3 Tips for 4-Betting that Poker Player Should Know

The power of a single 4- bet

Any player who wants to be a pro in betting must understand how a single 4-bet can make or break a session.
Note that putting lots of chips in the pot early enough is a big risk and only the strong hearted can pull this.

Nevertheless, if you are tactical and use the right strategies at this point, you are likely to win more money and earn your opponent’s respect as being a risk taker.

The 3 tips that each betting player should know are;

Tip#1: If you are facing a 3-bet and have a premium hand, lean towards 4-betting and not trapping

When playing No Limit Hold’em, and you have a strong hand in, either post-flop or pre-flop. You will need to fast play instead of slow-playing with the intention of trapping your opponents. In this instance, fast playing builds a bigger pot which means you get more value. There are instances where slow playing works well but not in this situation.

Similarly, when facing a 3-bet with a premium pocket pair you should 4-bet a high percentage of the time.
In this situation, your complete best hands is likely to cause the most damage when there is a smaller stack –to-pot ratio. This will help you in the future when it comes to making decisions.

By 4-betting you not only get more money in the pot when your hand is way ahead, but you also isolate your opponent.

Tip#2: 4-bet wider when out of position in order to mitigate your positional disadvantage

Placing a 4-bet is a risk and thus requires a lot of guts to do it especially if you have not tried it before. However, 4- betting wide when out of position will help you get out of fear and your disadvantaged position since;
The hand can easily play post-flop since the stack-to-pot ratio will be lower.

The more you play 4-bet pots, the more comfortable you become. Note that a wide 4-betting range should contain both value bets and bluffs. In bloated 4-bet pots, failure to include both will leave you more vulnerable.

Tip#3: Choose your 4-bets carefully, not arbitrarily

Avoid the mistake that most players make when 4-betting when they arbitrarily choose random cards without much thought. This is risky and bound to fail.

Choose your hands carefully when 4-betting as a bluff; don’t do so arbitrarily or because it feels right in the moment.

4-bets bluffs work well with Suited aces especially with suited wheel aces (A2, A3, A4, A5), which are ideal for 3 reasons:

Card Removal
Having an ace in your hand lowers the odds of the likelihood that your opponent has two of his most likely premium hands: pocket aces and ace king.
Have good equity against a calling range
It is likely that there is a 35% equity against your opponent’s 4-bet calling with Suited wheel aces.
Solid Playability
You need the ability to flop straight draws, top pair, and nut flush draws since this flexibility will enable you to go a multitude of boards. This will confuse your opponent who will find it difficult to put you on trips when the flops fall 6-2-2.

Other types of hands that work well as 4-bets include:
• Suited connectors not strong enough to call
• Offsuit broadway hands that block multiple premium holdings, such as AJo or KQo
Increase your chances of your 4-bet bluffs close to optimal, despite the results by choosing your 4-bets bluff carefully to avoid playing bloated pots with trash hands.

Which of these 3 tips did you find most helpful?

Let us know in the comments below please! See ya.