There are some special plays that, when mastered, can make the difference between winning a little and winning a lot. In this article, we’ll talk about 3-BET Light, which is a different way to win pots, even when you’re not holding a strong hand.
By incorporating this play into your preflop repertoire, you will not only be exploiting loose players who open-raise a lot, but you will also be balancing your range, which will give you an advantage when it comes to picking up premium hands.
What is it: 3-BET Light refers to re-raising before the flop with hands that are likely worse than the hand of the person who first bet into the pot.
When to use: Try to identify and attack loose players who are opening with raises too often.
Where to use: When you are 3-BETTING Light you will need to be in one of two situations, either re-raising in position or from the blinds. It is important to understand both scenarios.
Why use: Loose players who raise heavily before the flop can be easily exploited as they will be forced to fold many marginal hands when faced with a 3-BET.
Executing 3-BET Light correctly
To simplify things, think of the 3-BET Light as a semi-bluff.
You are raising with a hand that, while not the best hand at the moment, has fold equity and could become the best hand on later streets.
Furthermore, since one of the first things we learn in poker is to be aggressive, you will find many players open-raising very frequently before the flop.
Once you are able to identify these players, you can exploit them using 3-BET light, even if you are not holding good cards.
It is important to remember, however, that you need to know how to use 3-BET Light correctly, or they will end up becoming a flaw in your game.
The biggest risk for beginner players is not understanding how to play the hand post-flop when your opponent decides to call. Don't lose control by automatically C-BETting and continuing to bet on every street.
One way to deal with this is to only 3-BET very good hands or very marginal hands that have a good chance of improving on the flop.
Tip: Keep your 3-BET range polarized to make things easier post-flop
By avoiding playing hands with weak aces and even weak kings and queens, you will have easier decisions to make, in addition to reducing the chances of improving your hand on the flop and being dominated by your opponent's kicker.
Good hands to 3-BET Light
Just because you are raising the range of hands to 3-BET with doesn't mean you should raise with every single hand.
Going back to the semi-bluff analogy, you want to choose hands that have a good chance of becoming the best hand on the flop or on subsequent streets.
Small pairs are great hands for 3-betting, since a set will often be the best hand. The same goes for small and medium suited connectors.
As discussed before, when you miss the flop with hands like these, you are less likely to get dragged into a big pot holding the worst hand.
3-BET Light helps balance your range
Balancing your range is a fancy way of saying that just because you're raising preflop doesn't mean you have a premium hand.
If you 3-BET only with AK or AA, your opponent will quickly notice, and it will be impossible to make any money with these hands. By raising with premium hands as well as speculative hands, you will have a more balanced 3-BET range.
Imagine you 3-BET Light with :8d :9d and end up making a flush on the turn. When you show your winning hand, your opponents will notice that you 3-bet with marginal hands as well.
Then when you pick up AK or AA again, they will be much more likely to call your raises.
Article translated and adapted from the original: 10 Essential Texas Hold'em Moves: The Light Three-Bet
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