What is a 3-bet in poker: a complete guide for beginners

Beginners are often intimidated by not understanding how to utilise this element of the game — when to 3-bet, what hands are suitable, what happens if my 3-bet is called, and so on. 

In this article, we will explain everything in simple terms — from definitions and ranges to common mistakes and correct sizings.

You will learn:

• what a 3-bet is and how it differs from a regular raise

• why 3-betting is needed in tournaments

• which hands to 3-bet for value and as a bluff

• what linear and polarised ranges are

• how to choose sizing in early and late stages

What is a 3-bet in simple terms

A 3-bet is the third increase in sizing in a hand. The betting starts with the mandatory bets — the small blind and the big blind. In no-limit Texas Hold'em, the blinds create the initial pot before anyone has seen their cards. Therefore, the first bet is the obligatory bet in the BB position. 

The second bet is a raise from any position. For instance, an opponent enters the hand with a bet of 2bb. And if a player raises the second bet — making what is known as a re-raise — this action is called a 3-bet. 

It's important to understand that a 3-bet does not mean a ‘3bb bet’ and does not mean ‘three times the amount’. 

It is a term describing the sequence of actions, not the size of the bet.

Why is a 3-bet needed?

Each 3-bet has one of two purposes:

1. To increase profit with value

You make a 3-bet with strong hands to play a big pot against a weak range or to get more chips when you are ahead. 

2. To knock out opponent's equity 

This technique can be classified as a bluff 3-bet. It works when the opponent often folds to a re-raise. 

Our goal is to take the pot before the flop, prevent the opponent from playing better hands, and improve your EV in the long run.

We will show how the range changes depending on the 3-bet's goal using an example from a specific position. 

3. To isolate an opponent and protect hand equity

Multipots significantly reduce profitability even for strong hands — the more players see the flop, the higher the chance that someone hits the board better than you, and post-flop play becomes more complicated and less predictable.

A 3-bet allows you to:

• eliminate players behind you who would get too good a price to call

• simplify the structure of the hand: fewer players → fewer strong hands → more initiative 

• leave one opponent in the hand instead of several, to realise equity most effectively.

Isolation is especially important against players who open too widely and easily fold to aggression. 

How to adjust to different opponents?

We suggest considering two 3-bet ranges from the same position against players with different play styles as an example. 

How to use poker charts we explained in this article. 

Value range BTN vs CO

We are on the button (BTN) — the most profitable position in poker. The opponent has opened behind us — from the cutoff (CO) position. We play against a fairly skilled opponent with a balanced play strategy. 

Knowing his opening range, which is quite wide — from 28% to 35% of all hands — we can form our value hand range. They are marked in green on the chart. 

We play these hands through a 3-bet to grow the pot and win more chips on subsequent streets if the opponent calls or 4-bets. 

We marked in purple the hands that can be left as a bluff range — to balance the strategy. 

Why these specifically? After our 3-bet, the opponent may fold stronger kicker hands — for example, A6o-A8o. We save ourselves from a situation on the post-flop where we are dominated. Moreover, having an Ace in our hand reduces the number of potential Aces in the opponent's range, which means we are more likely to induce a fold. In response to aggression from the opponent, we can easily pass, losing fewer chips than we might on the flop, turn, and river. 

Isolation range BTN vs CO

The same situation — only, in this case, we are against a recreational player willing to pay off our 3-bets with weak hands. 

In this case, we want to widen our 3-bet range to: 

• isolate the opponent and reach a 1vs1 post-flop situation

• induce calls from weaker hands

Which hands to 3-bet? 

To properly form a 3-bet range, you need to understand two types of ranges. 

1. Linear range

Includes only strong hands from the upper part of the spectrum. We use a linear 3-bet, pursuing one of two goals: 

1. We want to play in position against a recreational player and isolate them with hands that have a chance to create strong combinations.

2. We want to increase the pot on the pre-flop to win more chips. 

2. Polarised range

Contains strong value and the lower spectrum — hands for bluffing. It is suitable against opponents with a high fold percentage to 3-bets. 

Thus, the opponent often folds, making it profitable for us to take the pot on the pre-flop without resistance. But sometimes they do not give up and call — and for such situations, we have value in our range to win big pots. 

Size of the 3-bet: which bet size to choose

The size depends on the position and stack depth. Generally, the standard size of a bet is: 

• 3x in position from the size of the raise and 4x out of position in deep stacks (when the effective stack in the hand is 50-100bb, for an open of 2bb, we choose a 3-bet size of 6bb in position and 8bb out of position) 

• 2.3–2.5x in position and 2.7–3x out of position in medium and short stacks (when the effective stack is 25-50bb, we can go for a 3-bet of 5.5bb in position and 6bb out of position)

Note that each case is individual. Our recommendations have a general nature and form the base of the play strategy. 

If you want to better understand the nuances of poker mastery, apply at FunFarm. We teach systematically, sequentially, and based on real data.