,andsomeofthereasonforthatis
thatastrategywherewefoldalot(70%intheoptimalstrategy,asexplainedinPart1)feels"weak".Butthereality
isthatamaniac3bettorinpositionendsupcostinghimselfifhestarts3bettinganytwocardsagainstouroptimal
strategy.Keepthisinmindeverytimeyoufeelexploitedbya3bettorinposition.
3.Summary
Wehavetestedoptimalstrategypairsforheadsup3/4/5bettingusingtheanalysissoftwarePokerazor.Westarted
withadiscussionofABCpreflopstrategieswithout3betbluffingor4betbluffing.Wethenusedsimulationstoshow
howineffectiveandvulnerablethesestrategiesareagainstplayerswhoarecapableofreraisingasabluffwithany
twocards.Asapartofthissimulationwelookedatexploitativeadjustmentswecanmakeagainstplayerswithbig
leaksintheir3/4/5betstrategies.
Thenwetestedtherobustnessoftheoptimal3/4/5betstrategieswedefinedinpreviousarticles,withtheraiserout
ofposition.Weconcludedthatboththeraiser'sandthe3bettor'soptimalstrategieswererobust,andthattheydid
notgivetheopponentopeningshecouldexploitbybluffingwithanytwocards.
InPart7we'lldonumericalsimulationsforflattingheadsupinposition.Amongotherthingswe'llcompareEVfor
flatting versus 3betting for value with hands that are in between clear value hands and clear flatting hands (for
exampleQQagainstatightUTGraiser).InthelasthalfofPart7we'lladjustourheadsup3/4/5betstrategiesfor
blindvsblindscenarios.
Goodluck!
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Optimal3bet/4bet/5betStrategiesinNLHold'em6MaxPart7
4yearsago|WrittenbyDonkr

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In this series we dissect preflop 3/4/5betting in NLHE and use principles from game theory to
designstrongdefaultstrategies.

Donkr.com
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1.Introduction
This is Part 7 in the series Optimal 3bet/4bet/5betstrategies i NLHE 6max, and the last theoretical part of the
articleseries(apracticalpartmightcomelater,andwe'lltalkaboutthisattheendofthisarticle).InPart6webegan
testingthestrategieslaidoutinPart1toPart5,andwe'llcontinuethisworkinPart7.
As in Part 6 we'll use modeling with Pokerazor to estimate EV for our headsup 3/4/5bet strategies (including

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flatting)toconfirmthattheyarefundamentallysound.TheworkdoneinPart6showedthatboththeraiser'sandthe
3bettor'sstrategiesweresolid,andthattheydefendedwellagainstanopponenttryingtobluffwithanytwocards.
Thiswaswhatthestrategiesweredesignedtodo,andwecannowbesurethattheyworkthewaywewantthemto.
Part7willbeabout:
FlattinginpositionandcomparingtheEVforflattingvs3bettingforvaluewithhandsinbetweentheregions
ofclearvaluehandsandclearflattinghands
Adjustingtheheadsup3/4/5bettheorytoblindvsblindscenarios

1.1IntroductiontoPokerazorsimulationsofflattinginposition
In Part 7 we'll discuss the part of the 3bettors strategy that comes in addition to 3betting. When Alice has
openraisedandBobhasposition,hewill3betarangeofhandsaccordingtohispartofanoptimalstrategypair,
andinadditionhewillflatsomerangeofhandshethinkscanbeplayedprofitably.InPart2wedefinedthefollowing
defaultflattingrangeforBobinposition:
IPflatlist
ATs+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
JTs

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T9s
98s
Without {KK+}: 162 combos
Without {QQ+}: 156 combos
Without {QQ+,AK}: 140 combos
Without {JJ+,AK}: 134 combos

AndwerememberthatthenumberofcombosintheflattingrangedependsonhowwideofarangeBob3betsfor
value.Againsta~15%openraisefromAlice,Bob'svaluerangeisonly{KK+}(plus7combosofAxsthathe3bets
as a bluff, planning to 5bet bluff if Alice 4bets). So QQ/AK are put in the flatting range, and Bob now has 162
combosthatheflats.AgainstAlice's~25%COraisingrange,Bob3bets{QQ+,AK}forvalue(plus12combosof
Axs5betbluffs),sohehas140flattingcombosinthisscenario.
AllofthisissummarizedintheoverviewoveroptimalstrategypairsthatwemadeinPart2:

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Belowisalinkfordownloadingthisdocument(rightclickandchoose"saveas"):
IP_3bet_summary.doc
Inasimilarway,whenAlicehaspositionaftershehasopenraisedandBobhas3betherfromtheblinds,shewill
respondtothe3betwithamixofoptimal4bettingandflatting.InPart3wedefinedthefollowingstandarddefense
rangeforAliceaftershehasopenedherdefault35%openrangeandBobhas3betfromtheblinds:
4bet:{QQ+,AK}forvalue+{ATo,A9sA7s}asabluff
FlatJJ88,AQAJ,ATs,KQKJ,KTs,QJ,QTs,JTs[/pre]
Bob'stotaldefensestrategyfromtheblindsheadsupagainstAlice'sbuttonopenraiseissummarizedhere:

