{"id":1349677,"date":"2020-01-10T05:39:13","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T05:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/?p=1349677"},"modified":"2025-12-29T14:41:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T14:41:25","slug":"3-bet-bluff-out-of-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/3-bet-bluff-out-of-position\/","title":{"rendered":"How to 3-Bet Bluff Out of Position"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The most dangerous bluff in <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/how-to-play-poker\/texas-holdem-rules\/\" title=\"How To Play Texas Hold\u2019em \u2013 Poker Rules &amp; Basics\">No-Limit Hold\u2019em<\/a> is the 3-bet bluff out of position. You could have a great career without hardly ever doing one. However, if you have a guy who is perpetually opening on your blinds and you\u2019re in a tournament, there can be some great opportunities to 3-bet bluff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<font color=\"grey\"><b>This is what you&#8217;ll learn:<\/b><\/font>\n<ul class=\"toc_list\">\n <li><a href=\"#pick_hand\">Picking Your Hand to 3-Bet<\/a>\n<\/li>\n <li><a href=\"#stack_sizes\">Attention to Stack Sizes<\/a>\n<\/li>\n <li><a href=\"#elaborate_bluff\">A More Elaborate Bluff<\/a>\n<\/li>\n <li><a href=\"#two_basics\">Start with those two basic bluffs<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pick_hand\">Picking Your Hand to 3-Bet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>First off, you should pick a hand that has some equity postflop<\/strong>. Big cards are fine. Suited gappers are great. Even unsuited connectors can work on rare occasions. A-x offsuit can work, but only if you\u2019re willing to make some serious folds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the easiest ways to get away with a 3-bet bluff out of position is to realize when you won\u2019t be playing three streets. <strong>Position is only as important as the number of streets you play.<\/strong> When you move all-in with 17 big blinds preflop, it doesn\u2019t matter what <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-positions\/\" title=\"Poker Positions \u2013 Know How to Play from Every Seat at the Table\">poker position<\/a> you\u2019re in. The guy can\u2019t exploit you. If the stacks are only deep enough to play a flop, and you have a great idea as to how that flop will play out, then the position isn\u2019t nearly as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stack_sizes\">Attention to Stack Sizes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stack size will frequently determine how few streets you play. <\/strong>Say a guy raises 2X on your big blind from a 29X stack. You know he raises practically half his <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-hands\/\" title=\"Poker Hand Rankings &amp; The Best Texas Hold\u2019em Hands\">hands<\/a> from that spot, and he doesn\u2019t fold any of them preflop to the 3-bet bluff. He might fold the garbage offsuit hands, but even then\u2026you\u2019re doubting it. Oddly, this player type is not that rare anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, he raises your big blind, and you have 6h-3h. You can call with this hand, but he has been in that spot so many times before. Everybody flats from the big blind now. He will know how to check back some of his high cards and small pairs. It will be difficult to checkraise bluff him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>So, instead, we do a smaller 3-bet. He\u2019s worried. He would normally flat with A-10o and 77 in our spot, so he assumes our range is A-J+, 88+. He might not be able to articulate that, but that\u2019s what his subconscious is telling him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He calls because God forbid, he ever folds to a 3-bet when he\u2019s in position. Then, on the flop, when he\u2019s operating from that stack, practically any sizeable continuation bet will threaten all of his chips. <strong>It\u2019s hard for guys to call with high cards in this spot, so if the board missed his hand, he\u2019s going to fold.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large is-style-circle-mask\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pokerchipsangle.jpg\" alt=\"Poker chips that can be used for poker tournaments, cash games, home games, and private poker games.\" class=\"wp-image-1380717\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You\u2019ll know what boards he\u2019s hitting.<\/strong> People like to raise and call with off-suited high cards. There are far more <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/poker-combinations\/\" title=\"Poker Combinations \u2013 How to Count Poker Combos the Right Way\">combinations<\/a> of offsuit high cards than there are of suited small and middle cards. If the board comes with two cards, nine or higher, you\u2019ll know he\u2019s likely to hit something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you hit something mediocre, you can check\/call the flop with the understanding that people are fairly bad at shoving turns with nothing. As long as you can make the occasional big fold, you\u2019ll come out ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, this is an extremely exploitative play that only works versus basic opponents, but if you want to get your feet wet with 3-betting out of position,<strong> I suggest you try one of these 3-bets in a local live tournament sometime.<\/strong> You can also try it in a $5.00 or $10.00 tournament online as the play gets deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you move up, however, people will start jamming on you with many hands preflop. So, you should try a slightly more elaborate bluff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"elaborate_bluff\">A More Elaborate 3-Bet Bluff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If a person raises from a 35-45X stack, I love this next play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say you moved up to a $500 tournament or a $1,050 live tournament. You have some chips to gamble with, otherwise, you shouldn\u2019t try this play. You have a 100X. You have a kid at the table who is loving showing off how aggressive he is. He is underestimating you due to ageism, sexism, and what have you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He raises your big blind.