Happy Holidays, 2p2

How do you adjust your sizing when you are:

1. BTN vs CO, HJ, UTG
2. etc...

Assumptions:
1. "Standard" sizing is 3x IP and 4x OOP
2. We 3bet larger as stacks get deeper
3. We will use the same sizing regardless of our specific hand (imo in theory we should be using multiple 3bet sizes with multiple ranges)

Initial thoughts:
1. We want to 3bet smaller vs EP opens because they have a strong range to begin with and are thus more likely to 4bet.
2. We want to 3bet smaller when in HJ or CO because BTN, SB, and BB are still left to act and are more likely to wake up with a hand.
3. In higher raked games, we want to 3bet larger (pot-sized) and take it down preflop

How much varying 3-bet sizing is seen in various stakes?

Not necessarily! BTN tends to 3bet hands like 99 and TT at a lower frequency vs EP, compared to vs CO. This makes his 3betting range more polarised, and could be a potential reason to size up instead. Same for BB vs EP, I've actually tested different sizes here and we can go up to 6-7x without losing any ev. Such a big size would be out of the question for BB vs BTN.

As the rake gets higher, our opponent's 4bet frequency also increases. This is actually something that makes us want to size down (imagine if villain was playing 4bet or fold, we would just go for the min 3bet). This is enough to counterbalance the effect you mentioned, and make us 3bet the same size (possibly smaller).

All in all, you can't really go wrong with 3betting somewhere between 3-3.5x in position, although I would definitely size up if my opponent was calling too much and/or 4betting too little.

I don't adjust my sizings, I pretty much stick to the standard sizes shown unless I'm making a player specific adjustment. Although I'm seeing stronger players going a bit bigger than standard regularly, even at 100BB, and admittedly I'm not sure precisely how to adjust.

As for your initial thoughts: 1. Our 3-bet range is stronger vs. an UTG open, so I'm not sure that we necessarily need or want to 3-bet smaller. While a higher % of their range is AA/KK than if it were a BTN open, the same is true for our range, so they are less incentivized to 4-bet against us. I'm not exactly sure if it cancels out, a quick equilab check would confirm it. 2. Sort of the same as above. Our 3-bet range is stronger in these spots so there are fewer hands behind us to fear. 3. For sure in higher raked games we favor bigger bets since our equity when called is hit harder by the rake, we prefer more folds or to go to the flop with a higher equity% to make up for rake. So we 3-bet tighter there as well.

In summary I'm significantly more likely to adjust my ranges than my sizings. Typically the only sizing adjustments I make is when I'm against someone who has a low RFI or low fold to 3-bet and I have AA/KK, I'll size up as a pure value exploit. Otherwise I will mostly stick to standard sizings and adjust my range given the player and/or situation.

4bet more and call less!

Why would be out of question in BBvBTN spot? Is 7x ok only vs EP or it's oke in general as IP 3B?
If anything i would expect big 3bet sizing to be good whene we are OOP.

Early sizing plans in poker are similar to chess openings, lot of them are good/playable and best ones are ones your opponent will respond the worst.

Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear. 7x is specific to BB vs EP, there is no way we get to go 7x in position because OOP would just start playing 4bet or fold, making such a big size very bad.

For BB vs BTN the optimal size is somewhere between 4x and 5x, because BTN has quite a bit of weak offsuit broadway that will fold to a 3bet. This gives us incentive to 3bet hands like 77 88 at some frequency, which is what a smaller 3bet allows us to do.

As a chess player I approve of the openings analogy!

Makes sense

How does this start changing if villains are using larger-than-traditional open sizes? Like 3bb, 3.5bb, 4bb, etc.

Regarding Assumptions
2. Not necessarily. Past a certain stack depth, OOP will 3bet smaller because you want your opponent to have a weaker range when you're playing really deep SPR that you can't effectively reduce on a previous street.

Regarding Initial thoughts

1. Early positions are not necessarily more likely to 4bet, since our 3bet range is also stronger, so their threhsold for what a "strong hand" is also increases. We 3bet smaller versus earlier positions because our range contains a smaller density of vulnerable hands and a higher density of AA, KK.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Sounds like we should just stick with the standard 3-3.5x and focus on other aspects of our game.

Good question! Generally we shift our strategy towards 3b or fold, since the hands that were previously indifferent to 3b and call now start preferring to 3b (worse odds on a call).

In theory even BB should not be flatting that much vs a 4bb open. And this is exactly what makes big raises so powerful in small stakes live games, because almost nobody realises this.