If you played any cash game in your life, live or online, you have faced this annoying situation where we open from cut off (CO), and our opponent just calls in the button (BTN). This spot is annoying because we are out of position (OOP), and we are playing against a range with small to medium pocket pairs, suited connectors, small-suited aces, some suited kings, and some big-suited aces.
In theory, we should never flat BTN but only 3-bet or fold unless we are playing on GGNetwork, where the rake is still applied even if we win the hand preflop. But in reality, we will face BTN flats on other sites and in live poker, so let’s try to breakdown the spot and learn what to do when the situation occurs.
We can see that BTN’s flatting range is six times more narrow and hits most boards well; that will make CO have to check most of the boards since CO is playing OOP. Their advantage in the strongest hands is too insignificant, and they don’t have too many boards where they can go for three streets of value.
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Theory of C-betting
CO should simplify their strategy to have only two sizings, 33 percent block-bet, and 125 percent overbet. Overbet sizing should be used with high frequency (65-88 percent) on TTT and lower (triple paired boards), most of the paired boards like 88x and lower, AKx boards, KK+broadway, JJ+Broadway, … (10 percent of the boards).
We will also have to check the range on 40 percent of the boards, such as J-high straight and lower, 9 with two lower cards and similar three low card boards, A with two lower cards, monotone boards, AJT, QT, and Q9, and the boards where BTN has at least 50% of set combos.
The boards on which we want to c-bet 40-60 percent of the time will be three straight broadway boards (QKJ, JTQ, …), T-high paired, QQ+broadway, TTQ, KK+lowcard.
We want to use the low C-bet frequency (20-35%) on all the other boards.
BTN Reaction vs CO’s Missed C-Bet
When CO checks, and we are on the BTN, we should simplify and use 75 percent as the most used sizing and 33 percent block-bet. The boards where we want to bet 75 percent (only 25 percent of the time) are boards where CO is the favorite but missed to c-bet, like AQQ, AKK, KQT, medium straights, monotone boards, and A2345 boards. BTN should only value bet two pairs or better.
BTN wants to use 33 percent block-bet most of the time (80 percent frequency) on boards like T+, two low cards and lower, Q+, two low cards, where BTN can have two sets (Q76).
BTN should c-bet 40-60 percent of the time on all the rest of the boards.
Summary
Advantage of the BTN Happens on Boards
- With medium straights
- Where BTN can have two sets
- Ace + Two low cards
Advantage of the CO Happens on Boards
- With Paired Brodways (KKx, KKK..), where BTN can’t have top sets
- AKx (one of the rare boards where CO has a range advantage)
Boards Heuristics
- When boards have flush draws, the CO’s c-bet frequency and size are slightly reduced
- Co’s nut advantage leads to flop overbets
Exploits
- Overfolding as BTN vs Check-Raise + Turn bet
- Overfolding vs Regs vs Tripple Barrels
- Raise and check-raise thin vs unbalanced strategies
