#6 defending OOP, 3-betting from the blinds
This article will discuss defending out of position by 3-betting and cold calling in the Big Blind. These situations are frequent; thus, you should have a solid strategy. When you are out of position, it is always a bit more complicated since you have an information and EQ realization disadvantage.
1. 3-betting ranges – OOP
Let's see first when we are defending from the blinds by a 3-bet. It's crucial to note that ranges differ if you 3-bet from the SB or the BB. From the SB, we tend to use a linear 3-betting range, similar to the in-position 3-betting we saw earlier. While from the BB, we elect a merged 3-betting range, meaning that it contains strong, medium, and some weak hands. In some cases, this will affect the post-flop strategy dramatically. Now we'll focus only on the pre-flop ranges but keep in mind that there is a massive difference.
The key factors, again, will be our Villains' opening range and the bet size they use. We assume that our opponents open 2,25-2,5bb. In this case, we can use a 3-bet size somewhere between 4-4,5x. It will be accurate, as always, that you can adjust your strategy. If they overfold, you can 3-bet more (or use smaller sizing). If they overcall/play too wide, you can tighten up and use bigger sizes.
2. Defending from the SB
I'd like to start with an important message; never ever cold call from the small blind. You'll be vulnerable to BB squeezes. Besides that, you'll play out of position for sure. So instead, try to avoid rake and uncomfortable situations. Use a similar strategy to in-position play when you face an open raise.
SB
Look at the charts below, how similarly our ranges are built up. Also, you can note the tendency to widen our ranges as Villain plays more and more hands.
- Blue – 100% 3-bet
- Yellow – 10-50% 3-bet
- The rest is fold.
SBvUTG 7-8%
SBvMP 8-9%
SBvCO 10-11%
SBvBTN 14-15%
The defending range from the Big Blind is going to be somewhat tricky. Facing an open raise, we'll close the action, and we've already posted 1bb to the pot. We have better odds and situation than anyone else at the table, so we can decide to call or 3-bet (and fold).
A pure strategy won't work here, and it would make us very predictable. So we have to mix it up a little.
BB
Now compare the SB ranges above with the ones you should use from the BB. If you notice, we use a merged range to 3-bet. There are strong hands such as QQ+ and AK, but also we add some medium strength hands, such as KQs, TT, etc., and some weak hands too, such as 54s, K5s, etc.
A BB 3-bet strategy is always harder to execute, so I suggest using a random number generator or simplifying your strategy even more. Keep in mind that you'd like to cover all types of boards. So don't omit specific parts of the range completely.
The suggested ranges are actual GTO ranges from GTO wizard;
(6-max, NL50 rake, 100bb effective with 2,5bb opens)
BB v UTG 2.5bb open
Red – 3bet (6%); Green – Call (18%); Blue – Fold (76%)
BB v MP 2.5bb open
Red – 3bet (7,5%); Green – Call (20%); Blue – Fold (72,5%)
BB v CO 2.5bb open
Red – 3bet (9,5%); Green – Call (22%); Blue – Fold (68,5%)
BB v BTN 2,5bb open
Red – 3bet (14%); Green – Call (25%); Blue – Fold (61%)
The tendency you can see here is that the broader opening ranges we face, the wider we can 3-bet. So we can increase the frequencies of the same type of hands or include some new ones. In the value part, we add lower pocket pairs like JJ, TT, 99, etc. In the medium strength, we add more and more off-suit hands (ATo, KJo, QTo, etc.) that are good blockers against good opening hands, and to the weak/board covering part of our range, we increase the frequency of suited connectors and add off suit hands like A5o, T9o, etc.
Note that we widen our calling range as well. Suited hands play better post-flop, so we can add almost everything against the BTN. Off-suit hands are a lot more combinations and also play worse post-flop. Hence, we focus mainly on broadways and Axo combos.
4. Isolating
There is an infrequent part of the game that we'll cover quickly. Usually, we face an open limp when a recreational player is at the table. We should consider many factors when we decide to isolate them (i.e., they limp, and we raise to make them fold or isolate from the other players and stay heads up). These factors vary from player to player, so we intend to cover only some variants. This way, we establish a baseline that you can deviate from in case it's necessary.
The usual approach is to use the open range of your previous position. I'll give you an example; a player is limping from UTG, and it's folded to you on the BTN. You should iso-raise with your CO opening range up to 3,5bb, a widely acknowledged size.
If your opponent tends to call no matter the size, you can go ahead and test increasing your iso size. However, be careful if you face an active opponent who likes to donk bet and raise you. In this case, you should tighten your isolating range to avoid an unfavorable situation with a wide range.
5. Summary
Out-of-position play as the defender is often tricky. Help yourself by working with solid pre-flop ranges. From the SB, do not limp. Use a linear 3-betting range, and adjust to your opponents. You'll have to execute a mixed strategy from the BB by either calling or 3-betting.
The difference compared to the SB 3bet range is that now we use a merged 3-bet range, which contains strong value hands, medium hands, and weak hands. The latter is primarily for board coverage. If you take the initiative, the pot will grow exponentially, and your whole stack can be at risk. On the other hand, if you only call, you might get run over by aggressive players. Another scenario is you call down too light. That's why it's important to make good pre-flop decisions. You'll be in trouble by the river if you significantly deviate your ranges from the optimal (unless you had a good exploitative reason).
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