Downloadlink(rightclickandchoose"saveas"):blind_defense_vs_button_summary.doc
In this article we'll focus mostly on Bob's flatting in position after an openraise by Alice. We'll use the standard
positionalflattingrangeasourstartingpoint,andthenstudyhowthebestflattingcandidates(forexampleQQand
AK)movebetweenthevaluerangeandtheflattingrangewhenAlice'sopenrangevaries.Toillustratethiswe'lluse
PokerazortoestimatetheEVofusingQQasavalue3bettinghandandasaflattinghand.Thiswillgiveusinsight
intothebestwayofplayingQQpreflop,asafunctionofAlice'sopenrange.
Weshallseethatsomehandscanbeplayedprofitablybothways.Forexample,QQis+EVagainstAlice's~15%
EPopenrangebothwhenwe3betitforvalueandwhenweflat.SowhenwedecidetoflatQQasourdefaultplayin
this scenario, it's because we assume that flatting is moreprofitable than value 3betting. we'll use modeling and
Pokerazorsimulationstoshowthis.
We'llalsodiscussadjustingour3betting/flattingrangeswhenweplayagainstweakplayersthatflatlotsofmedium
stronghandsoutofpositionaftera3bet.Bob'soptimal3bettingstrategyinpositionisbasedontheassumption
thatAliceeither4betsorfoldsoutofposition,sohepolarizeshis3bettingrangeintopremiumhands(forexample,
{QQ+,AK} and bluffs (for example K9s), and then he flats some hands in the region between his value 3betting
hands and his 3bet bluffs (for example, AQ). But when the raiser flats a lot of 3bets out of position, it might be
betterforBobtomovehisbestflattinghandsuptothevaluerange.Forexample,Bobmightelectto3betallpairs
AAJJ for value, together with AKAQ. The reason for this adjustment is that JJ and AQ should do well as value
hands against a player that flats JJ99, AQAT, KQKT, QJ and similar hands out of position (so we're raising for
valuemainlyagainsttherangethatcallsusandnotnecessarilyagainsttherangethat4betsus).
Thelastscenariowe'llmodelisflattingversusvalue4bettingwithJJafterAlicehasopenraisedJJonthebuttonand
gotten3betbyBobintheblinds.ThischoicewasdiscussedinPart3,andwetalkedabouttheconsequencesof
puttingJJinthevaluerangeversusflattingthe3betwithit.Pokerazorwillgiveusanestimateofthebestwayto
playJJagainsta3betinthisscenario.
1.2Introductiontothescenario"blindvsblind"
The last topic of Part 7 is a look at the headsup scenario blind vs blind. Small blind openraises and big blind
defendsby3bettingorflatting.Wethengettwopossiblescenarios:
Aheadsup3/4/5warpreflop
Postflopplayinaraisedpotwiththebigblindinposition
Firstwe'lllookathowmathematics(thepotoddssmallblindisgettingonastealraise)dictateshowoftenbigblind
needs to defend preflop. Then we'll use the theory for headsup 3/4/5betting from previous articles as a starting
point, and then adjust it to the blind vs blind scenario. We know this theory well by now, and this work will be

straightforwardapplicationoffamiliarconcepts.
2.Pokerazorsimulationsofflattinginposition
We'llestimateEVfor3scenariosusingPokerazorandsimplemodeling:
Flattingversus3bettingwithQQheadsupwithpositionona~15%UTGraiserwhodefendsagainst3bets
by4bettingorfolding
Flattingversus3bettingwithQQheadsupwithpositionona~15%UTGraiserwhodefendsagainst3bets
by4betting,callingorfolding
Flatting of 3bet vs 4betting with JJ headsup on the button against a 3bet from the blinds (where the 3
bettorisusingourdefaultblinddefensestrategyoutlinedinPart3)

Inthefirsttwomodelstudieswe'lljustifyourchoiceofflattingQQ(andsimilarly,AK)inpositionagainstatight~15%
openrange (a typical tightaggressive UTG range in 6max play) where the raiser defends against 3bets by 4
betting or folding. In previous articles we noted that QQ is not strong enough to be a favorite against the ~15%
raiser's optimal value range {QQ+,AK}, so we'd rather flat QQ and play it postflop with position on his total
openraisingrange.
Butiftheraiserdefendsagainst3betsbyalsoflattingsomemediumstronghands(e.g.JJ99,AQ,AJ,KQ)outof
position,we'llseethattheEVforvalue3bettingQQincreases.Thereasonisobviouslythatwecanextractmore
value from all of these medium strong flatting hands by playing against them postflop instead of winning the pot
against them preflop (since the raiser will mostly fold them to our 3bet if he follows our optimal strategy out of
position).
Thelastmodelstudywe'lldoiscomparingtheEVforflattingvsvalue4bettingwhenwehaveopenraisedJJonthe
buttonandhavegotten3betfromtheblinds.InPart3wedesignedadefaultdefensestrategyforthisscenario,and
we used JJ as a flatting hand. But we commented that JJ would also work as a value 4betting hand, and we
definedanalternativedefensestrategywithJJinour4betvaluerange.Herewe'llusemodelingtodeterminewhat
worksbest(andwe'reguessingrightnowthatit'saclosedecision).
2.1Asimplemodelforestimatingpreflop+postflopEV
When we flat hands preflop we are setting ourselves up for seeing a flop and then playing postflop. Postflop
strategiesareimpossibletowriteoutinfulldetail,sincewehavetotakeintoconsiderationallpossiblecombinations
offlops,turncardsandrivercards.We'llsimplifythingsbyusingthefollowingsimplemodel:
Bothplayersstartwith100bbstacks
Theraiseandthe3betarepotsized
A4betisto27bb(alittlelessthanpotsized)
A5betisallin
Wespecifyprefloprangesandpreflopstrategiesexactly,basedonourdefaultopenrangesandoptimal3/4/5
betstrategypairsfrompreviousarticles
Weassumethatallotherplayersfoldpreflop
Thosetimeswehavetoplaypostflop,weassumebothplayerschecktoshowdown

