The fourbet is a powerful and nuanced tool in modern poker strategy, often signaling strength, aggression, or a carefully balanced bluff. For serious players looking to improve their preflop and postflop decisions, understanding how and when to employ a fourbet is essential. To explore resources and practical examples, consider visiting four bet for additional material and community discussions.

At its core, a fourbet occurs when a player re-raises the raiser and the threebettor preflop — in other words, the initial opener bets, an opponent threebets, and then a third player fourbets. The sequence creates a high-stakes confrontation before the flop, compressing the hand into a battle of ranges, position, and information. Unlike simpler preflop actions, the fourbet is rarely automatic; it requires a blend of value, leverage, and fold equity to be profitable.

Understanding the intentions behind a fourbet starts with range construction. Value fourbets typically contain the very strongest parts of a player’s range, such as premium pocket pairs and the top of suited broadways (AK, QQ+, sometimes JJ or AQs depending on dynamics). However, modern theory also incorporates bluff fourbets: hands with good blockers to premium combinations (like A5s, KQs, or hands with an ace blocker) that increase the chance opponents fold stronger but vulnerable holdings. Balancing these two components keeps opponents guessing and prevents exploitative adjustments.

Position matters enormously for fourbet decisions. A fourbet from the blinds facing a late-position open is quite different from a fourbet coming from the button or cutoff. When out of position, the cost of committing chips and playing postflop becomes higher, so value-heavy fourbet ranges tighten. In position, a player can exploit their informational advantage to include more bluffs and broader value hands because postflop maneuvering can compensate for marginal holdings. Always calibrate your fourbet strategy to account for your expected postflop edge or deficit.

Sizing plays a crucial role in maximizing the effectiveness of a fourbet. A common sizing heuristic is to make a fourbet between 2.2x and 3.0x the size of the threebet, but optimal sizes depend on stacks, table tendencies, and pot geometry. Smaller fourbets invite lighter calls and can be used to incentivize folds from speculative hands, while larger fourbets polarize your range and make fold equity more likely. Effective players vary sizes to obfuscate intentions; predictable sizing allows opponents to exploit you with targeted ranges.

Stack depth and tournament stage dictate important adaptations. In deep-stacked cash games, fourbet pot play often leads to complex postflop decision trees where both bluffing and value thinly occur. Deep stacks allow speculative hands some postflop playability, so fourbet bluffers can include suited connectors or suited aces depending on blockers and implied odds. In contrast, in tournament or short-stack situations, fourbets often approach shove or fold territory. In those spots, shove-equity calculations and range advantage become pivotal: a fourbet shove needs enough fold equity to justify risking your tournament life or a significant fraction of your stack.

Exploitative versus balanced approaches are a perennial debate. Balanced strategies aim to prevent opponents from exploiting by mixing bluffs and value in proportions consistent with game theory. However, exploitative play leverages specific reads — for example, threebettors who fold too frequently to fourbets should be attacked with more bluff fourbets. Conversely, if opponents fourbet shove very aggressively, tighten and call down with stronger hands or fourbet shove for value more often. The key is to observe tendencies and adjust without abandoning core principles of range construction and equity maintenance.

Postflop plans following a fourbet vary by range and board texture. When you fourbet for value and get called, be prepared to navigate flops that often miss narrow value ranges; many boards will be low and uncoordinated or contain high cards that favor the caller. Continuation bets on favorable boards, pot control on marginal boards, and occasionally check-raising as protection or bluff are all viable tools. If you fourbet as a bluff and face resistance, selective continuation with blockers and strong equities (backdoor flush/straight possibilities) can turn the tide. Importantly, never treat a fourbet as a preflop endpoint — think through plan A, B, and C for the most likely flops.

Common mistakes around fourbetting include overusing the move without proper blockers, failing to adjust to opponents’ tendencies, and mismanaging position-related costs. A frequent error is fourbetting too often with hands that do not block premium holdings, which makes it easier for opponents to continue with strong hands. Another is ignoring the opponent’s threebet frequency: against very tight threebettors, widen your fourbet bluffing range; against frequent threebettors, prioritize value and pot control. Finally, neglecting postflop implications — especially out of position — can convert what looked like a clever preflop play into a marginal losing line.

Practical drills and study methods help internalize fourbet concepts. Review hand histories where fourbets occurred and categorize each decision by intent: value, steal, or exploitive. Use equity calculators to test how your proposed ranges fare against typical threebet calling ranges and simulate sizes to observe fold equity changes. Play hypothetical situations in training tools or with study partners, focusing on adjustments for position, stack depth, and opponent style.

Technology and solver-backed study have reshaped modern fourbet strategy. Solvers often recommend polarized fourbet ranges with a higher share of bluffs that contain strong blockers and decent postflop playability. Incorporating solver insights can improve your baseline strategy, but beware of blindly copying outputs without understanding the assumptions behind the model (stack sizes, villian tendencies, and bet sizes). The best approach blends solver-informed ranges with exploitative adjustments tailored to live opponents and table dynamics.

In conclusion, mastering the fourbet is about balancing aggression with prudence. Effective fourbetting increases your win rate by extracting value from weaker calls, leveraging fold equity versus wide ranges, and creating difficult decisions for opponents. Study ranges, manage sizes, consider position and stack depth, and always adjust to how your opponents respond. With disciplined practice and thoughtful analysis, the fourbet can be transformed from a risky gamble into a powerful instrument in your strategic toolbox.