Light 3-Betting: Essential Poker Move

10 Jan 2025

Intermediate

This material is for medium-skilled players

Light 3-betting is an advanced poker concept. Using it correctly can take your game to the next level, especially if you're feeling stuck in your current approach.

At low and mid-stakes, 3-bets are just as important as c-bets were when you first learned about them at the start of your poker journey.

First, let’s clarify what a preflop 3-bet is. A 3-bet happens when someone open-raises, and another player re-raises. It’s simple, but let’s use an example to make it clear.

You might assume the player making the 3-bet has a very strong range of hands. Usually, you can expect something like + or , which are standard hands for 3-betting preflop.

• Note: You may wonder why it's called a 3-bet when it's only the second raise. The blinds count as the first bet, the initial open-raise is the second, and the re-raise is the third.

As mentioned earlier, players usually 3-bet with strong hands like QQ+ or AK. When someone 3-bets with weaker hands, such as suited connectors (67s, 78s), it’s called a light 3-bet.

This might sound risky and reckless at first, but so did c-bets when you first learned about them.

Light 3-bets can be a highly profitable move when used correctly, so don’t underestimate their power.

Today, players open-raise with very wide ranges preflop. If someone raises from BTN, they might have almost any two cards. This is a standard play among decent regulars.

If you simply call these opens with strong hands (or even speculative ones like ), you’ll often find yourself at a disadvantage because the opener retains the initiative. On the flop, you’ll be forced to fold frequently unless you hit top pair or better, and even then, you might not feel confident with your hand.

A 3-bet in position against a loose player often creates a -EV situation for them because of their wide range.

• Wide ranges make calling 3-bets unprofitable for many players.

• A 3-bet can be more profitable than a cold-call in some cases.

• 3-bets give you a range advantage on the flop, enabling you to fire c-bets frequently.

• You take the initiative in the hand.

• If they see your light 3-bets, they might start calling with weaker hands, giving you more value in future hands.

That said, light 3-bets aren’t about mindlessly re-raising loose players and hoping they fold. Sometimes you’ll just call, other times, you’ll 3-bet lightly. It all depends on the situation.

So, how to fire a light 3-bet?

• Use suited Ax hands, medium suited connectors (e.g., 67s, 78s, 89s) or gappers (e.g., 68s, 79s).
• Preferably 3-bet in position. Playing in 3-bet pots out of position is challenging and often unprofitable.
• Focus on players who open-raise from late positions. Early positions are more likely to have strong hands.
• Target TAG players for light 3-betting.

Avoid light 3-betting against calling stations (very loose players who call too often). Against these opponents, you lose most of your fold equity, which makes light 3-bets much less effective.

If your opponent calls your 3-bet, here’s what to do:

• If you miss the flop, make a c-bet of 1/3 pot.

• If you hit the flop lightly, but can’t value bet, consider a check/call as the best option.

• If you hit a strong hand, go for value.

If your c-bet gets called and you have no equity, play check/fold on the turn and move on. In most cases, however, your c-bet will work just fine.

We hope this guide helps you understand the theory behind light 3-betting and how profitable it can be. Just don’t overdo it.

We recommend practicing light 3-bets at lower stakes to get a feel for how they work. This skill is essential for success at any stakes!