Thisisaverysimplifiedmodelthatwon'tgiveuspreciseestimatesforspecificEVvalues.Butwhatwewantisto
compareEVsforvariousscenarios.Ifwecanassumethatthemodelgivesaboutthesameerrorforallscenarios,
wecanassumethatEVdifferencescangiveususefulinformation.Forexample,ofthemodeltellsusthatflatting
has higher EV than 3betting for value, we shall assume that this is the case, even if we can't determine the
individualEVsforflattingor3bettingaccurately.
Inadditiontothenumberswecrunchoutusingthismodel,wewilluselogicandsoundpokersensewherewecan.
Forexample,wecanassumethatifflattingsetsyouupforplayingpostflopwithahandthatisthefavoriteagainst
theraiser'stotalrange(e.g.QQagainsta~15%UTGrange),youshouldbeabletoextractsomeEVpostflop(e.g.
whenyouflopanoverpairorasetwithQQ).
2.2Flattingversus3bettingwithQQheadsupinpositionagainsta~15%UTGrange
WeletAliceopenraisefromUTGwithoutdefault~15%UTGrange:

22+
A9s+ AJo+
KTs+ KQo
QTs+
J9s+

T9s
98s
87s
76s
65s
194 combos
15%

Scenario1:Alice4betsorfoldsagainsta3bet
FirstweletAliceusetheoptimal3/4/5betstrategycorrespondingtoa15%UTGrangeoutofposition.Fromthe
overviewoveroptimal3/4/5betstrategypairswiththeraiseroutofposition(seedocumentpresentedearlierinthis
article),weseethatAlicethen4bets{QQ+,AK}forvalue,4bets{AQ,AJsATs}asbluffs,andfoldseverythingelse.
WenowusePokerazortocalculatetheEVforflattingandtheEVfor3bettingQQforvalue.Weget:

EV (flat) =+2.49 bb
EV (3-bet) =+3.11 bb

We remember that there is 1.5 bb dead money in the pot from the blinds (we assume they always fold). So by
flatting, we on average pocket the blinds plus 2.49 1.50 =0.99 bb from UTG's stack. This is intuitively obvious,
sinceweplaypostflopwithahandthatis70%favoriteagainstAlice'stotalrange:

Whenwe3betQQ,wemake3.11bbintotal.1.5bbfromtheblindsand3.111.50=+1.61bbfromUTG'sstack.
This is +0.62 bb relative to flatting, so 3betting is more profitable than flatting when we ignore postflop betting
(remember,bothplayersarecheckingtoshowdownwhentheyseeaflop).
But here we should add a manual adjustment based on poker sense. There are two arguments for flatting being
betterthan3bettinginpracticewhenthemodelEVdifferenceisassmallashere:
Weshouldbeabletomakemorethan+0.62bbpostflopwithQQafterflattingversusUTG'stotal15%range
Theblindswillsometimesgetinvolvedwithrangeswehaveverygoodequityagainst

So the +0.62 bb head start that 3betting has over flatting in our model should be easy to overcome in practice,
since we can extract value from postflop betting. For example, we will often flop an overpair (or a set) on an
uncoordinated flop where Alice elects to continuationbet her whole preflop raising range into us on the flop. And
we'reabigfavoriteagainstthisrange.
Wethereforeconclude:
Flatting QQ in position against a tight ~15% openraising range should be more profitable than 3betting and
planningto5betallinaftera4bet
Ofcourse,thisisagainstAlice'soptimaldefensestrategyagainst3betswhereshe4betsavaluerange+some4
betbluffs,andfoldseverythingelse(includingmosthandswebeat).ButwhatifweletAlicedeviatefromoptimal
play,andtellhertoflatthe3betwithvariousmediumstronghandsthatareforbiddentoplayoutofpositioninthe
optimalstrategy?_
Scenario2:Alice4bets,callsorfoldsagainsta3bet
This defense strategy is common among weak players, and you will see lots of flatting with weak hands out of
positionatloosepassivetables.Thereyouwilloftenseetheraiserflatting3betsheadsupandoutofpositionwith

decent aces, medium/low pocket pairs, and various suited/coordinated high/medium cards. Let's give Alice
permissiontoflat3betswiththefollowingrangeoutofposition:{JJ99,KQ,KJs,QJs,JTs}.
NotethattheonlychangewemakerelativetotheoptimalstrategyistoallowAlicetoflatsomehandsinadditionto
4betting optimally. So she will still have 4bet bluffs in her 4betting range. This is not totally "in character" for a
loosepassive player, but we keep the 4bet bluffs in our strategy to make it simple to study the effect of flatting
(sinceaddingaflattingrangeistheonlychangewemake).
SoAlice'snewdefensestrategyagainst3betsheadsupandoutofpositionbecomes:
4bet{QQ+,AK}forvalueand{AQ,AJsATs}asbluffs
Flat{JJ99,KQ,KJs,QJs,JTs}
PokerazorgivesustheEVforplayingQQinpositionbehindAlice'snewloosepassivestrategy:

