SPR stands for Stack-to-Pot Ratio. It is commonly the language poker players use to describe how big the pot is in relation to the effective stack (the lowest amount out of your stack and your opponent's). In a 3-Bet pot, the effective stack is much shorter than usual in relation to the pot. We can say that the SPR in a 3-Bet pot is small.
Today I have another fun hand to go over from a $5,000 buy-in World Series of Poker no-limit hold'em event. In this one I was fortunate enough to flop top set in a hand that was three-bet preflop, and over the course of postflop streets sought to maximize value.
With the stacks all relatively deep (it was early on Day 1), the blinds were 150/300 with a 50 ante when I raised to 750 from early position with . The player in the hijack seat called as did the small blind, then a tight-aggressive player in the big blind reraised to 2,700.
Poker 3bet Pots
Poker 3 Bet Potential
As I talk about in the video below, this could be a squeeze from the BB, though the bet sizing suggests perhaps a stronger range (i.e., makes a squeeze less likely). I called the three-bet, the others folded, and we went heads-up to the flop.
3-bet pots can seem complicated. They are big pots, and any mistakes you make can blow up your session's profit in a moment. But when you have a proper plan of a attack and when you know WHAT to look for when getting involved – these pots becomes quite simple. A 3Bet in poker is when somebody raises preflop (2bet) and then somebody re-raises (3bet). So a 3Bet pot is when you go to the flop after there was a raise and a re-raise preflop. If you want to be a big winner at the poker tables, then you need to be become an expert at playing in 3Bet pots. But people often get confused in these situations. Poker players often times overlook bet sizing. They learn early on that a 2/3 pot-sized bet is standard, and for the rest of time they bet 1/2-3/4 pot in most situations. But there are many times when a different bet sizing strategy would prove to be much more profitable.
With 6,700 in the middle, my opponent led for 3,500. This hand ultimately made it to the river — I'll let you watch below to see how things played out. As you do, listen to my explanations for why I played the flop, turn, and river as I did.
Would you have played this hand the same way?
Upswing Poker 3 Bet Pots
Jonathan Little is a professional poker player and author with over $6,800,000 in live tournament earnings. He writes a weekly educational blog and hosts a podcast at JonathanLittlePoker.com. Sign up to learn poker from Jonathan for free at PokerCoaching.com. You can follow him on Twitter @JonathanLittle.
Poker 3 Betting
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tournament strategyno-limit hold'empocket pairspremium handspreflop strategyvalue bettingslow playingpositionJonathan LittlevideoRelated Players
Jonathan Little
