Back to Articles A guide to 3-betting from the Small Blind in poker MTTs January 14, 2021 | Jordan "BBZ" Drummond Share WHAT YOU WILL LEARN Why 3-betting is your strongest weapon from the small blind in MTTs How to size your 3-bets when out of position (and why the small blind sits between in-position and big blind sizings) How stack depth changes which hands you 3-bet, call, or shove Three real hand examples from a $1,050 Super Tuesday final table broken down by pro coaches When flatting from the small blind is correct and how to navigate the pot afterward The small blind is the hardest position to play in MTT poker, and 3-betting from the small blind is one of the most misunderstood spots in tournament strategy. You are guaranteed to be out of position postflop. Flatting without a plan gives the big blind a cheap opportunity to come along or squeeze. And certain hands in your range play poorly against a 3-bet behind you. The solution is to 3-bet more aggressively than most players are comfortable with, while also building a disciplined flatting range around hands that play well postflop. Doing both well requires understanding when to 3-bet, when to flat, how to size it, and how your range should shift based on stack depth, the opener’s position, and their tendencies. Why the small blind demands a balanced approach When someone opens in front of you and you are in the small blind, you have three options: fold, call, or 3-bet. Each has a cost and a purpose. Folding is straightforward. You lose your posted blind and move on. Calling is a necessary part of your small blind strategy, but it needs to be done with the right hands. When you flat from the small blind, you do give the big blind an attractive price to overcall or squeeze, which is why hand selection matters. The hands you flat with should be ones that play well in multiway pots and have good postflop playability: suited connectors, suited 8x combos like T8s or J8s, offsuit broadway hands with a ten (JTo, QTo, KTo), and small to medium pocket pairs. These hands have too much equity to fold and can realize their postflop value well even from out of position but don’t 3-bet well because they play poorly against a 4-bet. 3-betting takes control. It prices out the big blind, isolates the opener, and allows you to win the pot preflop without seeing a flop from the worst position at the table. Even when you get called, you are the aggressor with a defined range, which gives you more options postflop. The mistake most players make is not that they flat too often; it is that they flat the wrong hands. Flatting suited 8x, offsuit broadway tens, and pairs is correct at most stack depths. Flatting weak offsuit hands that flop poorly and cannot withstand a squeeze is where the trouble starts. KEY TAKEAWAY From the small blind, your default strategy requires doing all three areas of the game well, 3-betting, flatting and folding. But a well-constructed flatting range is essential. Suited 8x combos, offsuit broadway hands with a ten, and pocket pairs form the backbone of your calling range at most stack depths. These hands have the postflop playability to justify seeing a flop out of position. How to size your 3-bets from the small blind One of the most common mistakes players make is assuming the small blind should use the same sizing as the big blind or the same sizing as an in-position 3-bet. In reality, the small blind sits between the two. When you 3-bet from the button or cutoff, a sizing of around 3x the open is standard. The big blind, by contrast, goes very large and polarized because the big blind is closing the action and can afford to bloat the pot with a tight, polar range. The small blind is different from both. You are out of position like the big blind, but your 3-betting range is more linear and your 3-bet and calling ranges overlap significantly. You also face the risk of a cold 4-bet from the big blind behind you, which means you cannot size as large as the big blind does. A 3-bet sizing from the small blind that is larger than an in-position 3-bet but smaller than a big blind 3-bet is standard. In practice, this often means something in the range of 3.5x to 4x the open depending on the situation. You are charging a bit more than an in-position 3-bettor would because you will be out of position postflop, but you are not going as large as the big blind because your range is wider and more linear, and you need to protect against the cold 4-bet behind. EXPLOITATIVE ADJUSTMENT If your opponents are calling your small blind 3-bets too often, consider sizing up. If they are overfolding, you can mix in more bluffs at your standard sizing. Pay attention to how the table responds to your aggression and adjust accordingly. How stack depth changes your 3-bet range Your stack size is the single biggest factor in deciding which hands to 3-bet, flat, or shove from the small blind. The range you construct at 100 big blinds looks similar to the range at 40 big blinds, but both look very different from the range at 20 big blinds where shoving enters the picture. At every stack depth, however, a flatting range exists alongside the 3-betting range. The small blind uses non-all-in 3-bet sizes until around 20 big blinds, at which point the decision simplifies to all in or fold. Deep stacked (60 big blinds and above) With deep stacks, your 3-betting range from the small blind can be wider and more linear. You have more room to 3-bet and fold to a 4-bet without crippling your stack or 3-bet and call a four bet without being pot committed. Hands like suited broadways, medium to large pocket pairs, suited aces down to A3s, and strong suited connectors enter your 3-betting range depending on the opener’s position, stack size, and tendencies. Your flatting range is also at its widest here. Suited 7x combos (J7s, T7s, 97s) enter the fray, offsuit broadway tens (KTo, QTo, JTo), small to medium pocket pairs (22 through 77), suited connectors, and suited one-gappers all have the implied odds and postflop playability to justify a call. The suited 7x combos are an important addition at deeper stacks because you have enough chips behind to realize their equity when they connect with the board. The same can be said about weaker suited Kx/Qx combos like Q5s and K3s that frequently require deeper stacks to play. Deeper stacks mean more maneuverability postflop, which is exactly what these hands need. Medium stacked (35 to 60 big blinds) This is where your 3-betting range becomes more polarized. You want to 3-bet your strong hands for value and your weaker hands as bluffs, while flatting the hands in between that play well postflop. The key question at this stack depth is: are you comfortable 3-bet folding this hand? If you 3-bet to 3.5x a 2.2x open, you are putting in roughly 8 big blinds. At 40 big blinds effective, that is around a fifth of your stack. Hands that are too strong to fold to a 4-bet but not strong enough to call become awkward. You are still using non-all-in 3-bet sizing here, not shoving. Your flatting range narrows but does not disappear. Around 35 to 40 big blinds, the suited 7x combos begin to drop out and your flatting range tightens back toward suited 8x combos, pocket pairs, and select offsuit broadway hands with a ten. These hands still form a flatting range at these stack depths, especially against late position opens where the opener’s range is wide enough that your postflop equity justifies the call. Short stacked (under 20 big blinds) At around 20 big blinds, the small blind transitions from non-all-in 3-bets to an all-in-or-fold strategy. You do not have enough chips to 3-bet and fold, so your options simplify: shove or fold for many hands, with occasional flats when you have a hand that plays well postflop and the price is right. Pocket pairs and select suited hands can still justify a flat at certain stack depths, particularly when the open is a min-raise. This is where studying preflop charts becomes especially valuable, because the shove-or-fold and flatting ranges at various stack depths are well-defined and solver-approved. KEY TAKEAWAY Deep stacks allow for more linear 3-bet ranges with the widest flats like suited 7x and 8x combos. Around 35 to 40 big blinds, the flatting range tightens as suited 7x drops out. The small blind uses non-all-in 3-bet sizes all the way down to around 20 big blinds, at which point the 3-bet strategy shifts to all in or fold. Every chart package from BBZ includes solved 3-bet and flatting ranges for every stack depth and position, so you do not have to guess. Three real hands: 3-betting from the small blind at the highest level Theory is important, but seeing how top players actually apply these concepts in real tournaments is where the learning sticks. In the following three hands from a $1,050 Super Tuesday that Jordan “BBZ” Drummond won for approximately $30,000, BBZ and Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet break down three different small blind scenarios that cover the full spectrum of decisions. HAND 1 The standard 3-bet with a suited broadway Situation: Six-handed. Button opens to 2.2 big blinds from a 42 big blind stack. BBZ has JQo in the small blind with 78 big blinds. He 3-bets to 9.5 big blinds. Both opponents fold. The first thing to notice is the sizing. BBZ went 4.3x the open. This is on the larger end for small blind 3-bets but still within the normal range. Remember that the small blind sizes larger than an in-position 3-bet but typically smaller than a big blind 3-bet, since the small blind’s range is more linear and there is a cold 4-bet risk from the big blind behind. “Deep-stacked, I think JQo is definitely a 3-bet versus a button open. Shallow, I still think it is a 3-bet, but it is a little closer.” Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet Apestyles explains how ranges shift with stack depth in this spot. At 100 big blinds, the 3-bet range is wider and more linear. At 40 big blinds, it becomes more polarized because you do not want to 3-bet fold hands that are too strong to give up. “I think it is less of a 3-bet when you are deeper because with shorter stacks we do 3-bet more polarized.” Jordan “BBZ” Drummond Apestyles adds that hands like KTs and ATo are examples of hands he would not 3-bet non-all in at 40 big blinds effective because they are too strong to fold to a shove and play well postflop. These are hands that belong in the flatting range at medium stack depths: strong enough to continue but better served by seeing a flop than by bloating the pot out of position. He would consider shoving them if stacks were just a little shorter. BBZ, on the other hand, says he will often 3-bet with ATo from this stack depth, showing that even top professionals have slightly different approaches. HAND 2 The short-stack shove Situation: Button opens to 2.04 big blinds from a 52 big blind stack. BBZ has 66 in the small blind with 30 big blinds. He shoves all in. “This is just a shove. But a lot of people think it is not.” Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet At 30 big blinds, BBZ is above the typical all-in-or-fold threshold of around 20 big blinds, which means a non-all-in 3-bet is also an option at this stack depth. But with pocket sixes specifically, shoving makes sense. The button is opening an extremely wide range in this position, especially with two shorter stacks in the blinds. Pocket sixes have strong equity against that wide range, and shoving maximizes fold equity while avoiding difficult postflop spots with a medium pair. A non-all-in 3-bet is viable for some hands at 30 big blinds, but with a pair like this the shove simplifies the decision. What other hands work as shoves here? Other pocket pairs, certainly. But also hands like AQo and wider. “A lot of people are really uncomfortable with these deep jams, which is great because they overfold when you do it.” Jordan “BBZ” Drummond Unfortunately for BBZ, the big blind woke up with pocket aces and 4-bet shoved for 24 big blinds. The button folded, and BBZ was in trouble. It happens. The shove was still correct. HAND 3 When flatting is the right call Situation: Under-the-gun player min-opens from a 33 big blind stack. BBZ has KJo in the small blind with 68 big blinds. He calls. This hand demonstrates when flatting from the small blind makes sense, and it is a good example of the kind of hand that belongs in your flatting range. KJo is an offsuit broadway hand that plays well postflop, has too much equity to fold, but does not 3-bet well against a tight UTG range. There is some merit to 3-betting here, as both coaches discuss. “I think KJo can go into my 3-bet fold category. I would not mind doing that and then folding to a 4-bet versus a player who is a little bit looser. But it is harder to 3-bet when he min-raises. I will mix the call in more when he is min-raising rather than opening 2.2x.” Jordan “BBZ” Drummond Two factors make flatting more attractive here. First, the open is from under the gun, which means the villain’s range is much tighter than a button open. 3-betting into a tight range carries more risk, and the small blind’s more linear 3-betting range does not punish tight openers the way a big blind’s polar range can. Second, the villain min-raised rather than using a larger sizing. A min-raise gives BBZ a better price to call, and KJo plays well enough postflop to justify seeing a flop. This is the same logic that supports flatting with suited 8x combos, offsuit broadway tens, and pocket pairs: you are getting a good price with a hand that can flop well. The big blind calls as well, and the flop comes KJA, giving BBZ bottom two pair. The original raiser bets 2.6 big blinds into 7 (roughly 38% pot). “I think most players see two pair and raise. I think my raising range is going to be really narrow here.” Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet BBZ calls the flop and the big blind folds. The turn is the 4, a brick. The villain bets again, 5 big blinds into 12.2. BBZ calls. The river brings the A, counterfeiting BBZ’s two pair if the villain holds an ace. When checked to, the villain bets 11.1 big blinds into 22.2 (exactly half pot). BBZ folds. “To call the river with this hand, I would really need to have the conviction that the villain is double-barrelling Q8-suited, pocket deuces, pocket threes, pocket fives, or something. But I do not believe he has enough air.” Jordan “BBZ” Drummond Apestyles breaks down the math: by betting half pot, the villain needs to win the pot one in three times. According to GTO, that means BBZ needs to be calling roughly two out of three times. But given that BBZ’s flop and turn calling range is heavily weighted toward hands with an ace, the hands without one become folds on this river. The interesting takeaway goes back to the preflop decision. The villain’s HUD stats showed a 48% Raise First In across 33 hands and 67% from early position. Had BBZ noticed those stats preflop, it might have made the 3-bet more attractive, since the villain’s range was likely wider than a standard UTG open. But even in hindsight, the flat was defensible: KJo is exactly the kind of hand that belongs in a small blind flatting range, and the postflop play demonstrates why disciplined flatting and careful navigation are a core skill, not a fallback. EXPLOITATIVE ADJUSTMENT Always check your opponents’ HUD stats before deciding between flatting and 3-betting from the small blind. Against loose openers, 3-betting becomes more profitable because their range is weaker. Against tight openers, flatting with hands that play well postflop becomes more attractive. How to study small blind 3-bet ranges The hands above show how nuanced small blind play becomes at different stack depths and against different opponents. But you do not need to figure out these ranges from scratch. Solver-approved preflop charts give you the exact 3-bet, call, and shove ranges for the small blind at every stack depth and against every opening position. Every chart package from BBZ includes solved 3-bet and flatting ranges from the small blind, whether you play MTTs, cash, PKOs, or hyper turbos. The Complete Charts package includes all formats in one subscription with chart view, range viewer, and a GTO trainer so you can drill the spots until they become automatic. If you want to go deeper, BBZ’s Daily Seminars include nearly 100 hours of content specifically covering 3-bet pots, with live hand reviews, student Q&A, and real-time coaching on exactly these kinds of decisions. Preflop Charts and Trainer Solver-approved 3-bet and flatting ranges from the small blind for every stack depth and opener position. Includes chart view, range viewer, and GTO trainer across MTT, cash, PKO, hyper turbo, and Spin and Go formats. Try Free for 7 Days Daily Seminars Nearly 100 hours of 3-bet pot content in the archive. Live coaching 8 sessions per week covering preflop and postflop strategy. Cancel anytime. Try Free for 7 Days Related articles Small Blind vs Big Blind Strategy in MTTs 3-Bet vs Call: Why Flatting Wide Preflop Costs You Money What Are Poker Ranges and How Do You Assign Them? Share 3-betApestylesJordan “BigBluffZinc” DrummondRangesTournaments Related articles DiscordInterviewsNewsPoker The Preflop System That Helped This Player Win Brazil’s Fenomeno Tournament September 20, 2024 Read more DiscordInterviewsNewsPoker Playing poker professionally – Part 2: Overcoming pressure, setting study routines and achieving goals July 25, 2024 Read more DiscordInterviewsNewsPokerStrategy Playing poker professionally – Part 1: Are you ready to turn pro? July 19, 2024 Read more