Or say a player resteals (3bets our steal) 12% of the time and that they would 3bet TT+/AQ+ for value. So this means 74% (2.6/3.5) of their 3bet range is very strong, and we can simply estimate how we would perform against the entire 3.5% range. We think they will 3bet QQ+/AK as the strong side of their range, which we know is 2.6% of hands. So let’s say we face a 3bet and our opponent has a 3.5% 3bet. If a player is 3betting TT+/AQ+ that is 4.7% of hands. Another logical strong-side range is QQ+/AK, which is 2.6% of hands. So if a player is 3betting 1% of hands or less, chances are it is incredibly nutted. Get the full-color ebook with 1,500+ questions and a complete answer key today.įirst, what are the logical strong-side ranges and what % of hands are they? Well KK/AA (KK+) is. But we can understand some basic poker ranges to get us started.ĭo you shy away from the math even though you know it would help you play better poker? If yes, this workbook will help you memorize the key formulas, internalize the calculations, and build your intuition to make better decisions at the table.

So when we look at our hud and see that a player is 3betting 2.5% of the time, what does that mean? What does a 2.5% 3bet range look like? The tough part is that we will never 100% know.Īnd as that 3bet % increases, it becomes even more difficult to assess the entire range precisely. Now let’s take this concept and compare it to range math and construction. Notice the polarized range includes super strong hands and weaker hands, while the depolarized range includes super strong hands and some other strong-side hands as well. A depolarized range may include hands like QQ/KK/AA/AK and also JJ/TT/AQ/AJs. So a polarized range may include hands like QQ/KK/AA/AK and maybe a 54s/A7o/J8s. You won’t find a gap between the hands in the upper-left-hand corner of the matrix and the “other” hands also included. Merged, also known as depolarized, ranges include nuts and the next-strongest hands. These ranges include the strongest of hands in the upper-left-hand corner of the matrix, and there is a gap between the “other” hands also included. Polarized 3bet RangesĪ polarized range is made up of nut and bluff hands. What does their 3bet % actually tell us about the hands they are 3betting? To understand that we need to understand polarization and some very simple range math. This person is obviously 3betting a much stronger range of hands than a 27/23 LAG with a 3bet of 9.6%. For instance, take a 12/8 nit with a 3bet of 1.2%. Now, some 3bet ranges are very easy to estimate and others are much more difficult. Whenever we do anything in poker we want to first consider our opponent’s overall range.

What does 3 bet in poker mean