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Playing Good Hands When
It Is Three Bets Before the Flop

Suppose you have:You open for two bets, and someone else makes it three three bets. How should you play this poker hand ?

Realize that in this situation, you are almost always up against either a big pair, which you may or may not be able to beat, or two high cards, usually AK.

This means that if an ace or a king appears on the flop, you generally should check and fold.

However, if the flop looks favorable, be prepared to simply check and call all the way. ( Occasionally, depending on the board and your opponent, it may be better to bet when all the cards are out.)

There are two reasons for checking and calling. First, it you check-raise and have the worst hand, you will just lose more money.

However, if you have the best hand, your opponent may fold on the turn, and you won’t win as much money as you could have won.

The second reason for checking and calling is that you encourage your opponent to bluff all the way.

Suppose he has:He may bet this hand not only on the flop, but on the turn and river as well, hoping that you will fold.

Give him a chance to throw his money away. Remember, risking free cards is not as dangerous in this spot since you may be beaten anyway.

There is an important exception to only calling before the flop, as opposed to reraising.

It is when you believe that your opponent may believe that you might be stealing.

This usually occurs when you are first in from a late position, or just by circumstance you have been raising a lot.

In this case, if he is somewhat knowledgeable or just very aggressive, he will be quick to make it three bets.

Thus you may want to take it to four bets.

However, if you only call, you may have him in a very weak position and he may bet on the flop and the turn with very few outs.

For example, if you raise first in with the Q♥ Q♠ either one or two positions off the button, an aggressive opponent might make it three bets with a hand like:Making it four bets is now a viable option.

So is playing the hand more aggressively on later streets as well. Now suppose the flop looks favorable, but you have been three betted while holding.

instead of two queens. You still should probably play as before, though your chances have gone down since you may be against tens or jacks.

An exception would be when you are against two or three opponents and the reraiser is last to act.

Now you may want to come out casino poker betting. This might force the placers who are between you and the original reraiser to fold, since they will fear another raise.

If you raise with two high cards, get reraised and flop top pair, it is once again usually correct to simply check and call all the way.

The obvious exception is of course AK, where you will often raise somewhere along the way.

But with other hands you should usually play online poker rather meekly with one pair against someone who has both position on you and has represented a big hand.

Discretion is the better part of valor.