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♠️🔨 Three-Bet Thursday: Turn Breakeven or Losing Hands Into Winners

Apply Pressure. Watch Them Crack.

Author

Mike Deckard
May 08, 2025

🔨 Three-Bet Thursday: Turn Breakeven or Losing Hands Into Winners

Let’s pick up where ♠️📈 Win-Rate Wednesday: Stop Bleeding Chips in Multiway Pots left off.

You’ve got 9♠️ 8♠️ on the button. A player opens from MP.

Most players just call and pray they see a good flop, but we would be encouraging the blinds to call and see a multi-way pot. If you read yesterday’s newsletter, now you know this isn’t something you don’t want with a hand like this.

Time to wind up your hammer

Three-bet to 3-4x their raise size.

Why 3-Bet❓️

  • Avoid multiway pots — our equity collapses when the blinds come along, and our ability to bluff plummets.

  • Force folds from better hands — Most people live in fear of being 3bet at all, especially out of position. Many players will fold better hands like A9s, A8s, K9s, and off suit Broadway hands like KT, QJ, QT and JT.

  • Play the hand on our terms — we take the betting lead, thin the field, and create fold equity on every street.

💥 The Spot

Live $1/$3 — $500 effective stacks

UTG limps, MP raises to $15.

Folds to you on the button with 9♠️8♠️.

You 3-bet to $50.

Blinds fold, UTG folds, MP calls.

Flop ($105): K♠️ 7 ♣️ 2 ♦️ 

MP checks.

You bet $30.

MP sighs and folds A♥️ Q♥️ 

🔍 What Most Players Get Wrong

  • “But if I miss, I’m done” — Wrong. You don’t need to hit.
    You’re buying fold equity pre and postflop. Your opponents are folding better hands — like AQ here — because they’re not comfortable in bloated pots out of position unless they make a strong hand or draw.

  • Calling is “safer” — False security. Calling invites the blinds in, gives up initiative, and forces you to rely on catching an unlikely good flop.

  • “My hand’s not good enough to 3-bet” — It’s not about hand strength. It’s about range advantage, fold equity, and initiative.

👀 But What If They Call?

We took down the pot today, but what if MP didn’t fold the flop?
What if they call with KQ, JJ, or float with A♠️Q♠️?

Good thing tomorrow is Flop Play Friday.


We’ll break down the full plan — sizing, texture dynamics, and the turn barreling blueprint.

✅ 3-Bet or Not ❌ 

Live $1/$3. MP raises to $15. You’re on the button with K♥️ 9♥️
Do you call or 3-bet here — and why?

💬 Hit reply and let me know your line.

Stay sharp and curious,

— Mike

Want 1-on-1 help with successfully navigating Three-Bet scenarios?


Book a coaching session and we’ll start to transform you from a nail into a hammer.
👇️ 

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