Quick facts by PokerStrategy

  • A 4-bet in poker is the fourth bet (therefore the third raise) made during a single betting round.
  • 4-betting is a very powerful move that implies and represents strength.
  • You can 4-bet profitably with premium hands, along with a few bluffs.
  • Mistimed 4-bets in poker can be very costly.

What is a 4-Bet in Poker?

In poker, a 4-bet is the fourth bet made during a single betting round. A poker 4-bet is a very powerful move that suggests a monster hand. It can also occasionally be made as a bluff against high-level opposition who are 3-betting light. But just what does a 4-bet mean in poker?

Incorporating a 4-bet poker strategy into your game will significantly improve the amount of pressure you can apply and the size of the pots you can win. What a poker 4-bet means and how to use it effectively requires unpacking the 4-bet poker definition to give you maximum clarity on the term’s strategic importance.

Understanding the Term “4-Bet”

The term 4-bet comes from the fact that it is the fourth bet being made into the pot. 4-bet rules and significance differ between pre-flop and post-flop because the blinds are counted as the first bet pre-flop. Here’s 4-bet poker explained in a nutshell:

4-betting pre-flop:

  • The blinds are posted. The big blind is counted as the first bet in the pot.
  • Player A raises to 3bb, making the second bet.
  • Player B re-raises to 10bb, making a 3-bet.
  • Player A then re-raises again to 22bb, making a 4-bet.

4-betting post-flop:

  • Player A makes the first bet on the flop.
  • Player B raises the bet, making the second bet.
  • Player A then re-raises, making a 3-bet.
  • Player B re-raises again, 4-betting (often, but not always, this will be an all-in)

4-Betting Post-Flop

4-betting is very rare post-flop. The main reason for this is stack depth. In tournaments, stack sizes are typically shallow, and the chips will usually be in the middle by the time someone 3-bets.

On top of this, 4-betting is rarely the most profitable betting line post-flop. Even with very strong hands like the nuts, it will be easier to get value across multiple streets rather than 4-betting all-in on the flop and potentially scaring other players away.

There’s still a place for your 4-bet game post-flop, but only in very deep-stacked games or hands. Most of the time, when someone talks about 4-betting, they will be discussing pre-flop poker. The rest of this article will focus on pre-flop 4-betting.

When and Why to 4-Bet Pre-Flop

4-betting pre-flop is a move that implies strength. It’s a huge amount of pressure to apply against players who may already have significant amounts of chips in the pot after 3-betting.

  • You’ll either need a strong hand or a clear read that your opponent is 3-betting light and can be forced to fold.

Here are the main situations in which a 4-bet makes sense:

  • Build a pot with premium hands such as aces, kings, queens, and ace-king.
  • Isolate opponent after a 3-bet and a call.
  • Apply pressure and force folds from weak, aggressive 3-bets.

Example of a 4-Bet

Here are two examples to illustrate 4-bet poker strategy and its purpose in poker. The first is a 4-bet for value, an attempt to get the other player to call with a weaker hand. The second is a 4-bet bluff, which is used to steal a huge pot pre-flop. You tend to see more 4-bets as well as more 4-bet bluffs the deeper the stacks, the more aggressive the poker games, and the more competent the players. 4-betting is also more common on online poker sites than in live poker, although you should have it in your arsenal in both settings.

Example of a 4-bet with a premium hand:

  • The blinds are on 500/1000 with a 100 ante in a poker tournament.
  • Player A opens to 2,500 from the hijack.
  • Player B 3-bets to 7,000 from the button.
  • You are sitting in the big blind with A♠ K♣ with around 30,000 chips.

This is a clear example of a 4-bet shove spot. If you flat call the 3-bet here, you would be out of position with a hand that plays awkwardly on quite a lot of flop textures. Your stack size is perfect for a 4-bet shove for value to get called by weaker premium hands like AQ.

Example of a 4-bet bluff:

  • The blinds are on 1,000/2,000 with a 200 ante in a poker tournament.
  • Player A opens to 4,500 from the button.
  • Player B 3-bets to 12,500 from the small blind.
  • You’re in the big blind with A♦5♦ with around 60,000 in chips.