EV (flat) =+2.49 bb
EV (3-bet) =+3.67 bb

EVforflattingQQagainstAlice'srangeisofcoursethesameasbefore.ButwhenAliceintroducessomemedium
strengthflattinghandstoherdefensestrategy,theEVfor3bettingincreases(from+3.11bbto+3.67bb).
The difference between flatting and 3betting for value was +0.62 bb in favor of 3betting when Alice used the
optimalstrategy.Whensheaddsaflattingrange,thedifferenceincreasesto+1.18bbinfavorof3betting.
Intheprevioussimulationweusedsomequalitativeargumentstoconcludethatflattingshouldbeableto"catchup"
to 3betting in practice because of postflop betting. We can probably conclude the same thing here, since the
differencestillisonly~1bb.
ButthemodelingwehavedonewithaflattingrangeforAliceisofcoursenotarealisticmodelforaloosepassive
player. So we will not draw strong conclusions about the profitability of flatting versus 3betting. Instead, we
concludethat:
Againstaraiserwhodefendsagainst3bettingpartlybyflattingarangeofmediumstrangehandsoutofposition,
theEVof3bettingQQforvalueincreasesrelativetothesameraisernotflatting.
Thenwe'llhavetousejudgmenttodecidewhethertheraiserisflattingsufficientlymany/sufficientlyweakhandsto
make3bettingbetterthanflattinginpracticewhenwehaveahandthatweflatasadefault.Asafinalsimulation,
let'sgiveAliceanextremelyloosepassivestrategywithlotsofflattingandno4betbluffing:
4bet{QQ+,AK}forvalue
Flat{JJ22,AQAJ,ATs,KQ,KJsKTs,QJs,JTs,T9s,98s}
Weget:

EV (flat) =+2.49 bb
EV (3-bet) =+2.66 bb

3bettingstillmakesmorethanflatting,butthedifferenceislessthanwhenAlicedefendedoptimally.SogivingAlice
anextremelywideflattingrangeisseeminglynotanargumentforvalue3bettingQQ.Or?
Thisisaninterestingresult,andwe'lllookintoitmoreclosely.OnethingthathashappenedhereisthatAlicehas
stopped4betbluffing.AndasignificantchunkofourEVforvalue3bettingcomesfrom5bettingandforcingAlice
tofoldher4betbluffsafterputting27bbintothepot.WhenAlicestops4betbluffing,ourvalue3betwithQQsets
usupforgettingallinagainstAlice'svaluerange{QQ+,AK}.AgainstthisrangeourQQisa40%underdog,sowe're
losingchipsasofthemomentwhenAlice4betshervaluerangeandforcesustogettherestofthestackinasan
underdog(withoutgettinganycompensationfrompickingupthepotagainsther4betbluffs):

Thismeanswehavetobecautiouswhenwe3betloosepassiveplayersaggressivelywith"thin"valuehands.We
expecttomakealotofmoneyfromtheirfoldingorflattingagainstour4bet,butwhenthey4bet,itmightbebestfor
ustofoldourhand,evenifitstartedoutasavalue3bettinghand.Always3betting{QQ+,AK}forvalueandgetting
allin when 4bet is a fine standard line to take, but what if we have elected to 3bet JJ for value against a loose
playerwhoflatsalotof3betswithaweakrangeoutofposition?
Wecantestthisbyrepeatingthelastsimulation,butthistimewehaveJJ.Alice4bets{QQ+,AK}asbefore(no4
bet bluffs) and flats this wide range {JJ22,AQAJ,ATs,KQ,KJsKTs,QJs,JTs,T9s,98s} against our 3bet. Let's first
playJJasavaluehandand5betitallinagainsta4bet:

EV (flat) =+2.04 bb
EV (3-bet) =-4.39 bb

Ouch!PlayingJJasavaluehandagainstaloosepassiveplayerthatnever4betbluffsmakesour3betalosing
play,evenifheflatsout3betwithawideandweakrangepreflop.Wenowgetallinagainstarange{QQ+,AK}that
does not have a single hand we're a big favorite against. So if the choice is between 3betting JJ for thin value
(planningtogetallinif4bet)andflatting,flattingisclearlybest.
Butthereisathirdoptionwecanchooseagainstaloosepassiveplayerwhoflatsalotof3betsoutofposition,4
betsatightvaluerange,andnever4betbluffs.Wecansimply3betforthinvalueagainsthisflattingrange,butfold
those(few)timeshe4betsuswithhisstrongvaluerange!.
Wenow3betJJforvalue(againstthehandsthatcallus),butfoldtoa4bet.Weget:

EV (flat) =+2.04 bb
EV (3-bet and fold to 4-bet) =+2.52 bb

Bingo! 3betting is now +EV, and more profitable than flatting (in our model). Next we can use judgment to
determine whether flatting or value 3betting/folding to a 4bet is best in practice. 3betting is probably our best
option,sinceahandlikeJJiseasiertoplaypostflopheadsupthaninamultiwaypot(a3betwillprobablyisolate
theraiserwhileflattingwilloftenpullinnmoreplayers).ThesameargumentcanofcoursebeusedforQQ,butthere
aremoregoodflopsforQQthanforJJ.
Note that in the optimal strategies we have used throughout this article series, the term "3betting for value" has
beenequivalentto3bettingwiththeplanof5bettingallinagainsta4bet.Butagainstaplayerwhoflatsextremely
looseagainsta3bet,butonly4betshisstrongesthands(andnobluffs),wemightbebetteroff3bettingforvalue
againsthiscallingrange,butfoldingthosefewtimeshehasastrongvaluehandand4betsus.Thisisobviouslyan
exploitativelinethatweshouldonlyusewithreads.Thistypeofplayerisfairlycommoninsoftlowlimitgames,so
payattention!
WesawinaprevioussimulationthatQQistoostrongtofoldagainstatight4bettingrange,butwithhandslikeJJ,
TT,andperhapsalsoAQ(thatblocksAA,QQandAKinVillain'svaluerange)a3betforvaluebutfoldto4betline
couldbethebestline.Wethendeviatefromoptimal3/4/5bettingtoexploitthetendenciesofaknownloosepassive
player.
Notethat3bettingforthinvalueinthiswayalsoasabonuseffect:Wewillusuallyisolatetheraiserandgettoplay
himheadsuppostflop(sincehecallsfarmoreoftenthanhe4bets).IsolatingisgoodforuswithhandslikeJJ,TTT
andAQ,sincetheyaremoredifficulttoplayinmultiwaypots(whichwewilloftengetwhenweflat)thanQQis.
SummaryofmodelingofflattingQQinposition