<strong> You 3-bet your bluff. <\/strong>He calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The board comes with all low cards with a flush draw. <strong>The board comes with a flush draw and one high card that\u2019s not an ace. <\/strong>The board comes with a straight draw that doesn\u2019t include two cards over a nine. Start with these boards. Use Flopzilla and look at his flatting range to come up with more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The thing about all of these boards is they are the type of board someone would fast play their sets, two pairs, and some overpairs on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You check on this board.<\/strong> You stare at the board for a few seconds, like you\u2019re waiting for something to appear. A lot of guys do this with their big cards when they miss. Subconsciously, the young budding pro will pick up on this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large is-style-circle-mask\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pokerchips.jpg\" alt=\"Poker chips that can be used for poker tournaments, cash games, home games, and private poker games.\" class=\"wp-image-1380735\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>He will then take a <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/c-betting-in-poker\/\" title=\"C-Betting in Poker \u2013 How to Build the Optimal Strategy\">continuation bet<\/a> shot with many of the hands he missed the flop with. But here\u2019s the beautiful thing: If he hit a good pair, a lot of times he will check! Many guys do it for pot control because they\u2019re worried about how big 3-bet pots can become. But with nothing, they don\u2019t really have anything to lose, so they take their shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You then look dejected for 20 seconds. <strong>Then quietly say, \u201craise.\u201d Make it a large one.<\/strong> Perhaps 80% of the pot or more. Look like you have a set or a big hand that you\u2019re Hollywooding with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve taught this play to a number of different women and senior citizens. They have reported young guys showing them pairs and folding!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can\u2019t really blame them. Nine times out of ten, they ran into the hand in that spot. Due to their stack size, the next bet is going to be an all-in. They\u2019re not willing to risk that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"two_basics\">Start with Those Two Basic Bluffs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, 3-betting out of position becomes infinitely more complex. A lot of it has to do with what your opponent will do with high cards. Some good players know how to raise flop continuation bets, for example, with their high cards as a bluff, but they will assume you\u2019re pot controlling with a pair if you check out of position after you <a href=\"http:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/3-bet-poker-strategy\/\" title=\"3-Betting in Poker: How to Pick the Right Spot for a 3-Bet\">3-bet<\/a> preflop. They\u2019ll check back and you can pick up the pot on the turn with a small bet. They\u2019ll likely fold their high cards and give you a credit for a pair at that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can imagine, picking off this specific player takes a great deal of experience and attention to detail. Furthermore, <strong>there is no room for error out of position<\/strong>. You can be mediocre with hand reading and flop analysis in position and still make money, but that is not going to happen out of position. Flopzilla needs to become a good friend of yours if you\u2019re going to start re-popping it in the small blind or big blind. Do not go into war on that battlefield until you feel prepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope these tips have been beneficial to you and your game. Good luck to all of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Three-betting Out of Position with Alex &quot;Assassinato&quot; Fitzgerald\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2orkzJkut_A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most dangerous bluff in No-Limit Hold\u2019em is the 3-bet bluff out of position. You could have a great career without hardly ever doing one. However, if you have a guy who is perpetually opening [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":2516149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[877,16],"tags":[130],"class_list":["post-1349677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poker-basics","category-poker-strategy","tag-preflop"],"acf":{"peak_live_date":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff.jpg",1200,628,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff-373x210.jpg",373,210,true],"medium":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff-746x390.jpg",746,390,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff-768x402.jpg",768,402,true],"large":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff-1024x536.jpg",1024,536,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff.jpg",1200,628,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff.jpg",1200,628,false],"author_image":["https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3betbluff.jpg",100,52,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Alex Fitzgerald","author_link":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/author\/alex_fitzgerald\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"The most dangerous bluff in No-Limit Hold\u2019em is the 3-bet bluff out of position. You could have a great career without hardly ever doing one. However, if you have a guy who is perpetually opening [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1349677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1349677"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1349677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2534403,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1349677\/revisions\/2534403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2516149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1349677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1349677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pokercoaching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1349677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}