You could definitely fold here, but you can also make a great case for 4-bet bluffing if the other factors are aligned. Your suited ace hand has a good ace blocker to a lot of your opponents’ calling ranges, such as pocket aces and ace-king, making it less likely they have a premium hand. A5s still retains ~25–35% equity versus a typical 3-bet calling range when you do get looked up. It is worth noting that such plays should be made very sparingly, with few combinations of hands. A5o, for example, is far too weak to use in this spot as a 4-bet bluff (and you get dealt it three times as often as A5s).

You also note that Player A is raising light from the button, and Player B is an aggressive player who is capable of 3-bet bluffing and 3-betting light. You therefore opt to move all-in for around 30 big blinds, and when the others fold, you win over 10 big blinds to add to your stack.

How to Build a 4-Bet Range

Building a 4-bet range is not too difficult. You’ll start with your strongest value hands and then add in a few bluffs to balance your range. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Start With Value Hands

4-betting implies extreme strength, so that’s where you should start when constructing your range. Your 4-bet value range should include premium hands that you are happy to go all-in with.

A typical 4-bet all-in for value range with tournament stack depths would usually include:

  • Always: AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AKo
  • Less Often: JJ and AQs

Whether to include hands like JJ, AQs, and occasionally weaker holdings like AQo, AJs, and TT depends on factors such as position, action so far, player tendencies and reads, table dynamics, and so on. The key factor is that your 4-bet value range should dominate your opponent’s 3-bet calling range.

Add Bluffs to Your Range

If you are playing at the low stakes against weak opponents, you won’t have to worry too much about balancing ranges. However, against competent, thinking players, you’ll need to mix in a few 4-bet bluffs to make sure you don’t become predictable.

4-bet bluffs are not only necessary to balance your value range. If well-timed, they can also be an incredibly lucrative way to take down huge pots pre-flop without having to go to showdown.

Consider adding the following 4-bet bluffs to your range:

  • Bluffs with blockers: A3-A5s, K9s, KTs
  • Suited connectors: JTs, T9s, 98s…

Using all of these would still be far too many combos in many situations; you should certainly 4-bet bluff sparingly for the most part. The reason for choosing bluffs with blockers is that holding these cards removes strong combinations, making it less likely that your opponent has the sort of hand they can call with. Suited connectors, meanwhile, have greater playability post-flop and at least some equity against premium hands when called.

Considerations and Adjustments

As a baseline, you can take your 4-bet value hands and combine them with a few bluffs to balance your range. Beyond that, you’ll want to make adjustments based on other factors in the hand, such as:

  • Position – In position, you are incentivized to flat call 3-bets more often even with strong hands, as you can play with the advantage post-flop. Out of position, re-raising with a 3-bet or 4-bet negates your disadvantage by applying pressure and taking the initiative.
  • Stack depth – When stacks are less than 30 big blinds, you won’t have loads of fold equity and so will only occasionally bluff, mostly 4-betting for value. With deep stacks, you can 4-bet smaller without shoving, opening up more bluff opportunities.
  • Opponent tendencies – It’s very important to adjust to the other players at your table. For example, some of your opponents will only 3-bet with very strong hands, so you should stick to 4-betting for value. Against aggressive 3-bettors, you can widen your 4-bet bluff range with more suited ace-type hands.

Key Factors to Consider Before 4-Betting

4-betting is a very powerful move and one that you should definitely have a clear 4-bet poker strategy to help you handle it well. However, it can be very costly if you get it wrong, as you’ll be committing a significant amount of chips to the pot.

Before we get to bluffing, 4-betting is not always the best move with your value hands, especially if you are in position. Sometimes, it’s better to flat call a 3-bet.

Consider flat calling: TT, JJ, AQ, AJs

If stacks are shallow and you’re only up against one opponent, you can also consider flat calling with your very strongest premium hands like pocket aces to trap. This also balances the flat calling range mentioned above so that you don’t always have a medium hand when you call.

When it comes to bluffing, you have to be very selective about when you choose to 4-bet. You certainly shouldn’t be looking down at A5s and thinking you should always 4-bet.

