We already looked into defending vs. c-bets on ace-high boards and different variations of high-card flops calling a 3-bet. Today, we will analyze this situation for low-card boards.
In this article, we will cover different board textures and see how to proceed both in position and out of position when you call a 3-bet preflop and then face a bet.
Defending On Low-Card Boards In Position – 8h4d2c vs. 8h7h5d
We will start with an in-position example, firstly going over the dry low-card flop and then analyzing connected board texture. This is a spot where we open from the BTN, face BB 3-bet, and decide to call preflop.
Key assumptions:
- The hand is played 100 bb deep
- We are opening from the button
- Big blind 3-bets
- We call a 3-bet
- Our opponent c-bets on the flop
Let’s firstly look at an example of 8h4d2c. While on these dry boards the BB will actually be checking quite often, you will need to defend almost 75% of the time when you do face a bet.
On this specific board texture, it primarily means calling when you continue, since you will do that with 64% of your hands. However, you still have a moderate raising range of around 9%.
The hands you raise the most often in this situation are pocket nines as an overpair that needs the most protection, top pair with top kicker, and a few gutshot draws like A5s.
The other hands that have any equity go into your calling range, so you will continue even with ace-high holdings and some of the overcards, while discarding only the weakest holdings.
Now let’s look at the connected board of 8h7h5d.
Since this board hits the preflop caller range quite well, the BB will be only c-betting it around 25% of the time and will choose a big sizing when he does.
Against this strategy, we will still need to defend around 68% of our hands. Just like on dry boards, calling is our default play, which we will choose with 62% of the hands. We only raise with 6% of our holdings.
The solver suggests raising the weakest overpair again and mixing it with a few straight and flush draw combinations.
Key takeaways
- We defend over 75% of the time when facing c-bet on a dry board.
- Defend a bit less often on connected boards with around 65% frequency.
- You should be raising a bit more often on dry boards than connected flops.
Defending On Low-Card Boards OOP – 8h4d2c vs. 8h7h5s
Now, let’s change up the poker positions and look at the hands when we are opening from the CO, face a 3-bet from the BTN, call out of position, and face a bet after checking to our opponent.
Assumptions:
- We are playing 100bb deep
- We are opening from the CO
- BTN 3-bets
- We call a 3-bet
- We check to the BTN on the flop
Let’s firstly look at a dry board of 8h4d2c.
We should be checking our entire range to a preflop aggressor, and we will face a c-bet around half of the time in this situation.
Your opponent should stick to a big bet sizing of two-thirds of the pot, which means we need to defend around 60% of the hands according to MDF.
Our continuing range is comprised of calling 42% of the time and check/raising with 17% of our holdings.
This constitutes a quite aggressive strategy, and we aim to raise with some overpairs, gutshots, top pair with top kicker, and some weak runner-runner draws. As for calling, we will do that with our strongest hands, like sets, any pair that we are not raising, and even some ace-high hands.
Next, let’s look at how the situation changes when we see a connected flop, such as 8h7h5s.
We are clearly at a range advantage on this board so we will need to stick around about 84% of the time when facing a small c-bet from our opponent.
In this spot, we check/raise even more often at over 18% of the time with our strongest hands such as sets and our strong combo draws. Calling is reserved for 65% of our holdings and as you can see from the example above, you will continue with any pair and even some overcards against the initial c-bet on the flop.
Since you have range advantage you won’t be facing c-bet very often, but when you do you will have to defend these boards a lot and can only fold the absolute worst hands that has no potential to improve or win at the showdown.
Key takeaways
- Always check to the preflop raiser on the flop.
- Check/raise more aggressively when you are OOP.
- Defend a lot on connected boards with any playable hands.
