Strategies to navigate the post-flop phase following a 3-bet rival:

Strategies to navigate the post-flop phase following a 3-bet rival:

Hey there! Here's 10 post-flop play tips for you as a pre-flop caller. You've opened, someone 3-bet, and you've called this 3-bet, with everyone else folding. You're heads-up with your opponent on the post-flop.

First and foremost, remember that playing post-flop as a caller, especially when you're out of position, can be tricky because your range is capped with strong hands. This means your opponent has all the AA-KK that want to extract value on all three streets. So, when you just call a 3-bet, you'll generally face three issues in your play:

1. Lack of equity
2. Lack of overpairs (AA-QQ)
3. Lack of pressure on your opponent

Here are some tips to help you navigate these situations:

Tip No1. Frequent IP calls on coordinated flops

This tip is for when you're in position (i.e., one of the blinds 3-bets and you call, so they play out of position). By 'coordinated flops', we mean boards that have either a flush draw, a straight draw, or three cards to a straight, or both types of draws. This allows you to frequently call IP on such textures and see what the turn brings. For instance, you're on CO and your opponent is on SB. They 3-bet - you call. The flop comes [Ks][5h][2c]. They continuation bet - you call.

• If you have any connection to the texture or just 2 overcards, you should call here. This is called floating. We're calling now to take the pot from our opponent on the turn with a bluff if they check, convincing them of our hand. Or to hit a good hand (top pair or a decent draw, if it was a backdoor on the flop).

In short, flooding with the right hands on coordinated flops can be a powerful tool to steal pots or improve your hand.

Tip No2. Slowplay your best hands, especially in position

Due to the much smaller stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) in 3-bet pots compared to regular pots, it's now easy to commit your entire stack on later streets, allowing you to just call with your nuts instead of raising them in place.

A tournament example: You open from 2bb, the small blind 3-bets to 7bb, and you call. The pot is already around 15bb on the flop, with an effective stack of about 43. SPR is around 3, and when your opponent bets the standard 1/3 of the pot, you can easily just call with a strong hand and let your opponent bluff off on the turn and/or river.

But let's say you held 77, you open, and the BB 3-bets, and you hit a set on the flop with no obvious draws. Now, there's no reason to play a check-raise with an unbeatably strong set. SPR is low, your opponent will often try to bluff you with hands like QJo and play bet-bet-push. A check-raise would eliminate all that from their range and cost you a lot of chips (and possibly tournament life).

Advice No3. Defend Much More Often Against Small Bets

The smaller the bet size, the better the odds the caller gets. Therefore, you should continue the game much more often against small bets than against medium or large ones. And not just by calling.

When your opponent bets 2bb into a 14bb pot at low stakes, it's usually a weak range—rarely good for playing for the stack or even half of it. And you can not only call, staying capped, but also give the opponent a chance to bet pot-sized and bust you out of the hand.

In conclusion, defending should be part of your strategy when facing small bets, as it maximizes your long-term profit.

Advice No4. Check-Raise with a Polarized Range

In modern poker, linear raises are only good against fish or very passive regs, but against even moderately competent opponents, polarized ranges and check-raises will serve you better.

• For value hands: Best value hands for the first barrel range are vulnerable made hands starting from top pair with a 3rd kicker. The lower the SPR and the shorter the effective stack, the lower the kicker you can get away with.
• For bluffs: It's better to use some strong draws (like flush draws and straight draws), as well as a few weaker draws like first nut BDFD or second nut. (Check-)raising these draw hands can achieve a lot, and their EV in this line is much higher than playing passively.

Strong and medium draws can be played by calling, but weak draws should be excluded from calling—only raises and check-raises. These hands have no direct equity to justify calling without fold equity, and calling or check-calling will lead to losses as your opponent will often outdraw you over the next two streets. However, (check-)raising these hands will be profitable in the long run.

But if you're facing a 3-bet all-in or any other 3-bet that makes calling unprofitable, fold. It's not smart to show strength and fold to even more aggression, but your opponent will likely have strong hands like two pair or overpairs, albeit rarely.

You should only re-raise with strong draws that have an overcard or second draw, and obviously with value hands. And remember the pot odds—if you're facing an all-in, your implied odds are zero, and if you don't have enough direct odds, calling will be a losing play in the long run.

Tip No.5. Fold your hand immediately when you have junk

When you've called a 3-bet with junk and missed the flop completely, folding your hand every time is perfectly normal.

