The No-Limit Toolbox — The Light Preflop 3-Bet

threads13 and bsheck,

While I agree that often calling with T9s would be as good or better, I disagree that it’s always or “by far” the better play. It really depends a lot on how your opponent plays. If they’re super loose and likely to go off for a big one if you hit a hand, then calling tends to be better.

But if they aren’t so willing to stack off, then your implied odds won’t be as good, and you may actually be better off playing a somewhat bigger pot (or just wining immediately) because you have to rely more heavily on stealing.

And, just so it’s clear, the light preflop 3-bet can be made “lighter” than T9s, and in those cases I suppose there would be less of an argument about whether calling or 3-betting would be better. (Perhaps I should have just used a weaker hand as the example to simplify things. After all, this is “Poker Made Simple”.)

Philos,

Well, there’s no hard-and-fast difference between the plays. Except a squeeze play requires at least one caller, and the light 3-bet doesn’t require any.

And the light 3-bet tends to be more like a semi-bluff, while the squeeze shades more like an outright bluff… as if your squeeze gets called, chances are you’re in much bigger trouble than when your light 3-bet gets called… especially if you’ve followed directions for the light 3-bet and done it in position.