I know the stereotype at $1/$2 is that if someone is 3 betting pre it's almost always QQ-AA. Are there any instances at $1/$2 where we are calling a 3 bet pre with a non premium holding? How do we know when to? Are we ever 4 betting as a bluff?

I only have experience at $1/$2 and $1/$3. I heard at ANY other level there are regularly 3 bet bluffs pre. In these other games what hands are we calling with and when are we 4 betting?

I look forward to your responses. It's really surreal to me as to the extent at which 2+2 has helped me grow as a player.

I think this question is too general to get decent answers, but I'll let the thread run a bit and see how it goes.

Short answer: 4-bet bluffs should be rarer than frog-fur at 1/2. Almost nobody has a 3-bet/fold range. Even "light" 3-bettors are going to call it off with their AQo, or whatever.

Calling 3-bets can be fine in some circumstances, most notably with speculative hands (especially low-mid PPs) when deep and in position against a V who will overplay a premium.

In my experience, 3-bet bluffs are pretty rare at 2/5 as well. Not unheard of, but rare. Not assuming it as possible from a player until I see it.

The question is pretty generic, but still interesting.

I think we should assume villains are your standard LL players: rarely 3B, so you're almost exclusively ranging them on JJ+ and AK. I would throw out circumstances where 3B are occuring due to folds all the way around to somebody in LP where you get blinds 3B light.

I agree with Garick that often small PPs IP, and possibly SCs, when deep enough, are generally our calling range. Most broadways will not play well vs 3B.

Generally the deeper we are though, the wider we can call. I still follow the 15x, 25x, 35x rule for PPs, SCs, SGs when calling 3B, although it's not as straightforward as that.

I’m much more likely to flat WITH a premium than without if I think someone will get gunshy with JJ/QQ when I 4 bet.

Garick pretty much laid it out. I will say PPs are way better than SC’s in those situations.

Garick nailed this one. I'll just add to keep an eye on frequencies. I recently played a 6 hour session of 1/2 after playing almost exclusively 2/5 last year (~220 hrs as part time rec). I was the only player 3 betting pre and it was super effective (AQ+, 77+). I ran one 3! bluff with A4s and it was also effective. I'm still not advocating adding 4! bluffs at 1/2 or 1/3 but if you notice a player who is 3 betting often (probably rare but not impossible) you can open your flatting range a little to see some flops, especially in position. The assumption is this player must be 3 betting more than AK, JJ+ so to adjust you can call a wider range without giving up a range advantage.

In general I would advise against calling with speculative hands like suited connectors or Broadway hands unless you consider yourself advanced. Or at least stronger than your opponent. These hands are powerful but IMO are over valued and misplayed by the average player. After you've proved to yourself that you are crushing with an ABC range and you want to increase your win rate, that's when I'd suggest adding the next class of hands to 3 bet situations.