The four-bet is one of poker’s most dynamic and high-leverage moves. Understanding it properly can transform your aggression into consistent profit, or if used incorrectly, quickly drain your stack. For a practical resource and supplemental tools to study aggressive lines, visit fourbet.ng to find charts and community discussions that complement the principles outlined below.
At its simplest, a four-bet refers to the action that follows an initial raise, a re-raise (three-bet), and then another re-raise (the four-bet). While the precise betting sequence and naming can vary by table and game, the concept remains: a four-bet represents a high-commitment decision, typically signaling either a very strong value hand or a sophisticated bluff. The potency of a four-bet lies in its ability to isolate against a narrow range, steal pots preflop, or put opponents in uncomfortable positions where they must navigate complex decisions for large portions of their stack.
Before incorporating frequent four-bets into your toolkit, you should be comfortable with three core ideas: range construction, bet sizing, and opponent profiling. Range construction allows you to decide what hands you want to be perceived as having and which hands work as profitable bluffs. Bet sizing controls equity realization and fold equity; different sizes force different responses. Opponent profiling tells you whether your rival folds too much to aggression, calls too wide, or will respond with polarized action that benefits or punishes your strategy.
Value four-bets are straightforward: you have a premium hand that you expect to be ahead of most of the calling and three-betting ranges. In cash games, that often includes hands like AA, KK, and QQ, sometimes AK. Your sizing here is influenced by stack depth and the ranges you expect from your opponents. In tournaments, especially with shallower stacks or antes, value four-bets can be used more to commit chips and deny equity rather than to price in postflop play.
Bluff four-bets, by contrast, hinge on fold equity. Good bluff candidates are hands that have decent blockers to the opponent’s strongest holdings (e.g., A5s blocking AA/A5 in some lineups) or hands that retain reasonable equity if called (e.g., suited broadways or some suited connectors). When you bluff four-bet, your objective is to make your opponent fold hands that dominate your three-betting range or can comfortably continue. Effective bluffing requires balance: if you never four-bet as a bluff, savvy opponents will exploit you by three-bet-calling or four-bet-shoving with a wider, value-heavy range.
Sizing matters. A four-bet size too small invites multiway or marginal calls; too large commits you unnecessarily and reduces your bluffing options. Common approaches use a polarized strategy: choose a size that makes continuing with speculative hands unattractive while still offering enough fold equity to make bluffs profitable. In practice, many players adopt a strategy of sizing to leave opponents with difficult shove-or-fold decisions, especially when stack-to-pot ratios are low. In deeper-stacked situations, slightly smaller four-bets preserve postflop maneuverability.
Position changes the calculus. Four-betting from late position versus an early position three-bettor often requires a tighter value range and more selective bluffs because early position three-bets are usually stronger. Conversely, four-betting in position lets you apply pressure more effectively and realize equity on later streets when called. Inversely, out-of-position four-bets should be more polarized and value-heavy to avoid being played out of the hand postflop without proper equity and blockers.
Stack depth is a critical variable. With short stacks, four-betting tends to become shoving or fold territory; the range is tighter and defined by shove-equity math. Mid-stacked spots allow for more sophisticated sizing and postflop play, while deep stacks amplify the importance of blocker effects and the viability of non-nutted four-bet bluffs since implied odds and postflop skill play a larger role.
Table dynamics and opponent types are equally important. Versus calling stations, reduce bluff frequency and skew four-bets toward value. Versus overly aggressive players who three-bet wide, widen your four-bet calling and re-raising range to exploit their mistakes. Against highly attentive opponents who adjust quickly, maintain balanced ranges and be willing to mix tactics to avoid predictability. Observing how players respond to aggression over multiple orbits helps you calibrate whether to lean into four-bet bluffs or preserve chips.
Hand reading matters before and after the flop. Preflop, consider what hands the original raiser and the three-bettor will fold to a four-bet and which will continue. Postflop, a four-bet pot often leads to smaller boards that favor the preflop aggressor’s perceived range; use this to your advantage when representing narrow value combos. Conversely, very coordinated boards can give your opponent unexpected equity, so be prepared to abandon some lines when the story falls apart.
Another practical consideration is balancing your ranges. If you four-bet only premiums, opponents will fold appropriately and never fear bluffs; if you four-bet too often with marginal hands, good players will exploit you by calling light or four-bet-shoving. Use occasional bluffs that carry blockers to premium hands, and mix in some four-bet calls with hands that play well postflop (e.g., AQ, suited connectors in position) to maintain a credible mix.
Training methods to improve your four-bet game include solver study, hand history review, and focused practice. Solvers reveal equilibria and help you understand which combos are chosen as bluffs and which as value at different stack depths. Reviewing hands with a coach or study group identifies leaks related to sizing consistency and opponent-specific adaptations. In live or online practice, isolate a single variable—such as bluff frequency or sizing—and measure results over a significant sample to see what adjustments produce real EV changes.
Common mistakes include over-bluffing, failing to adjust to stack depth, and misreading an opponent’s range. Over-bluffing often comes from misapplied aggression without considering fold equity. Ignoring effective stack sizes causes mis-sized bets that either commit unnecessarily or fail to pressure opponents. Finally, poor reads—misattributing merch to math—lead to repeated losing lines. Counter these by tracking outcomes, using software for analysis, and keeping aggression purposeful rather than habitual.
In tournaments, four-bet dynamics shift as antes, bubble considerations, and payout structures alter incentives. Players tend to tighten near critical pay jumps, making well-timed four-bet bluffs more profitable. Conversely, late in tournaments when players defend wider, value-based four-bets that aim to isolate and deny equity become dominant. Recognize these stage-dependent shifts and adapt both your frequencies and your bet sizing.
To summarize: the four-bet is a high-value, high-risk tool when deployed with discipline. Its effectiveness depends on accurate range construction, smart sizing, correct read on opponents, and sensitivity to stack depth and position. Study solver outputs to internalize ranges, practice adjusting your lines in real play, and track how opponents react to your aggression. With experience, you’ll learn when a four-bet should end the hand preflop and when it should merely be the start of a deeper strategic battle.
Ultimately, mastery of the four-bet turns marginal preflop edges into sustainable advantage. Stay patient, keep learning, and let thoughtful aggression create opportunities while minimizing costly hero calls and unchecked bluffs.