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Aggressive plays and exploitation of passivity are the basis of any successful poker strategy. One of the key tactics within this approach is a squeeze, which works effectively both in cash games and in tournaments. All tough aggressive regulars use squeeze regularly. In this guide, we will explain in detail what a squeeze is, when and how to use it correctly, and what benefits you can get from using squeezes at the right time. Let’s jump right in!
What is a Squeeze in Poker?
A squeeze is a re-raise (3-bet) on the flop after a player open-raises and another one cold calls. Any time one player opens the pot with a raise and another calls, you have an opportunity to squeeze.
Some very aggressive players tend to squeeze a wide range of hands, aiming to play as many 3-bets pots as possible in position. This is especially effective in passive and tight games.
Squeeze should be in your arsenal if you want to win at a high level. This tactic is especially effective in less aggressive games at lower stakes.
If you are just starting to study poker in depth and are aiming to play closer to a professional level, adding squeezes to your strategy will significantly improve your results even at the beginning stage.
Outcomes of Squeezing
The biggest mistake many players make when using a squeeze is they do it at the wrong time, not understanding how to use it in the first place. This causes them to squeeze too often and in the wrong situations.
In reality, a squeeze always results in one of the following:
- Everyone folds: In this case, you pick up the dead money, which is usually already a significant amount, and move on to the next hand.
- Multiple players call: If the original caller calls your squeeze, this often encourages other players to do the same. The pot becomes very large, and you will need a really strong hand to fight for the pot.
- One player calls: If only one opponent calls your squeeze, the pot size increases significantly, but you will often be able to take it down on the flop with a continuation bet, gaining even more chips than if everyone just folded.
- Someone 4-bets: When facing a 4-bet, you will have to continue with a portion of the range you 3-bet with. Therefore, constructing a proper range for a squeeze is key.
When planning a squeeze, always consider all of these scenarios and think about how your hand will play in case people don’t fold. This is especially important when constructing a range for a squeeze, which should include both strong value hands and certain bluff hands that are appropriate for the situation.
How to Use a Squeeze
Timing your squeezes is an important part of a successful poker strategy. While you can technically squeeze any time someone raises and another player calls, you need to be more selective to profit from this tactic. The decision to squeeze depends on a variety of factors, including:
- The initial raiser’s expected opening range. The wider their range, the more likely you are to squeeze.
- The ranges of the players who called. Consider their playing styles and likely hands.
- Your own hand. It should fit into an appropriate squeezing range.
- Your position at the table. A squeeze in position is significantly different from a squeeze out of position.
- Stack sizes. Consider whether you have enough chips to continue adequately in case someone 4-bets.
Be sure to weigh all of these elements before committing chips to a squeeze play. Don’t be afraid to take the time to analyze the situation before deciding to 3-bet.
Developing a Squeezing Range in Position
You’ll often find yourself on the button facing a raise from an early or middle position player and a call from a late position player. In this situation, your squeezing range should consist of both your strongest hands and a number of bluffs. Things to consider:
- Value Hands: Include pairs from AA to QQ, AK, and AQ. These hands are pure 3-bets according to solvers, as they are usually ahead of your opponents’ ranges.
- Consider Tight Players: If a tight player raises in early position, you may want to reconsider squeezing with the lower part of your value range, as the likelihood of your opponent having a strong hand increases.
Add bluffs for balance:
- Solver recommendations: Hands like QJs, KJs, AJs, ATs, A5s, A4s, KTs, J9s, and 76s.
- Tournament bluffing: Solvers prefer hands like ATs, A9s, and A8s, as top pairs become more valuable in short stack situations.
When choosing your squeezing range, consider the raiser’s implied range, as he is the most likely to continue against your 3-bet.
Also consider:
- Keep strong hands in: If you are not squeezing pocket pairs or some potential bluff candidates, consider just calling those.
- Cut-off situation: If you are playing from the cut-off, your squeezing range should be a bit tighter because of an extra player behind.
Developing a Squeezing Range out of Position
When playing out of position, your squeezing range should be significantly narrower than in position due to the obvious positional disadvantage. Things to consider:
- Value hands: AA–JJ, AK, AQs, and 99 and 88 more frequently, especially in tournaments.
- Bluffing hands: AJs, ATs, KQs–KTs, QJs, JTs, and weak connectors like 76s. A5s–A2s are rarely included in the squeeze range from the small blind.
- Squeezing ranges out of position: These should be more value-oriented, but with bluffs thrown in to keep things balanced.
- Squeezing from the big blind: This play should be made less often, as you can call wider ranges since you close the action and get a better price.
Playing Against a 4-Bet
While the most favorable outcome of a squeeze is usually everyone folding, the least favorable outcome is usually getting 4-bet. Since there are a lot of bluffs in your squeezing range, getting 4-bet means you have to fold sometimes. Obviously, you’ll want to put your stack in with your strongest hands like AA, KK, AKs, and QQ except in extreme situations or circumstances.
However, your strong broadway hands and pocket pairs will usually want to continue with a call unless the 4-bet is too big, and hands like AQ or KQ unsuited should usually be folded. Hands like A5s-A2s can be folded in some cases (and used as 5-bet bluffs in others), and most of your range can be called, especially in position. If you are out of position, you will definitely be calling much tighter and only continue with good connectors like QJs and JTs.
Squeeze Sizing in Poker
The goal of any squeeze is to win the pot right away, and to do this, it is important to choose the right size. A few important tips:
- Not a big enough squeeze: If your 3-bet size is too small, you give your opponents good odds to call. For example, at a $2/5 cash table, a raise of $15 and a squeeze to $45 gives excellent pot odds to continue.
- Optimal sizing: In position, your squeeze should be about the size of the pot, and out of position – a little more to compensate for the positional disadvantage.
Remember that as the number of callers in the hand increases:
- The bet size should also increase. For example, with three calls after a raise, your squeeze should be significantly larger.
- The range should narrow down. Reduce the number of bluffing hands, giving priority to strong combinations.
Improve your Squeezing Ranges with HisHands
Squeeze strategy requires deep study and practice. We’ve covered the basics of squeezing, but there’s still a lot of work to do to perfect this element of the game.
- Analysis: Use simulations to determine optimal squeezing ranges in different positions and against different opponents.
- Stack sizes: Consider effective stacks and adjust ranges based on their size.
- Intuition: With practice, you’ll get a better feel for when a squeeze is the better option.
Start refining your strategy today by applying the basic principles in this guide. Over time, you’ll be able to squeeze almost perfectly and join the ranks of the elite poker players.
Improving your squeezing strategy is also impossible without a deep understanding of your opponents’ playing styles. HisHands provides all the tools you need to analyze your opponents, helping you identify the perfect moments to make aggressive moves. With HisHands, you can study your opponents’ raise, call, and 4-bet frequencies in various positions, allowing you to accurately assess their ranges. Hand history mining will also help you identify weaknesses in your opponents’ play. For example, some people overfold to a 3-bet and some overfold. Using this data, you can build balanced squeezing ranges that will be as effective as possible against each individual player.
Another piece of good news is that all the new users can get a free hand history pack for cash and MTT games with 99% coverage. To get it, just contact the service representatives via Telegram, Skype or WhatsApp. Welcome!
