3-betting pre-flop has become very popular in the mid-stakes FTP cash games, in part because it’s tough to counteract with 100BB stacks. Recently, though (and I am part of this trend), people have started making smallish 4-bets leaving themselves room to fold to an all in. Particularly when you are in position, this puts the pressure back on your opponent to put his stack on the line first. If you’re out of position, they’ll be more comfortable calling and taking a flop. This move also showed up in CTS‘ first video for CardRunners. CTS’ is, by the way, one of the best CR videos I’ve seen, and I’d highly recommend it to any of you who are CR members.
Anyway, here’s two ways I’ve been dealing with these little 4-bets:
Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter
BB: $1,048.95
UTG: $990.05
MP: $1,008.60
CO: $625.50
Hero (BTN): $662.85
SB: $711.45
Pre-Flop: 6
7 dealt to Hero (BTN)
2 folds, CO raises to $21, Hero raises to $72, 2 folds, CO raises to $183, Hero raises to $662.85 and is All-In, CO folds
Suited connectors are actually not the best hands to do this with because when you’re called, you’re pretty much always going to be against big pairs. Even guys who will call this shove with AK aren’t usually going to make a 4-bet out of position like this with AK. That means this move is considerably more profitable with Ax than with a suited connector. If you are out of position, the equity of suited connectors versus Villain’s calling range goes up and the equity of Ax goes down because of the increased likelihood that AK will be in his range.
Full Tilt Poker, $2.50/$5 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter
SB: $1,000
Hero (BB): $1,163
Pre-Flop: Q
A
dealt to Hero (BB)
SB raises to $15, Hero raises to $53, SB raises to $138, Hero calls $85
Flop: ($276) 4 8 8 (2 Players)
Hero checks, SB bets $180, Hero calls $180
Turn: ($636) 6 (2 Players)
Hero checks, SB checks
River: ($636) 9 (2 Players)
Hero checks, SB checks
Results: $636 Pot ($0.50 Rake)
SB showed 3 K (a pair of Eights) and LOST (-$318 NET)
Hero showed Q A (a pair of Eights) and WON $635.50 (+$317.50 NET)
This was very early in our heads up match, but my opponent had already shown himself to be super loose-aggressive. The last time I was in the BB, I had 3-bet him with QJ and checked middle pair all the way to beat his 43s. I just had a feeling when I 3-bet him again that he was going to 4-bet with whatever. Stacks are a little awkward for it, but I really don’t think just shoving pre-flop would have been bad at all given how wide I thought his range would be and the fact that stacks would still be kinda deep to play AQo from out of position..
On the flop, I probably should have check-raised all in, not that he’s ever folding a better hand (probably not even AK, if he would bet that on this flop in the first place) but just because I don’t know how likely he is to bluff again, at least not without picking up substantial equity. I was going (reluctantly) to call a turn shove, since the board was so draw-heavy. I also didn’t think he was likely to make a thin value shove with like a pair of 6’s or something, since I could easily have a higher pair with my line. But if he shoves like Js Ts or something on the turn, he’s got plenty of equity and I’m better off folding it out on the flop.