4-bet for Beginners: When, Against Whom, and Why?

Beginner players often face two scenarios — "I don't play 4-bet at all because it's complex and risky" or "I play 4-bet with the strongest hands only." 

In this article, we aim to discuss the basic principles of constructing 4-bet ranges to help you understand this technique and start using it in your game without significant risks. 

You will learn: 

• what a 4-bet is

• the objectives of a 4-bet

• why positions matter more than they seem

• how to choose 4-bet sizing

• which hands are logically good for 4-betting against different types of players;

• how to react when you are 4-bet.

What a 4-bet is in simple terms

To avoid confusion with names, imagine the sequence of actions:

• there are blinds bets — already in the pot

• a player makes an open-raise

• the player behind raises again, that is, plays a 3-bet

• the next re-raise is what we call 4-bet.

The key point: 4-bet refers to the order of betting, not the size. Not "four times," not "four blinds," not a "large bet" — specifically a bet after a 3-bet. 

Why a 4-bet is needed

1. For value — to build the pot when you're ahead

The simplest example is when you hold Aces. This is the strongest hand in poker, meaning any hand within your opponent's range is weaker than yours until the flop, turn, and river are dealt. 

In this situation, you aim to:

• get a call from weaker hands

• induce your opponent to go for a 5-bet/push

• play a big pot where you have the advantage.

Your goal is to extract the maximum from a pot where the mathematics are in your favour.

2. As a bluff — to knock out equity and take the pot before the flop

If your opponent 3-bets frequently, they likely have bluff 3-bets, and they fold easily against a 4-bet. You have a chance to take the pot right then and there.

For this action, you'll need: 

• fold equity — when the opponent genuinely needs to be able to fold

• blockers — Aces and Kings are the most valuable

• your hand should have potential to form nuts in case of a call.

That's why professional players often choose weak suited Aces  as their bluff range.

The most profitable hands for 4-bet bluffing

The range from A5s to A2s meets two criteria: 

1. There’s a blocker to a strong hand in the form of an Ace. This reduces the likelihood of strong Aces for the opponent. 

2. There’s a chance to hit a nut flush or straight if the hand goes post-flop. 

Questions a player should ask themselves before 4-betting

When taking this action, it’s important to ask two questions: 

1. What does the opponent 3-bet with?
This depends on the position and player type. A 3-bet against UTG and a 3-bet against the BTN are two different universes.

2. What does he continue with against a 4-bet?
That is — what will he fold, what will he call, and what will he go with for a 5-bet/push.

The importance of position

To understand the importance of position in terms of the 4-bet, initially consider these two situations: 

• Against early positions, ranges are usually tight → the 4-bet should also be disciplined. 

• CO/BTN vs SB/BB — on the contrary: there’s more range, more dynamics, more room for bluffs. 

This is why there is no universal 4-bet range. But clear guidelines can still be applied.

Which 4-bet sizing to choose

One typical mistake beginner players make is using different sizes for value and bluff. This approach makes the strategy predictable. How to fix it? 

• 4-bet in position — about 2-2.5x the size of a 3-bet;

• 4-bet out of position — about 2.5–3x the size of a 3-bet.

Example: you open at 3bb, face a 3-bet to 10bb, a suitable 4-bet in this case is around 20–24bb. 

Another important point: if your 4-bet equates to about a third of the stack, it is often simpler and more logical to consider pushing — especially with short stacks — to avoid an awkward SPR* on the post-flop.

*SPR (Stack-to-Pot Ratio) is the ratio of the effective stack to the total pot size in a specific hand.

Hand examples 

Example #1: 4-bet for value against a loose-aggressive player

Situation: we're on the CO, holding JJ. A loose-aggressive opponent on the BTN 3-bets us. 

In this case, Jacks turn into a hand that often has 4-bet value because his continuation range includes weaker hands — including lower pocket pairs and broadway hands that could outdraw our hand post-flop. 

Approximate 3-bet range of a loose-aggressive player on BTN against CO

The best move in this case is to play a 4-bet, to: 

• avoid playing a tricky spot out of position 

• get paid by weaker hands on the preflop

Example #2: 4-bet as a bluff against a player with a high fold rate to 4-bets

Situation: we're opening from HJ and receive a 3-bet from a player on the SB. 

In our hand is A5s — and this hand is perfect for a 4-bet bluff because: 

• the Ace in our hand reduces the number of AA, AK, and other strong Ax combinations your opponent might have

• the hand can make a nutty combination if we end up getting called

• we don't mind turning it into a bluff — in contrast to AQ, which is often better to call

The optimal move is to 4-bet with the same sizing as for value — in this case, we're in position, so 2-2.5x will suffice. 

By doing so, we can clear strong Broadways and take the pot without further contest. 

Let's provide two specific situations as examples: 

A player on SB — particularly a skilled one — often opts to play offsuit strong Broadways via a 3-bet to knock out weaker Aces of the opponent.

By 4-betting, we can take the pot without a fight and without complex decisions post-flop — even if the opponent's hand is weaker based on mathematics. 

In this case, the opponent's hand, who played 3-bet on SB, is stronger than ours. It is part of the bluff range against the HJ position.

By 4-betting, we not only ensure that we take the pot without a fight, but we also knock out a stronger hand. 

Conclusion

If you want to learn how to build a pre-flop strategy so that 4-bets become profitable in the long run — apply to FunFarm. 

We help players develop systems — ranges, sizings, adjustments to opponent types and confident gameplay in 3-bet/4-bet pots — to make decisions predictable and profitable.