Below are some of the things we have learned from this series if simulations of playing QQ in position versus a
~15%UTGopenraise:
FlattingQQisprobablymoreprofitablethan3bettingforvaluewhentheraiserhasatight~15%openrange
thatshedefendsoptimallyagainst3bets
3betting QQ increases in value relative to flatting when the raiser adds a flatting range of medium strong
handstoherdefenseagainst3bets
But3bettingforvaluewithQQagainsta~15%UTGrangeisnotnecessarilybetteragainstaloosepassive
playerwhoflatsalotagainst3bets,butnever4betbluffs
Againstthattypeofplayerwecan3betforthinvalue(againsttherangethatflatsus)withQQandprobably
alsosomeweakerhandslikeJJ,TTandAQ,butwemighthavetodoexploitativefoldingagainst4betsto
makethisprofitable(atleastwithJJ/TT/AQ)

Remember that all simulations done here are done with a tight openraising range. This is a range that is easy to
defendcorrectlyagainst3bets,so3bettingwithQQ(andprobablyalsoAK)isnotabigearnerforus.Therefore,
let'sdoonelastsimulationwherewehaveQQagainstAlicewitha~25%COopenraisingrangethatshedefends
optimally:
Flattingvs3bettingwithQQagainstoptimallydefended~25%COopenrange
EV (flat) =+2.65 bb
EV (3-bet) =+9.28 bb

EVforflattingincreasesalittlebitfrom+2.49bbto+2.65bbcomparedtoflattingagainsta15%UTGrange.TheEV
for 3betting makes a big jump from +3.11 bb to +9.28 bb. The reason is obviously that Alice's value range now
includessomehands(JJ,TTandAQ)thatarecrushedbyourQQ.Weconcludethatagainstalooseopenraising
rangeit'sobligatoryto3betQQforvalue.
Thenwearedonewithourdiscussionofflattingversus3bettingforvaluewithQQagainstanopenraiser.Nextwe'll
do a model study of flatting vs 4betting for value with JJ after openraising on the button and getting 3bet by a
playerintheblinds.
2.3Flattingversus4bettingwithJJheadsupagainsta3betfromtheblinds
Thescenariois:
WeopenraiseJJonthebutton
Bob3betsusfromtheblinds
Weflatthe3bet,orwe4betforvalue(callinga5bet)
WerememberfromPart3thatBob's3bettingrangefromtheblindsagainstabuttonstealraiseis:
{TT+,AQ+}forvalue
{6622,A9sA6s,K9sK8s,QTsQ9s,J9sJ8s,T9sT8s,98s97s,87s,76s,65s}asbluffs
InthisrangetheweakestvaluehandsTT/AQeffectivelyworkas5betbluffs,andBobdoesnotusededicated5bet
bluffinghands(liketheAxs5betbluffhandsheusesinposition).
We now use the same preflop and postflop models as previously. We either flat JJ and let the hand get checked
down,orwe4betforvalueandcallashove.
PokerazorgivesustheEVsforflattingandvalue4betting:

EV (flat) =+4.32
EV (4-bet) =+5.91 bb

AsweguessedinPart3bothalternativesarenicelyprofitableforus,andthedifferencebetweenthemisn'tlarge.
SowecanplayJJbothways.Notethatevenif4bettinghasaheadstartof5.914.32=+1.59bbrelativetoflatting,
wemightbeabletocatchupbecauseofpostflopbetting.
Inthisspotwecanusereadstohelpusdecide.IfyouthinkBobwillmakebigpostflopmistakesifyoulethimseea

flop with all of his 3bet bluffs, flatting could be better for you than 4betting and making the rest of the hand
automatic (Bob will shove his value hands and fold his bluffs, so he has no decisions to make, and neither have
you).ButifyouthinkBobwillbeabletooutplayyoupostflop(oratleastgiveyousometoughdecisions),justmake
itsimpleforyourselfand4bettoendthedecisionmakingprocessrightthere.
Sincewehavebegunlookingatflattingof3betsonthebutton,let'sdothesamesimulationforAQ.Thisisahand
weimmediatelycanseeisaprofitableflattinghandagainstBob'srange,thishistotal3bettingrangeisfullofhands
(the3betbluffs)thatweareafavoriteagainst.ButusingAQasavalue4bettinghandisprobablytoothin:
EVforflattingvsvalue4bettingwithAQ:

