Range for calling 3-bets?

jugglegeek

What sort of range should I be using to call 3-bets with? At the moment at NL4 I find it fairly easy since a) 3-bets are pretty rare b) when they happen they are sized poorly (either min-raises where I can see a flop for a couple more BBs, or massive over bets/shoves that I only call with premium pairs & AK) c) regs only 3-bet with value hands. As I play better players when does it become okay to call 3-bets as oppossed to 4-betting or folding?

I ask because the more I think about it, the less calling a 3-bet makes sense. Say I open with 55 to 3x and get 3-bet to 9x. To profitably set mine stacks need to be 20x the price to call so stacks of 100BBs and I'm not getting the correct implied price to set mine. Big hands like AK, JJ+ it's probably best to 4-bet with. This leaves middling hands like KT+ AT+ QJs. If we assume that a properly sized 3-bet is never a bluff then even in possition these hands are most likely dominated.

I know that at the higher stakes where 3-bets are more common then it becomes about the opponent and mixing it up. But at micro stakes where 3-bets are usually with JJ+ and AQ+ would it be fair to say that it's best to either 4-bet or fold? Against this range is it ever going to be +ev to call a 3-bet

EvilPingu

It depends.

I don't call 3bets much at micro stakes - The only time I remember calling a 3bet was against someone with 250bb effective stacks. I had JJ, he had TT, flop was JTx, it was 4NL and I scooped a pot of about £17, happy days

[x] Brag

Generally, at micro stakes, I'm not calling 3bets very often. Part of this is because of the standard raise size pre-flop. Your open raise is bigger (I use 4x with no limpers, others go even bigger), so once you get 3bet (which will also be bigger than normal), and because of the stack to pot ratio, it's often going to be a mistake to call the 3bet.

Unless you've got a metagame going on with the other regs, and/or you're sat really deep, there's not really many times where flat calling a 3bet is going to be a great idea. Of course, if it's a min 3bet, then that changes things, but generally, flatting 3bets @ 4NL isn't going to work too well most of the time, IMO.

KAM99

Main thing I'd say at micro stakes is never call a 3 bet with a hand that can be dominated. The gap theory is pretty old hat now in cash games and even MTT's where people 3,4 and 5 bet light, but at micro stakes that doesn't tend to be the case very often and so going with the gap theory that you need a strong hand to call than raise works more so for calling a 3bet. Hands like JQ, KJ etc are just asking for it, and even hands like KQ that look pretty are so often dominated you should often just muck them.

If deep enough and the 3bet is light enough I may well consider calling with suited connectors as they are best statistical hands for running down high PP's, but depends how deep stacks are and how big the 3bet is, and my postion may factor into it too. But to be honest its not something I'd often bother with at micros where you know most 3bets are with premium hands.

That said watch carefully as there are some at micro limits that think any ace or king etc is huge and 3bet garbage, but they are normally pretty obvious. You do get some weird play sometimes. I played 10nl DS on here the other day, raised A10 suited UTG, got a call from UTG+1 and a £6 shove from SB. I folded and UTG+1 called. SB turned over 44 and UTG+1 turned over A2 of diamonds and hit ace on flop. Sometimes you just have to note done the nutbars and move on, but point stands that some do 3bet light even at micros.