How to 4bet for value?

The first thing you need to be confident about when 4betting for value is that you have the best hand. The types of hands that you should be 4betting for value will vary based on two important factors – the player and your position at the table. In later position you can 4bet for value with lighter hands, and of course you can 4bet for value quite wide versus weak players.

4betting For Value At 6max:

In my experience if you are not in the blinds or late position it will be difficult to 4bet for value anything lighter than JJ. Why? Because, most players at 6max do not get hands like 1010, 99, and 88 all-in preflop for 100BB. Without those hands to counteract the AA, KK, and QQ it is difficult to justify 4betting for value with JJ. Having said that, JJ still has good equity against a powerful range (that includes all AK’s) – so, when faced with an aggressive 3bettor and poor position, the combination of fold equity with all-in equity can be superior to playing oop with JJ. Players with 3bet percentages over 10% will be forced to fold a significant amount of the time when you 4bet with JJ.  This fold equity created will help to counteract the times that you are dominated. Note: with a positional advantage I prefer to call with my JJ.

4betting For Value At Full Ring:

One of the big differences that I have noticed with full ring poker games is that QQ is often a huge trouble hand. This is much less the case at 6-max both because of players willingness to get it in with AKo and because JJ is often in all-in ranges. Given this difference, I have found it prudent to play cautiously with QQ against tighter players. This is particularly the case if we are an early position raiser and any opponent who is 3betting us would generally perceive us to be raising only a premium range. I have played in many live poker games where putting the chips all-in preflop with QQ would have been a significant mistake because of the tightness of certain players/games.

How does play in the blinds differ? This is where play opens up considerably online (Note: at low-mid stakes live it doesn’t open up). Once play folds around to the button and nobody has opened play should not be significantly different than it would be at a 6max game that folded to the button. In fact, it shouldn’t really be any different at all. I have noticed that players tend to simply be nittier at full ring (perhaps because the frequency of blinds makes players feel less desperate to win pots). So, in the blinds it is certainly reasonable to be 4betting for value with 1010+ and AK. I generally prefer to take a flop with Aq and Aqs.

4betting For Value Versus Fish:

This is really an art onto itself. There is very little concrete information that I can give to you on this topic. Obviously, our value range is going to be extremely wide versus an aggro fish, but much less so versus a passive fish. This is an important division to be made when considering 4betting for value against a weak player. Certain maniac players will allow us to 4bet extremely wide for value. A9+ and 66+ may be appropriate depending on the player. Generally, I would be looking at something more like 99+ and AQ+, but it varies wildly. Bottom line here is you need to think exploitively. If your hand is likely to have a significant pre-flop equity edge over your opponents range, and you think they will call your 4bet that is generally a hand you should be 4betting. Stay open minded and think creatively.

Poker 4bet Sizing 

Poker 4bet Sizing Versus Weak Players:

Here again there is going to be a tremendous amount of variability. Any time you are dealing with weak players it is extremely important to maximize your edge. Fundamentally, that is why I think playing exploitively is the right way to play poker, and it is why I wrote the book exploitive no limit holdem. Players who focus on other styles of play often fail to take advantage of tremendous edges that may be available to them. I like to monitor a Villain’s fold to 4bet % stat and vary my 4bet sizing based on that. For example, versus players who have an incredibly low fold to 4bet stat I will make my value sizing significantly larger than normal. A standard 4bet is generally a bit less than 2x the pot, but I would be happy to 3x, 4x, 5x or even 10x the pot versus a super weak player if the situation called for it. Adaptability is the key. Keep in mind that your stack size will also have an effect on the appropriate size of your 4bet. As a general guideline, I would scale the 4bet along with your stack size. So, if you are playing 200BB deep you can 4bet twice the size as you would if you were playing with only 100 BB.

The most frequent critical mistake I see amateur poker players make with 4betting for value versus weak players is they don’t 4bet large enough. Why? Fear that their opponent will fold. Don’t be afraid a weak player will fold, they almost always lean toward calling and big pots are like a siren song for the weak player. Be aggressive pushing the envelope with your value bet sizing and you will find success.

Poker 4bet Sizing Versus Strong Players:

Often versus strong players you can make your 4bet sizing small < 2x pot. Why? This is extremely important because it disguises the strength of your hand. If you always 4bet your entire stack in with your value hands your opponent would know exactly how to play. However, if you 4bet small with monster and with some bluffs the Villain will be tempted to shove back hands you dominate. This an occasional bluff in your 4bet range can really help to get you paid off with your monsters. With today’s HUD’s many players will be able to see your overall 4bet number. By having a high 4bet number you will see many lighter shoves versus your monsters. Bottom Line: 4bet a bit less than 2x the pot and you can’t go too wrong.