EV (flat) =+0.63
EV (4-bet) =-0.84 bb

Wehaveaneasyconclusion:
Value 4betting AQ against the optimal blind defense strategy is not profitable. Flatting the 3bet is marginally
profitableinourmodel.Inpractice,flattingshouldbemoreprofitablethaninthemodel,sincewe'replayingpostflop
withpositionagainstarangewe'reasmallfavoriteagainst:

So we should have more opportunities to outplay Bob postflop than he has to to outplay us, and our postflop EV
shouldbepositiveifweplaywell.Butnotethatthisrequiresmorethanasimplefitorfoldstrategypostflop.Calling
the3betwithAQandthenfoldingtoBob'scbetonallflopswherewedon'thaveapairoragooddrawwillnotbea
goodstrategyforus.Wehavetobepreparedtodothingslikefloatingwithoutapairordraw,orraisingallinonthe
flopasasemibluff.Noteverytimeofcourse,butonsomeflops(andwe'llusefloptextureandourknowledgeabout
Bob'srangetodeterminewhichflops).
3.Blindversusblind
Ourlasttopicinthisarticleistheblindvsblindscenario:
It'sfoldedtothesmallblind,whoopenraises
Thebigblind3bets,flats,orfolds
This is a headsup scenario with the raiser (Alice) headsup and out of position against an opponent (Bob) who
defendsbyoptimal3/4/5bettingorflatting,sowecanusethetheoryfrompreviousarticles.Theonlydifferenceis
thatwhenAliceandBobareintheblinds,thebetsizingchangesalittle.Forexample.ifAliceopenraisespotfrom
thesmallblind,sheraisesto3bbandnot3.5bb.Similarly,Bob'spotsized3betsbecome9bbandnot12bb.This
changesthevalue/bluffratiosinthe3betand4betrangessomewhat.
Wecanmakethingssimplebyassumingthattheoptimalrangeswedesignedwithbothplayersoutsideoftheblinds
will work in the blind vs blind scenario as well. But this is a good opportunity to repeat the mathematics and the
methodforconstructingoptimalstrategypairs,sowe'llbuildthemfromthegroundup.
Those of you that don't want to memorize more ranges can use the previous strategy pairs. You then use the
overviewdocumentanduseAlice'sopenraisepercentagetopickacorrespondingoptimalstrategypair:

3.1Bob'soptimaldefensepercentage
Webeginwiththefundamentalprincipleofdefense:
BobhastodefendenoughtopreventAlicefromstealingprofitablywithanytwocards
Thenweusesomeadditionalassumptions:
Aliceopenraisesherdefault35%buttonrangefromthesmallblind
Bob3betshisbesthandsforvalue
Heflatswithhebesthandsnotgoodenoughto3betforvalue
Han3betbluffswiththebesthandsnotgodenoughtoflat
Andthenhe3betssomeAxshands,planningto5betbluffagainsta4bet
Alice4betsorfoldsagainsta3bet
Ourassumptionsaboutstacksizesandbetsizesare:
Bothplayersstartwith10bbstacks
Aliceopenraisespot(3bb)
Bob3betspot(9bb)
Alice4betstoabout3/4pot(20bb)
Bob5betsallin
The assumption about Alice's openrange is simply a choice we make. But opening 2540% is typical for a good,

aggressiveplayerinthebigblind,dependingonhowwellthebigblinddefends.Soassuminga35%openingrange
forAliceinthesmallblindshouldgiveusastrategypairthatwillworkwellformostsmallblindplayers.
From the overview over optimal strategy pairs we see that Bob's 3bet range varies little when Alice's openrange
goes from 30% to 40% (for example, Bob's value range is {JJ+,AK} against the 30%, 35% and 40% opening
ranges).Soitmakessensetousea35%openingrangeandthenassumethatthestrategypairweendupwithisa
goodstartingpointformostsmallblindopenraisingscenarios.
WerememberthatwhenBobhadpositiononAliceoutsidetheblinds,therewasnominimumdefenserequirement
forhistotaldefense.Weconstructedhisoptimal3/4/5betstrategy,andthenwesaidthatBobalsowouldflatthe
hands in "IP flat list". But when Bob is the only player between Alice and the pot, he has all of the blind defense
responsibility.Solet'sfindouthowoftenBobneedstodefendtopreventAlicefromstealingprofitablywithanytwo
cards:
Aliceraisesto3bbandrisks2.5bb(remember,shehasalreadyposteda0.5bbsmallblind)towinthe1.5bbpot.
Hereffectivepotoddsonastealraiseare1.5:2.5.Sheneedstowinmorethan2.5/(1.5+2.5)=62.5%tohavean
automaticprofitwithanytwocards.
Conclusion:Bobneedstodefendatleast10062.5=37.5%by3bettingandflatting
3.2Therelationsbetweenopeningrange,3betrange,4betrangeand5betrange
Now we go through all the steps we went through when we outlined the 3/4/5bet theory in in Part 1. The only
differenceisthatwe'reusingdifferentbetsizes,potsizesandpotoddsintheblindvsblindscenario:
WhatisAlice'soptimal4bet%?
The process begins when Alice openraises some range (we're assuming the default 35% button range) that is
knowntobothherandBob.WhenBob3bets,Alicehasto4betenoughtopreventhimfromprofitably3betbuffing
withanytwocards.
Bob's3betrisks8bb(9bbminusthebigblindheposted)towina3+1=4bbpot,sohiseffectivepotoddsfora3
betbluffare4:8=1:2.HewillautomaticallymakeaprofitifAlicefoldsmorethan1/(2+1)=1/3=33%.SoAlice's
optimaldefenseagainstBob's3betsmeansshedefends33%ofheropeningrangewithavalue/bluffratiowe'llfind
inamoment.
WhatisBob'soptimalvalue/bluffratioforthe3betrange?
When Alice 4bets to 20 bb, she risks 17 bb more (20 bb minus her 3 bb raise) to win a 3 + 9 =12 bb pot. The
effectivepotoddsforher4betbluffsare12:17.Sosheprofitsfroma4betbluffwithanytwocardsifBobfolds
morethan17/(17+12)=59%.
Bobcan'tallowthis,andhedefendsoptimallyagainstAlice's4betsbydefending10059=41%.Heshouldthen5
betallinwith41%ofhis3bettingrangeandfoldtheremaining59%.Weroundthisto40/60,andendupwiththe
same40/60value/bluffratiowehaveusedinpreviousarticles.
WhatshouldBob's5betrangelooklike?
WeknowfromPart1thattheAxshands(A5sA2s)workwellas5betbluffs.TheyblockAlice'sAA/AK/AQhands,
andtheyhaveabout30%equitywhencalled,evenagainstastrongcallingrangeofgoodacesandbigpairs.For
exampleagainst{QQ+,AK}:

