Facing an open

When someone opens, you have three choices: call, 3-bet, or fold.

The usual shape is to 3-bet your strongest hands and call with the band just below.

Having position changes that split considerably.

• range

  All the hands a player could hold in this spot, not just one guess. Decisions are made against the whole set.

• position

  Where you sit relative to the action. Acting later means deciding with more information, which is worth more than most cards.

• blocker

  A card in your hand that your opponent therefore cannot hold, which removes some of their strongest combinations.

25 hands or more, with an optimal rate of 65%