Hope you enjoyed the post! Hit me up with any questions or comments.

-ThePokerCapitailst (No nonsense, no ads, straight talk on poker)

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10 Poker tips – Learned From A Decade In Poker:

1) Playing exploitively is the key to success. Far too many people are distracting themselves focusing on GTO ranges when they should be finding their edge and maximizing it. To the extent that learning GTO means understanding basic ranges so you can deviate from them where appropriate, fantastic… However, if you are failing to think creatively and exploitively about the game because your mind is immersed in GTO, then you have a problem.

2) Adapt or die! In my 10 years in the game I have played multiple games. At times I have played tournaments, limit hold’em, no limit hold’em, pot limit omaha, and occasionally even omaha hi/lo. The best players are the ones that are able to reshape themselves as necessary to play in the game that offers the greatest opportunities. Don’t be afraid to explore new opportunities if they present themselves.

3) It is easier to be a TAG vs a LAG over time. I have seen a lot of young players come and go who played a super LAG style of play. Unfortunately, if you are a LAG there are often many more marginal situations to deal with. Some players don’t deal well with these situations – this is particularly the case when they are running horribly. So, in the long run most players are better off putting themselves into positions where they have a more clearly defined edge. Personally, I think hybrid TAG / LAG players are the most effective because they are able to toggle between the modes depending on the situation. In situations where there is a very high value player at the table they will be a LAG, but at the end of the day when exhausted they may act more like a TAG. I consider myself to be LAG / TAG hybrid who generally leans toward being a LAG. Frankly, I just can’t help myself lol.

4) Managing your bankroll is extremely important. Every player needs to find their own ideal strategy, but it should be clearly defined. I like to have a “primary roll” and a “backup roll” that I can play at smaller stakes with in the event I bust my primary roll. This allows me to be a bit more aggressive with my primary bankroll and maximize opportunities. What size of roll is appropriate for you will depend on the games you play in and your skill level. The higher your win rate the less downside variance you will experience and the lower your winrate the greater downside variance you will encounter.

5) Managing your emotional state is important. It is easy to get too high or too low in this game, and over time you need to strike a balance. Shorter sessions can help to keep your emotions in check, and I always recommend exercising and a generally good diet.

6) Your red line matters. Any tight player can show positive showdown winnings, but only high quality players are able to have flat or positive red-lines while maintaining positive showdown winnings. In my experience it is good to have your non-showdown winnings be close to the flat-line.

7) Learn to fold top pair hands. This is an issue that many beginning poker players struggle with. In particular it may be difficult to get away from top pair good kicker and even small overpairs. However, if you are only in a raised pot it is generally best to proceed with caution unless you are up against a very weak player.

8) Don’t fix your ranges (3 bet, 4 bet, fold 3 bet, flop c-bet %, fold cbet %, etc, etc) too much. This ties in a bit with #1. Your ranges should vary dramatically at times depending on the opportunities that present themselves.

9) Don’t overplay your draws. Keep in mind that most draws are at an equity disadvantage and putting too much money in while behind is never a good idea. There are times when it makes sense to play draws aggressively early in the hand to exploit huge weaknesses on later streets. However, I see far too many players just slinging chips in with draws when they should be more passive with them. Bottom line: unless you have a reason to play a draw aggressively wait until it hits and then put the chips in.

10) Sweat the small hands. Over thousands of hands the little decisions add up and often exceed bigger hands. In fact, big hands often play themselves while small situations are more complex. When you are conducting hand reviews make sure you find a balance between big hands and small.

I could go on, but for now that is it! If you get one thing from this post just remember to think exploitively!

-ThePokerCapitalist (No nonsense, no ads, straight talk on poker)

The post How to Win At Poker – Insights After A Decade In The Game appeared first on The Poker Capitalist.

1) 3-betting Exploitively

We are 3-betting a really high % of the time like 20% because our opponent folds 90% of hands to 3-bets. Doing so makes us exploitable, but also makes us a lot of money. It doesn’t matter if we are exploitable if our opponent is not exploiting you! Make sure you don’t level yourself against this kind of opponent and think that maybe they are spazz 4betting against you.

