LearnModule T3 · The turn in 3-bet pots
T3-L1
3-bet pots on the turn
How the turn plays in a 3-bet pot with little behind: barrel or give up, and size so the stacks go in by the river.
In this lesson
- Decide on the turn whether to barrel or give up, knowing it usually settles the stacks.
- Size the turn so a river all-in is the natural next bet.
- Recognise turn cards that shift the advantage between the 3-bettor and the caller.
- Defend the turn as the caller without folding too much of your range.
Little behind, big pot
The big blind 3-bets the button to 10 bb and is called: 20.5 bb in the pot, 90 bb behind, an SPR of about 4.4. A third-pot flop bet of 6.8 bb is called. The turn pot is 34.1 bb with 83.2 bb behind: an SPR of about 2.4.
Now a turn bet of three quarters of the pot is about 25.6 bb. If it is called, the river pot is 85.3 bb with 57.6 bb behind, an SPR of about 0.68: the river bet is all-in at less than the pot. The turn decision is the decision about the stacks.
- SPR
- 2.4
- Geometric bet each street
- 40.2% of the pot · 13.72 bb
- Called pot-sized bets the stacks hold
- 1.6
Barrel or give up
Rail's solves of the 3-bettor's turn show the same split as in single-raised pots, sharper. Top pairs and better bet more often than they check; hands with no pair and no showdown value bet a lot; middle pairs check most of the time. With so little behind, a medium hand that bets and is raised has nowhere to go.
Defending the turn as the caller
Against a turn bet of 25.6 bb into 34.1 bb, minimum defence is 34.1 / 59.7, about 57%. Rail's solves defend with the top pairs and the strong draws, raise the strongest hands, and fold most middle and weak pairs: with the river all-in to come, a call now is often a call for the stacks.
Rules of thumb
- In a 3-bet pot, count the SPR on the turn: near 2, a turn bet sets up the river all-in.
- Barrel strong hands and air; check middle pairs.
- Defend with top pairs and strong draws; most middle pairs fold.
- Decide on the turn whether you are playing for the stacks.
When they break
- Deeper stacks (a 3-bet pot at 150 bb or more) leave room for a third street and more checking.
- Against a caller who never folds the turn, bet fewer bluffs and more medium value.
Example hands
Examples come from two places only: your own analysed hands in this lesson's spots, and a hand Rail deals and grades itself. Never a hand from outside Rail.
Sign in, with analysed hands, to see examples from your own play here.
Rail scripts this hand from the lesson's own practice, always the same one, and grades it with the analysis. Decide first, then read Rail's verdict.
Practice
The lesson is mastered when every exercise below that Rail can grade is passed. Missed items come back later as review cards.
Exercise 1
Pass: 2 of 2 rightTwo turns in a 3-bet pot, you the in-position 3-bettor after a check: put each hand class into check or bet, graded class by class.
Exercise 2
Pass: 3 of 5 rightFive turns in 3-bet pots, either role, graded by Rail's turn solve.
Exercise 3
OptionalYour own turn decisions in 3-bet pots, the costliest first.
Sign in to practise on your own hands.
Module T3 review · The turn in 3-bet pots
6 items mixed across this module's lessons: a spot from one lesson, a sum from another. Telling which idea a spot asks for is half of it. Missed items join your review cards; the score is not kept.