The Basics of 4-Betting and How to Use it to Your Advantage
July 31, 2024 PokerNews Staff
In this article, we’re going 5️⃣ to talk about another of those important tools to introduce to your Texas Hold’em poker arsenal – the 4-bet. When 5️⃣ utilized effectively, against the right opponent, this can provide a much-needed boost to your hourly win rate over time. The 5️⃣ 4-bet is a betting technique that allows you to take advantage of certain opponents and turn their aggression into a 5️⃣ weakness that’s hugely profitable for you.
it’s always best to play your premium hands strongly rather than slow-playing
You will eventually find 5️⃣ yourself in 4-bet situations, especially if you aspire to play poker seriously or even if you just want to give 5️⃣ yourself the best chance of winning playing recreationally. Ideally, all poker players should learn an in-depth 4-bet strategy so they 5️⃣ can utilize these skills at the table and win against any type of opponent. But it isn’t as cut-and-dried as 5️⃣ you may think. Read on to find out more about how this bold poker play can yield great results in 5️⃣ the right situations.
What is a 4-bet and How Does it Work?
If an opponent re-raises an initial pre-flop raise, this is 5️⃣ considered a 3-bet. Therefore, a 4-bettor is someone that is prepared to re-raise the player that placed the 3-bet. We 5️⃣ mentioned pre-flop raises because 4-betting is most commonly used before the community cards are displayed, with players 4-betting based upon 5️⃣ the strength of their hole cards and that of their opponents.
There are various reasons why you might consider 4-betting with 5️⃣ your poker hand. For starters, you might wish to extract maximum value from players with poor holdings that simply cannot 5️⃣ let go of their hands. You might have the bravery to use a 4-bet as a bluff, but we’ll go 5️⃣ into the scenarios where a 4-bet bluff would be most effective shortly.
When and Why You Should Consider a 4-bet
4-bets are 5️⃣ a vital way to keep your chip stack growing
One of the best ways to use a 4-bet is if you 5️⃣ have a premium hand or even the “nuts”. When it comes to No Limit Hold’em, it’s always best to play 5️⃣ your premium hands strongly rather than slow-playing in a bid to trap your opponents. While slow-playing hands can be beneficial 5️⃣ sometimes, playing a hand strongly allows you to build a bigger pot and extract more value from your opponents.
For instance, 5️⃣ if you face a 3-bet from an opponent pre-flop and you are holding pocket kings or aces, it’s a good 5️⃣ idea to 4-bet most of the times. You’ll help to build funds into the pot when your pre-flop hand is, 5️⃣ hopefully, ahead of theirs.
Positionally, a 4-bet should also be employed periodically when you are playing out of position. Although this 5️⃣ can seem like a scary leap into the unknown, it can work brilliantly against players that lack the faith in 5️⃣ their convictions and tend to fold meekly to aggressors.
Factoring Opponents Into Your Strategy
Your opponents do heavily influence when and how 5️⃣ frequently you choose to 4-bet at the poker table. Their approach and style of play will determine when you consider 5️⃣ utilizing it. 4-bets are typically a good strategy to employ when you are up against some loose and aggressive gameplay, 5️⃣ which is a plot that Dan Bilzerian claims to have pioneered. 4-bet bluffs are an important skill to develop as 5️⃣ you go through the poker ranks, as these will become an integral factor in your survival when tournaments go deep 5️⃣ or you’re playing against more experienced people for bigger money.
Of course, 4-betting is almost pointless when you come up against 5️⃣ an absolute rock that plays tight and is not known for folding their good hands, regardless of them being the 5️⃣ victim of a 4-bet. However, 4-betting does offer huge value against those loose-aggressive 3-bettors that aren’t afraid to re-raise an 5️⃣ initial raiser with a wide range of holdings, not just premium made hands. If you are prepared to 4-bet imposing, 5️⃣ aggressive players, it demonstrates to the rest of the table that you aren’t a shrinking violet and you have confidence 5️⃣ in your hands and abilities; thereby gaining you respect that can help extract value from hands where you might bluff 5️⃣ in the future.
How to Combat Those Who 4-Bet Against You
On the flip side, if you come up against an opponent 5️⃣ that regularly 4-bets against you after your 3-bet, do bear in mind that you’ll often be getting good odds to 5️⃣ flat call. Sometimes, this can be as much as 3 or 4 to 1. If you find that you have 5️⃣ 25-30% equity against your opponent’s 4-bet range, it could be a profitable call to make over the long-term.
The Key Takeaway 5️⃣ For a Successful 4-Bet Poker Strategy
It’s important when you start to employ a 4-bet strategy that you don’t just do 5️⃣ so arbitrarily with hands. While aggression is good to see, semi-bluffs that could transform weak holdings into competitive hole cards 5️⃣ on the flop are opportunistic. Pick the right moments to 4-bet rather than doing so from the outset with any 5️⃣ two hole cards. Suited aces are statistically some of the best hands one could use in a 4-bet scenario. That’s 5️⃣ because having an ace in your own hand reduces the chance of the 3-bettor having two aces in their own 5️⃣ hand. Suited aces also give you pre-flop outs, whether it’s straight draws or nut flush draws that all of a 5️⃣ sudden help your original 4-bet pay off.
You could also consider 4-betting with suited connectors that aren’t strong enough to simply 5️⃣ call and see a flop. Alternatively, off-suit face card hands like KQ off-suit or JQ off-suit could also be useful 5️⃣ 4-bet hands to block the prospect of premium holdings and give yourself a chance of improving to a broadway hand.
If 5️⃣ you are prepared to take this information on board and use it to your advantage, you should be ready to 5️⃣ 4-bet and take your poker game to the next level!