How do we find and exploit a Villains leak? In the scenario above it was very easy, but often that is not the case. In more complex cases we need a good grasp of what an unexploitable range looks like, and then if the Villain is deviating too far from that we know they have a leak. It is important to realize that some players may not have a significant leak until they begin to tilt. This is why game flow and psychology are still a very important part of the game. I think many players do not focus enough on game flow and psychology in determining their Villains ranges. Players that understand game flow and psychology better tend to be the higher stakes players. Ultimately, to be successful at any level we should have a strong understanding of how to construct an unexploitable range (to combat/break even vrs highly skilled regs), and have a good strategy for exploiting the leaks of weaker opponents.

With time and experience we can become experts at anticipating how a poker player will react in a variety of different situations.

A skilled Villain raises 50% of buttons (663 combos) and enters a min raise on the button. You proceed to 3bet him to 7 BB from the Small Blind and he folds. Normally he folds to 3-Bets 66% of the time. The very next hand he raises the cut-off (Villain is first in from the cutoff PFR=25%=331 combos) to 3BB and you 3-Bet from the button to 9BB. How frequently do you expect him to fold to your 3bet?

1. In this kind of scenario most players will fold more often vrs your 3bet(something around 80% IMO). They are afraid of being seen as spazzing out and therefore they will be 4betting almost exclusively for value. Also, the Villain will be hesitant to take a flop from oop because they are reluctant to bluff post flop (fear of being perceived as spazzing). In my experience many Villain’s defend only a range of hands that looks something like this ( TT+, AQs+, KQs, AQo+)=66 Combos. Unfortunately, if they are opening 331 combos that leaves them folding (1-(66/331))*100%=80%. Even if they aren’t quite this nitty most Villain’s inclination will be to fold too much in this scenario.

2) Understanding 4bets

A skilled villain raises the button 50% (.5*1326=663 Combos) of the time to steal the blinds when he is first in the pot. The first time he raises the button you 3-Bet from the small blind and he folds. 20 hands later a similar scenario develops where he is first in on the button and raises. Again you 3-Bet from the SB. When he 4-Bets do you perceive his range as wider or tighter? Lets assume he generally 4-Bets 20% of his raising range 663/5=132 Combos of hands.

1. Generally, in this scenario I would expect him to 4bet wider than this (possibly 160 combos). Most villains that open that wide off the button do not like to fold repeatedly vrs 3-Bets. Unlike our previous scenario where we 3-Bet the Villain back to back here there was a gap between the actions. This gap makes a significant difference in the psychology of the Villain. In my experience they are not as afraid of being perceived as spazzing. Because they are not afraid of being perceived as spazzing, and given the likely fact they remember your previous 3bet this will tend to make them stickier. Many Villains will 4bet too much in this spot and may be very exploitable to a 5bet jam. If they started with 663 combos and like to polarize their 4-Bets they will be in trouble. Assuming a value range composed of AK, AKs, AA, KK, QQ, JJ=40 combos they will be folding 75% of the time to 5bets (1-(120/160))*100%=75%. A little basic math will tell you with 100 BB stacks the Villain’s is exploitable. Either the Villain needs to 4bet less or the Villain needs to add more value hands into his range.

Against opponents that fold to a lot of 3-Bets we should be 3-Betting a ton. Against opponents that 4Bet a ton of hands, and fold to 5Bets we should be 5Betting small pockets, KQs, AXs etc. Against opponents that 4-Bet a ton of hands, and don’t fold to 5-Bets we can weigh our 3bets heavily in the direction of value hands. What I am trying to illustrate is the importance of being versatile and adjusting in real time to our opponents. Reading how our opponents react and shift the number of combos in their range is what will ultimately make you a big winner in this game.

One little trick to keep in mind is generally if you are significant off the 60-65% level for fold to 3bet, 4bet or 5bet you probably have a leak. When you are structuring your ranges start with 1326 and figure out how you can fold no more than 60-65% versus 3-Bets, 4-Bets, and 5-Bets. Whether or not your opponents recognize your weaknesses is an entirely different question. If your opponents don’t have a good sample on you it could be difficult for them to detect leaks. When studying spend some time thinking about how game flow will lead your opponent to shift their ranges.

Remember, playing exploitively is the key to success in this game. Good luck at the tables and be sure to check out my book Exploitive No Limit Holdem.

-Paul

P.S. Just an update for all the long time blog followers. I’m currently pursuing an opportunity with a startup so I haven’t been playing or writing lately. Anyhow, I had an hour or two and as always I enjoy talking poker strategy so I thought I would write this. I’ll try to post more frequently when possible, I hope you got something out of this. Good luck at the tables.

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