It's very hard to realize equity. This often happens with speculative hands: suited aces and connectors, as well as pocket pairs. Here are three simple examples that happen very often (with standard reg opponents):

• You were called a 3-bet with [As][8s] and the flop came [Ks][Qh][8d]. Even with your A-high and BDFD, you should fold even to a 20% pot bet. Without backdoor, even to a 10% bet. Reason: you're unlikely to realize equity by calling and hoping to hit something. You're more likely to get into a big pot with a low showdown value hand.
• You were called a 3-bet with [3s][3h] on [9c][Th][5c]. You have OESD, but from the bottom end of the straight you're hoping for. A or [5h] will often make your opponent raise a lot of money, as the preflop 3-bettor's range is filled with hands like [Ks][Kc] or [Af]. I don't recommend playing check-raises into obvious textures that benefit your opponent.
• You were called a 3-bet with [8s][4s] on [8d][5c][Th]. You have pocket 3rd pair on a flop that's better for your opponent than you. Essentially, the hand is over—fold to any bet, even if it's 1/7 of the pot. Reason: you won't make it to showdown and win. Your opponent will likely raise more than once, and your hand can't handle it. Plus, your range loses to your opponent's.

Tip No6. When your opponent check-raises on the flop, attack on the turn

Here we're out of position. But why the tip?

When your opponent also checks after your standard out-of-position check on the flop, it's likely they don't have a strong top pair with a good kicker or better hands. Even simple players rarely have a top pair in this situation. And even if they do, they likely don't have a hand they consider strong. =>

Your opponent is unlikely to call strong bets and show down with what they actually have. So, telling a convincing story about having a strong hand now can work often. In my experience, this is +EV.

Also, the board overfolds to two consecutive bets on the turn and river, where the pot is usually not small. And if you're raised on the second bet, you'll still be profitable in the long run. If your opponent is clearly prone to calling you down like a maniac, value-bet them almost like a fish.

In short, attacking on the turn when your opponent check-raises the flop and checks the turn is a powerful strategy, as it can often force weaker hands to fold when bluffing.

Tip No7. Check-raise with showdown value hands

Have you absorbed the sixth tip? Now let's play in position, and we'll check behind hands with a decent suited connector.

You have [9s][8s]. The flop comes [Th][5s][2c]. The suits of the cards don't matter here. This is the perfect spot to check behind and catch bluffs on the turn. Against particularly aggressive opponents, both calls might work.

While your hand is vulnerable to your opponent's overpairs, the worst has already happened now. Now, 99 has no value against the continuation range if you bet yourself. Here, we choose between a very slightly positive EV, but still positive, and negative. Checking back leads to a plus, while an active bet results in long-term losses. By betting, we fold out more of the three-out flush draws that don't beat our 99 (but might bluff against a weak-looking range), and our opponent's continuation range will be dominated by straight draws and second pairs.

• So, on the flop, both of you check.
• If your opponent doesn't bet on the turn, use the power of position and bet for value.
• If they check again on the river, play another check.

This way, you'll win often. Small pots, but profitable.

After the first active bet, your hand is neutralized: live equity on the bottom, and fold equity is low. You won't call bets from your opponent. A bet with 99 on a flop of [Th][5s][2c] isn't for value, as you'd need to beat > 50% of your opponent's total continuation range (including their raises), and 99 doesn't beat even the calling range.

If you had a second pair like [As], play check on the flop and turn, but you can make a thin value bet on this river. The size depends on what's between you and your opponent. If the river brings another [2c], a thin value bet is also appropriate and will get calls more often. But if the river brings a [TC], it's check-back again. Not every hand is meant to be won.

In short, in position, check-raising with showdown value hands against a check-raise can be a powerful tool to win pots against aggressive opponents.

References:1. Farb, S. (2021). The Advanced Solver Playbook. Volume 1: Flat Ranges and Positional Strategy. D&B Publishing.2. Scholze, M. (2019). The Art of C Betting. PokerStrategy.com.3. SharkScope University. (2020). Preflop Ranges and Pot Building in Poker. SharkScope Academy.4. D'Amato, L. (2017). How to Read Your Opponents in Online Poker. Upswing Poker.5. Leah, R. (2021). The One Thing Most Fish Don't Understand. Upswing Poker.

1. When in position (IP) as a pre-flop caller, and facing a 3-bet with a coordinated flop (a flush draw, straight draw, or three cards to a straight), consider frequently calling IP to take the pot on the turn by bluffing if checked, or improving your hand.
2. With the best hands, slowplay your strong hands, especially when in position (IP), to take advantage of the smaller stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) in 3-bet pots and let your opponent bluff off on the turn and/or river.
3. Against small bets, defend much more often than against medium or large ones, as the smaller the bet size, the better the odds the caller gets. Not just by calling but also giving the opponent a chance to bet pot-sized and potentially busting you out of the hand.
4. In modern poker, check-raise with a polarized range consisting of strong value hands (made hands starting with top pair and a 3rd kicker) and strong draws (like flush and straight draws) when facing even moderately competent opponents.
5. Fold instantly when holding junk (speculative hands like suited aces, connectors, or pocket pairs) after calling a 3-bet and missing the flop completely, as it's very hard to realize equity.
6. When your opponent check-raises the flop and checks the turn (out of position), attack on the turn with a powerful strategy to force weaker hands to fold, as your opponent is likely not holding a strong top pair with a good kicker or better hands.
7. Check-raise with showdown value hands in position against a check-raise to win pots against aggressive opponents, especially against a weak-looking range and to fold out more of the three-out flush draws that don't beat your hand on the flop.

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