The following is a strategy insight from Luuk Botter, Head Coach at the premier PLO training site, PLO Mastermind. In this breakdown, Luuk tackles one of the biggest leaks for transitioning players: adjusting from 100bb to 200bb deep stacks.
By Luuk Botter
Playing 100bb deep is a game many of us feel comfortable at. Either through experience or through study, this is where most of us spend the majority of our time.
But the moment those stacks hit 200bb, things change. Strategy changes, as well as our understanding of the game. Why? Because we haven’t studied it as well as 100bb spots.
Today I want to shine some light on one deep stack spot: Being Out of Position (OOP) in a 3-Bet Pot.
You’re going to learn three things:
- Stack Size Adjustments: How strategy changes when stacks get deeper.
- Turn Runouts: Why a “blank” turn isn’t always a good card for you to barrel.
- Range Protection: Why to check your strong hands to avoid getting run over.
LET’S START WITH A QUIZ
What are your c-bet frequencies OOP? 👇
SB vs BTN 3-Bet Pot OOP | 100bb vs 200bb C-Bet frequencies
> You will find the answer to this quiz at the bottom of this article.
200bb Flop Strategy
On K♠️Q♣️8♥️ we have a massive 61% equity advantage as the preflop 3-bettor and a large nut advantage. We can pressure the Button here very effectively by having a high c-bet frequency.
On Q♠️J♣️T♥️ our equity drops to 58%. It’s still a good board, but the connectivity gives the caller more ways to continue. Also, on this board, our Aces have overall less equity than they would have on the first board.
On7♠️6♣️2♥️we only have 54% equity. On light boards, our 3-betting range 200bb deep struggles with “future playability.” When OOP and deep, these are the boards where we will face the most problems on later streets, so we end up checking more.
Navigating Turn Runouts
If we bet 3/4 pot OOP on K♠️Q♣️8♥️ and get called by the BTN, the Stack-to-Pot Ratio (SPR) on the turn is just under 3. With two streets left to play, the strategy shifts significantly based on the turn card.
1. The Blank 2♦️
You might feel like this is a great card to keep firing, but checking the majority of the time (77%) is actually the play you should make.
- The Reason: Even though we have a nut advantage, our overall range advantage is now gone. Our equity has dropped, and the SPR is still high enough that we can’t just shove all our medium-strong hands. We also still have plenty of “air” that we did bet with on the flop.
- The Strategy: Much of our range consists of one-pair hands that aren’t strong enough to bet and call a shove at this SPR. If we only bet our strong hands and check our marginal hands, the BTN will destroy us every time we check. We have to check many strong hands to protect our checking range and avoid being exploited. And because we have so many medium-strong hands at this point, we end up checking a lot!
2. The Board Pair 8♦️
This is a much better card for us. Our naked Aces remain stronger and overall we bet 74% of the time.
- The Reason: We remain to have a nut and equity advantage on this turn. Since our opponent didn’t raise the flop and we bet most of our strong hands on the flop, this turn is good for us.
- The Strategy: We hold a 55% equity advantage here. Because the board is now more static, we can use a small sizing (1/3 pot). This allows us to get value from weaker one-pair hands and deny equity at the same time. Aces now make a good hand to bet with as we can get value from Kx, Qx, or KQxx.
3. The Straight-Completing J♥️
There are two straights possible, yet we still bet over 50% of the time.
- The Reason: We improve to straights often enough, and we still hold plenty of sets and nut flush draws. In addition, we often hold AAxx, strong blockers to the nut straight. It’s a dynamic card, but one our 3-betting range handles pretty well.
- The Strategy: Equities between both players are now equal. But as the 3-bettor we have a slight nut advantage on this turn. We split our range. We bet the nut straight mainly for full pot, and the second nut straight for a small sizing (or check). Also, sets often bet for a small sizing if it has additional equity or a blocker to the straight. Aces without a straight now bet 50% of the time, most of the time for full pot.
Master the Deep Stack
The transition from 100bb to 200bb is not easy, but it’s worth it. Many top pros have a big winrate when stacks get deeper.
Also, many of your opponents aren’t that good at playing deep, so you can generate a big edge when you become the strong player at this stack size.
Quiz Answer 👇
SB vs BTN 3-Bet Pot OOP | 100bb vs 200bb C-Bet frequencies
If you have an active PLO Mastermind subscription, check out these 200bb solutions yourself. They recently added a big update to the PLO Trainer, which now covers turn and river solutions for 200bb strategy in 3-bet pots.
See you at the tables!
With over 12 years of Omaha Poker experience, Lebi is the Head of Content at PLO365. A dedicated PLO specialist, he bridges the gap between complex GTO theory and practical street poker. He leads our review team, stress-testing PLO solvers, HUDs, and training courses to ensure they meet the demands of the modern grinder. When he isn’t auditing poker room RNGs or writing strategy guides, you can find him grinding PLO cash games and Turbo MTTs.