When Bob 5bet bluffs an Axs hand allin and gets called, he has ~30% equity in a 200 bb pot where he has
invested91bbwithhis5bet(a100bbstackminushis3betto9bb).Fromthispothegetsback~0.30x200=60
bbonaverage,sohisnetlosswhenhis5betbluffgetscalledis9160=31bb.
Thepotbeforethe5betis20bb(Alice'sraise+4bet)+9bb(Bob's3bet)=29bb.SoBobrisks31bbtowin29
bb.Hiseffectivepotoddsonthe5betbluffare29:31.Bobthusneedstowinatleast31/(29+31)=52%ofthetime.
This means that Alice needs to call Bob's 5bet at least 48% of the time to prevent him from 5bet bluffing with

automaticprofit.Weroundthisto50%.Alice'svalue/bluffratioforthe4betrangeisthen50/50(andnot60/40asin
previousarticles).
AsdiscussedinPart1,BobaddsenoughAxs5betbluffstomakeAliceindifferenttowardscallingorfoldingthe5
betwithherweakestvaluehands.
3.2SummaryofAlice'soptimal3/4/5betstrategyfromthesmallblindinablindvsblindscenario
Aliceopensherdefault35%buttonrange:

22+
A2s+ A7o+
K2s+ K9o+
Q6s+ Q9o+
J7s+ J9o+
T7s+ T9o+
96s+
86s+
76s
65s
458 combos
35%

WhenBob3bets,Alicedefends33%ofthetimewitha4bet.Shethenplays0.33x458=151combos.Sheusesa
50/50value/bluffratio,soshe4bets75combosforvalueand75combosasabluff.
75 value combos is approximately the value range {88+,AJs+,AQo+} =78 combos. She now picks an equivalent
amount of bluffs, for example {AJoA7o,ATsA7s} =76 combos. Here we have used Ax hands for blocker value
(reducestheprobabilitythatBobhasoneofthevaluehandsAA/AKwhenwhenhe3bets.
Alice4bets{88+,AJs,AQo}forvalue
Alice4bets{AJoA7o,ATsA7s}asbluffs
AndthisisAlice'stotaldefensestrategyagainstBob's3betsaftershehasopenraisedfromthesmallblind.Overto
Bob:
3.3SummaryofBob'soptimal3/4/5betstrategyfromthebigblindinablindvsblindscenario
Bobfirstfindshisvaluerange.Heuseshandsthatareatleast50%againstAlice'svaluerange{88+,AJs+,AQo+},
andthisgiveshimthevaluerange{JJ+,AK}=40combos.
Thenwefindtheoptimalnumberof5betbluffsforBob.Whenhe5betsallin,Alicehastocall80bbmoretowina
100bb(Bob'sstack)+20bb(Alice'sraise+4bet)=120bb.Sohereffectivepotoddsare120:80=1.5:1.Toprofit
fromcallingwiththeweakesthandsinhervaluerange,sheneedsatleast1/(1.5+1)=40%equity.
Bob then picks Axs hands from the top and works his way from

5 down to

2 . From the equity

calculationbelowweseethatBobhastouseallthe16AxshandsA5sA2stomakeAlice'sweakestvaluehands
breakeven:

So Bob 3bets the following total value range, including 5bet bluffs, planning to 5bet allin after a 4bet:
{JJ+,AK,A5sA2s}=56combos.
Bobshouldusea40/60value/bluffratio,soheneeds60/40=1.5timesasmanybluffsasvaluecombos.Bobthen
picks1.5x56=84bluffcombos.We'llmakealistofthese,butfirstwedefinehisflattingrange.Regardless,Bob's
total3betrangecontains56+84=140combos.Thisis140/1326=10.6%ofallhands.
Hisflattingrangeneedstobewidetogetto37.5%totaldefense,sohewillflatsomeofthehandsweusedas3bet
bluffsoutsidetheblinds.Sowedesignaseparatelistofflattinghandstouseintheblindvsblindscenario.Wecan
callthislist"Blindvsblindflatlist".
Todefend37.5%Bobneedstoflat37.510.6=26.9%ofallhands.Thisis0.269x1326=357combos,andwecan
puttogetherthisrangeinvariousways.Belowisonewaytodoit:
BlindvsBlindflatlist:
Pairs:TT22=54combos
Suitedaces:ATsA6s=20combos
Offsuitaces:AJoA7o=60combos
SuitedBroadways:KQsK8s,QJsQ8s,JTsJ7s=52combos
OffsuitBroadways:KQoK9o,QJoQ9o,JToJ9o=108combos
Suitedconnectors:T9sT7s,98s96s,87s86s,76s75s,65s=44combos
Offsuitconnectors:T9oT8o=24combos
Total:362combos

