SerialWinner
Member
Alright, I finally did it—put the whole "3-bet or fold pre-flop" idea to the test in a live $1/$3 game. I know, I know, everyone’s been saying it’s a solid low-stakes strategy forever, but I had to see for myself. Lo and behold, it actually works!
For a bit of context, I’m still pretty green when it comes to casino poker—been playing for a few months after years of friendly games with the crew. Learning curve? Absolutely. But today, I stuck to the 3-bet or fold rule pre-flop (except in the BB if I was closing the action), and the results were kind of amazing.
First off, it tightened up my early/mid-position range like crazy. No more random limp-calling junk just because it’s “pretty.” Meanwhile, I got to loosen up in the CO and BB and pick off some juicy pots heads-up. It’s wild how rarely people 3-bet in these $1/$3 games—players lock up tighter than a bank vault when you show any aggression. Took down a bunch of pots just by 3-betting mid-tier hands on the button.
Only had to fold to a single 4-bet the entire session (2.5 hours)—ditched J9 suited, and the guy flips over aces, grumbling the whole time. That was a win in my book.
Sure, I still made a few classic rookie mistakes post-flop (who doesn’t?), but pre-flop? This strategy felt like money. It also stopped me from flatting mediocre hands in early position (looking at you, KQ suited and baby pairs), which probably saved me from bleeding chips later.
I know I’m going to get a ton of “well, duh” comments here, but honestly, I’m thrilled with how it went. Anybody else tried sticking to this in low-stakes? What’s your experience? Let me know—I’m curious if I just got lucky, or if this is truly the way to go!
For a bit of context, I’m still pretty green when it comes to casino poker—been playing for a few months after years of friendly games with the crew. Learning curve? Absolutely. But today, I stuck to the 3-bet or fold rule pre-flop (except in the BB if I was closing the action), and the results were kind of amazing.
First off, it tightened up my early/mid-position range like crazy. No more random limp-calling junk just because it’s “pretty.” Meanwhile, I got to loosen up in the CO and BB and pick off some juicy pots heads-up. It’s wild how rarely people 3-bet in these $1/$3 games—players lock up tighter than a bank vault when you show any aggression. Took down a bunch of pots just by 3-betting mid-tier hands on the button.
Only had to fold to a single 4-bet the entire session (2.5 hours)—ditched J9 suited, and the guy flips over aces, grumbling the whole time. That was a win in my book.
Sure, I still made a few classic rookie mistakes post-flop (who doesn’t?), but pre-flop? This strategy felt like money. It also stopped me from flatting mediocre hands in early position (looking at you, KQ suited and baby pairs), which probably saved me from bleeding chips later.
I know I’m going to get a ton of “well, duh” comments here, but honestly, I’m thrilled with how it went. Anybody else tried sticking to this in low-stakes? What’s your experience? Let me know—I’m curious if I just got lucky, or if this is truly the way to go!