Here are the key factors to consider when 4-bet bluffing:

  • Your opponent is likely to fold a significant portion of their 3-bet range.
  • You have blockers that make it less likely that other players have premium hands to call with, or suited connectors that will play well if called.
  • Stack depths are either shallow enough for 4-bet shoving with good fold equity, or deep enough for 4-betting with room to fold if your opponent shoves.

4-Bet Sizing Strategies

In tournament poker, 4-bets are often all-in shoves due to shallow stacks. If stacks are deep enough, you’ll generally raise a larger amount when out of position than in position. Here’s a general guide:

  • In position: 2.2x to 2.5x the size of the 3-bet
  • Out of position: 2.5x to 2.8x the size of the 3-bet

For example, if your opponent 3-bets to 10bb, you would typically 4-bet to 22-25bb in position or 25-28bb out of position.

4-Betting in Online Poker

4-betting should be just as much a part of your live poker strategy as your online strategy. Having said that, you may encounter more 4-betting in online poker, especially if you play at higher stakes.

  • Online players tend to 3-bet more frequently at the mid to high stakes.
  • At lower stakes, players may 3-bet a very tight range, so you should 4-bet for value and bluff less. This may also be the case in some higher-stakes live games.
  • Regulars will notice and may be using HUDs when playing online to track 3-bet and 4-bet statistics, so it’s even more important to have a balanced range versus these players.

Common Mistakes When 4-Betting

4-betting is risky, especially when it comes to bluffing, as getting it wrong costs a lot of chips. Here are the most common mistakes players make when 4-betting:

  • Not value betting strong hands – Premium hands should usually be raised or re-raised, so if someone has 3-bet, then 4-betting your strongest hands is the standard play. Failing to 4-bet may lead to tricky multiway pots and missed value.
  • 4-bet bluffing the wrong spots – 4-bet bluffs are more effective when you have blockers and/or suited, connected cards. Bluffing with bad hands for the sake of it or targeting opponents who are likely to call is a sure way to bleed chips.
  • Failing to consider stack depth – With 30-40 big blind stacks, which is common in many stages of tournament poker, any 4-bets made should be shoves. 4-betting small here doesn’t generate enough fold equity, yet leaves you pot committed if 5-bet shoved on.
  • Not balancing ranges – Balancing ranges is less important, or may even be a mistake at the low stakes against opponents who aren’t keeping watch. Competent players will notice if you only ever 4-bet with premiums, or if you 4-bet too often as a bluff. Keep your 4-bet ranges balanced so you can’t be exploited. Given how long it takes to get a sample of 4-bet opportunities, opponents may make reasonable assumptions about your 4-bet tendencies based on other behavior, like your 3-bet bluffing tendencies observed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a 3-bet and a 4-bet?

A 3-bet is the third bet, or second raise, made on a single betting street. A 4-bet is the fourth bet, or third raise, made on a single street of betting.

When should you 4-bet in poker?

You should 4-bet in poker when you have a very strong hand, such as a high pocket pair or ace-king. You can also 4-bet bluff against weak 3-bets.

How to use a 4-bet strategy in poker?

Your 4-bet poker strategy should be built on a foundation of value hands. You can then sprinkle in some bluffs to balance your range and give yourself the opportunity to play back against aggressive 3-bettors.

What hands should you never 4-bet with?

It’s not wise to 4-bet with medium strength hands that you want to control the size of the pot with, or weak bluffs that have no blockers or equity when called.

What’s a good 4-bet bluff candidate?

Suited wheel aces like A5s or A4s make strong 4-bet bluffs. Premiums such as AA, KK, QQ, and AKs are for value.

How do you respond to a 4-bet?

If an opponent 4-bets, you’ll have to decide whether to fold, call, or, if chips are still left to play for, move all in with a 5-bet shove. Usually, you’ll fold unless you believe you are ahead with a very strong hand.

Is 4-betting profitable in low-stakes games?

Yes, 4-betting at the low stakes can still be profitable, but it’s generally more effective as a value play. At lower stakes, players tend to call too often, which makes 4-bet bluffing risky.