Note that we here have only used mathematics to tell us how many hands we need to flat to prevent Alice from
openinganytwocardswithautomaticprofit.Wehavenotgiventhoughtowhichhandsweareabletoplayprofitably
afterflattingthem,andhowweshouldplaythisrangepostflop(butwewillhavemoretosayaboutthatinalater
articleseriesaboutoptimalpostflopplay).
Using this flat list and the previously defined value range, now only have to pick our 3bet bluffs (we need 84
combos)fromtheremaining(andrathertrashy)hands.Forexample,wecanuse{A6oA2o,K8o,Q8o}=84combos.
NowwefinallyhaveonepossibledefensestrategyforBob,designedwithoptimal3/4/5bettingagainstAlice's35%
openrangefromthesmallblind,anddesignedtopreventherfromhavinganautomaticprofitfromstealing:
3betvaluerange(including5betbluffs):{JJ+,AK,A5sA2s}=56combos
3betbluffrange:{A6oA2o,K8o,Q8o}=84combos
Flatting

range:

{TT22,ATsA6s,AJo

A7o,K8s+,K9o+,Q8s+,Q9o+,J7s+,J9o+,T7s+,T8o+96s+,86s+,75s+,65s}=362combos

Thistotalstrategyisahandful,particularlytheflattingrange.Butinthenextarticleseriesaboutoptimalpostflopplay
("OptimalPostflopPlayinNLHE6max")we'llseethanpostflopplaywithawiderangeafterflattingpreflopbecomes
easierwhenweuseasystematicapproachbasedonprinciplesfromgametheory.
Notethatifweneedto,wecanconstructa3/4/5betstrategypairforanyopenraisepercentageAliceusesfromthe
smallblind.weonlypickeda35%here,andthisstrategypairwillbeagooddefaulttouseinablindvsblindbattle
with an unknown small blind. But we could also have made a list of optimal strategy pairs for various small blind
openraiserangeslikewedidinPart2forthescenariowherebothplayerswereoutsidetheblinds.
4.Summary:
WehavedoneaseriesofnumericalsimulationstoestimatetheEVofflattingandvalue3bettingforhandsinthe
regionbetweenobviousvaluehandsandobviousflattinghands.WedidthisbycalculationtheEVsofflattingand3
bettingwithQQagainstatight~15%UTGopeningrange.
ThesimulationsshowedthatflattingaverystronghandlikeQQcanbecorrectwhentheraiserhasatightrange.
Wealsofoundthat3bettingbecomesmandatoryagainstwiderranges,forexamplewithQQagainsta~25%CO
openingrange.
Wealsodidsomesimulationstostudytheeffectoftheraiserflattingoutofposition.EvenifthisincreasestheEVfor
value3betting,wealsohavetotakeintoconsiderationhowoftentheraiser4betbluffs.Againstaloosepassive
raiserwhoflatsalotof3betsoutofpositionbutnever4betbluffs,wecanusea"hybridstrategy".wethen3bet
"thin" value hands (for example JJ), planning to fold to the raisers squeaky tight value 4bet range. The rationale
behind this is that we profit from the raiser's folding and calling, but on the rare occasions he 4bets us, we are
crushedandcanfold.Notethatweareexploitinghislackof4betbluffingbymakingsafefolds.
Then we we studied the scenario blind vs blind where the small blind openraises and the big blind defends in
positionbyoptimal3/4/5bettingandflatting.wesawthatthebigblindhastodefendaverywiderange(37.5%)to
preventthesmallblindfromprofitablystealingwithanytwocards.Ofcourse,thebigblindthenhastoplayhiswide
flattingrangewellpostflop,andwe'lldiscussthisfurtherinthecomingpostfloparticleseries.
IamplanningtopublishaPart8inthispreflopseriessometimeinthefuture.Thiswillbeapracticalpartwherewe
lookathowourstrategiesperforminpractice.I'mthinkingaboutgrindingadecentlylargesampleoflowlimitNLHE
handswhereIfocusonplayingclosetothecorestrategywehavedefinedinthisprefloparticleseries.Thisshould
giveusanideaabouthowourcorestrategyperformsatthelimitsmostofthereadersplay.
Ihavealreadytestedtheoptimal3/4/5betstrategiesatthemiddlelimits($400NLto$1000NL),andtheyworkvery
wellassoliddefaults,andasastartingpointforexploitativeadjustmentsagainstplayersIhavereadson.Butatthe
middlelimitsIofcoursemixupmyplayalot,dependingonmyopponents,sofortestingpurposesitwouldbebetter
forthereaderstoseehowthestrategiesperformagainstunknownsatthelimitstheyplay.
IwillnotgiveadateforPart8,butitwillbesometimeafterwehavefinishedthetheoreticalseriesaboutoptimal
postflopplay.Theseries"OptimalPostflopPlayinNLHE6max"comesnext.Therewe'llusestrategiesandranges
from this preflop series and see how principles for optimal play can be used postflop, using our default preflop
strategiesandprefloprangestosetuppostflopscenariostostudy.
Goodluck!
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