Spin 3 Way

Button opens are strictly limited to 2bb opens (min-raise) and open shove.

The ranges we propose here are slightly more conservative than GTO, but allow for a more comfortable post-flop play. It is possible to open very slightly wider against players you dominate.

Below 18bb, some hands should be directly shove. These are hands that have good equity against opponent ranges but either do not play very well post-flop, or are troublesome to fold against a 3bet all-in from opponents.

From 10bb, min-raising becomes difficult due to the shallow depth of your stack. The button range then consists almost exclusively of open shoves.

It is important to note that even below 10bb, the open shove range remains relatively tight.

The SB range vs BB is mainly composed of open raises and open shoves.

It is important to fold a significant portion of our hands that will be difficult to play out of position.

It should be noted that most of our opponents will not 3bet enough in the BB and will also tend to fold too often to a cbet on the flop, making it profitable to open raise more than the GTO (as recommended by the tables below).

Starting from 17bb, many hands should be shoved. This includes mainly aces, small pairs, as well as hands like 98o, T9o, and JTo. With even shorter stacks, this shove range also includes a large portion of kings and suited hands that are too weak for a limp/call vs all-in but strong enough for an open shove.

Below 10bb, raising is no longer a recommended option, and it is better to adopt a “push or fold” strategy.

When the BTN limps, it often indicates that:

• The opponent is very likely a recreational player.
• Their range is often composed of medium strength hands.

With 2.5BB of dead money in the pot, it becomes very profitable for the SB to shove a part of their hands that dominate the opponents' ranges.

For the rest, since the SB's position in 3-way pots is difficult to play, it is recommended to adopt a conservative approach and fold a good portion of their range, although it might be tempting to complete the small blind with all hands.

In SB, facing an open from the button is a very unfavorable situation due to our positional disadvantage.

Therefore, it is preferable to adopt a ”Push or fold” strategy to avoid dealing with very difficult post-flop situations.

However, if you are comfortable and have a stack of around 25BB, it is possible to 3bet or call with some combos:

• For the 3bet:
  • Value: JJ+; ATs+
  • Bluff: A9o; KJo
• For the call:
  • K9s, Q9s, KTs, QJo

However, be prepared to face complicated post-flop situations. These adaptations should only be considered if you are an experienced player.

The BB range against a min-raise from the button is mainly composed of calls and 3bet all-ins.

3bet all-ins are primarily reserved for small pairs, and the best aces, which have low post-flop playability but maintain good equity when the BTN calls.

Many hands are profitable to call to see a flop. However, the calling range we propose is slightly tighter than the optimal strategy, because the BTN's minraise range is often stronger than it should be. It is even advisable to call with fewer hands depending on your level of play and your opponents.

The best hands can be 3bet non all-in. It is also possible to add some 3bet bluff combos, such as K6o, K5o, and A2o, which block part of the opponent's call range and can be folded without regret if the BTN 4bet all-ins

With less than 14bb, the 3bet shows too much strength. Going all-in is a more effective option.

At 10bb and less, a minraise from the BTN generally shows a lot of strength. It is then necessary to adapt according to the opponent: caution is advised.

The BB range against a limp from the SB is composed solely of ISO and check.

Among the ISOs, there are two possibilities: ISO all-in and ISO non all-in.

• In the ISO all-in, we include the small pairs and off-suit aces, then off-suit kings when our stack is shorter. These are hands that dominate the SB's limp range, have low post-flop playability, and are thus very profitable to ISO all-in directly.
• In the ISO non all-in, we include all our remaining best hands, which play very well post-flop, and dominate the opponent's call range (for example, ISO with KT, called by K8).

Additionally, we include a number of very average hands to balance our range. These average hands are also profitable to ISO, as the SB will fold a lot pre-flop and post-flop against a cbet.

If you do not feel very comfortable ISOing with average hands, it is perfectly reasonable to significantly reduce their number, or even only ISO with your strong hands.

Being in the BB and facing an open raise from the SB is not a situation that occurs frequently at low stakes or against recreational players in general. Therefore, it is not a range to prioritize studying.

Theoretically, the SB's open raise range is quite wide, but in practice, it is often quite strong, which implies a slightly tighter defense than the optimal strategy. We can almost consider that the SB's open raise range is the same as the BTN's open raise range.

Thus, we suggest defending with the same range against an open raise from the SB as against an open raise from the BTN.

There are two exceptions between 14 and 18bb, where it is preferable to make some adjustments compared to the defense against BTN:

• Being in position, we remove the 3bets with our best hands (AA, KK...). Indeed, it is preferable to let the SB impale themselves against these very strong hands.
• We go all-in with nearly all our aces, because at these stack sizes, the SB is not as strong as at 12BB deep, so we have enough equity to do so.

Just like in the SB facing a limp from the BTN, when the BTN limps and the SB completes their blind, this often indicates that:

• The player on the BTN is very likely a recreational player.
• The ranges of BTN and SB are often composed of medium strength hands.

With 3BB of dead money in the pot, it is then very profitable for the BB to shove a part of their hands that dominate the opponents' ranges.

When the BB is facing a raise from the BTN followed by a call from the SB, this is very favorable. Indeed, the BB can squeeze profitably with a part of its range because:

• The SB's range is very often capped (the SB would generally have raised with its best hands).
• There are 5BB of dead money in the pot.

Thus, the BB can shove all his aces, pairs, and best hands profitably, except perhaps when stack sizes are relatively small, depending on the BTN's profile

However, it is still necessary to consider folding a part of your range, as the BTN's range is still strong, and the SB's range dominates our weaker hands.