Category: preflop defense

Two strategies are obvious when looking at Pluribus 3bet sizes:

• Pluribus varies sizes a lot, mostly randomly across a distribution
• 3bets from the blinds are big

So let’s look at the distribution of 3bet sizes (in multiples of the initial raise)

Pluribus 3bet sizes in position

These are 3bets from the HJ, CO, and button. 3bets from BB against SB would qualify but I prefer to treat SB vs BB overall strategy separately.

• I grouped sizes so they are readable, but there are really a lot of different sizes within those groupings too.
  • Seems random enough that it should be easy to implement, but honestly not sure what purpose it serves
• For very large bets, they are mostly as we’d expect when there is another call. But also a few more.
• A2s and A3s seem to be always bet with big sizings, but there isn’t that much data.
• Overall though this Pluribus 3bet sizes in position are similar to current poker trends

3bet sizes out of position (from blinds)

Once again this excludes SB vs BB.

• Again a lot variation of bet sizes with a majority above 5x.
• The very high sizes above 6x are mostly squeezes with hands like K9s, K7s, but also AQo. Oddly enough there was also a 9.5x bet with 76s
• You can look at the detailed average 3bet and spread (ie max-min) and you’ll see sizes all over the place

Poker preflop defense strategy from the blinds

So continuing on poker preflop defense,in part 2 we focus on defending the blinds. I recapture the frequency chart here as we need to refer to it on a regular basis. Also because SB vs BB is more specific due to the limps from the SB, we’ll have a separate post on it.

So the main difference defending from the small blind is the size of the 3bet but we’ll cover sizings in a separate post as it requires specific attention. Also we noticed already that Pluribus calls (vs 3bet) a lot more from the SB than “current best practice”. Anyway let’s look by aggressor position.

SB defense strategy

On SB vs LJ with 11.3% defend, we need 150 tuples. On SB vs Button we’ll have 331 tuples. Against HJ and CO we’ll be pretty much linearly in between, so won’t look at details.

So what can we infer on ranges from the Small Blind ?

• Ranges not really different than from position
• 22+
• T9s+ even against early, but the worst ones sometimes fold
• A2s+ as well, sometimes fold on the “so so” ones.
• 54s+ against early, apparently no fold
• AJo+ against early position
• Against the button we add:
  • K7s+
  • Q8s+
  • ATo+, KJo+, QTo+, JTo, those getting some folds

Small Blind key learnings from Pluribus

Honestly who is really confident / happy of their SB defense strategy ? Not me anyway. Upswing Poker ranges recommend 3bet or fold, no call with a range pretty similar to Pluribus although less aggressive. Poker Snowie also recommends almost only 3bets without any medium/low suited connectors.

• More calls than 3bet, except balanced against button
• Mix all over (except super premium) between call and 3bet
• Sometimes fold the worst hands of the range
• Many suited connectors all the way to K7s, Q8s
• Many Broadways
• 5x 3bet size but that’s a different post.

Big Blind defense strategy

As said before, we don’t cover BB vs SB here as it is really different. So the Big Blind as expected defends a lot and mostly calls: 25% to 50% , that’s 330 to 663 tuples… a lot. To be honest ranges are going to be pretty obvious and not really important. Let’s look at the hands played against the LJ and the button:

Against LJ				Against Button
Tuple	Call	3bet	Fold	Tuple	Call	3bet	Fold
AQs	1	2	0	AKs	0	1	0
A9s	1	0	0	AJs	0	2	0
A7s	1	0	0	A9s	2	0	0
A6s	1	0	0	A7s	1	0	0
A4s	1	0	0	A6s	1	0	0
AKo	1	0	1	A5s	1	0	0
KTs	0	1	1	A3s	2	0	0
K8s	2	0	0	A2s	1	0	1
K7s	1	1	0	AKo	0	4	0
K6s	1	0	0	KK	0	1	0
KQo	1	1	0	KJs	2	0	0
QJs	0	1	2	K7s	2	0	0
QTs	0	1	1	K5s	2	0	0
Q8s	1	0	1	K4s	2	0	0
Q7s	1	0	1	K3s	4	0	0
Q4s	1	0	0	AQo	0	3	0
Q3s	1	0	2	KQo	2	2	1
Q2s	1	0	0	QQ	0	2	0
AJo	2	0	1	QJs	2	0	0
KJo	2	0	0	QTs	1	0	0
QJo	2	0	0	Q9s	2	0	0
JJ	2	0	0	Q7s	2	0	0
JTs	1	0	0	Q6s	1	0	0
ATo	2	0	0	Q3s	2	0	0
KTo	1	0	1	Q2s	1	0	0
QTo	3	0	0	AJo	2	0	0
JTo	4	0	1	KJo	9	0	0
T9s	1	0	0	QJo	0	1	2
T8s	1	0	0	JJ	0	3	0
T7s	1	0	0	JTs	0	2	0
A9o	3	0	2	J9s	1	1	0
J9o	2	0	1	J8s	2	0	2
T9o	1	0	1	J3s	1	0	0
99	1	0	0	ATo	1	0	0
98s	1	0	0	KTo	0	1	0
96s	1	0	0	QTo	3	0	1
95s	1	0	0	JTo	3	0	2
A8o	2	0	1	TT	0	2	0
T8o	1	0	3	T7s	2	0	0
98o	1	0	4	T6s	1	0	0
85s	1	0	0	T5s	1	0	0
84s	2	0	0	T4s	1	0	0
97o	1	0	5	T2s	1	0	0
87o	2	0	2	A9o	3	0	0
77	3	0	0	K9o	0	1	1
76s	1	0	0	Q9o	1	0	2
76o	1	0	1	J9o	0	1	0
66	1	0	0	T9o	4	1	0
65s	0	1	1	99	1	0	1
75o	1	0	3	98s	2	0	0
65o	1	0	2	96s	1	0	0
55	2	0	0	95s	2	0	0
54s	0	1	0	A8o	3	0	0
53s	1	0	0	K8o	2	0	0
43s	1	0	1	Q8o	2	0	0
42s	1	0	0	T8o	3	0	1
53o	1	0	3	98o	1	0	0
33	4	0	0	85s	1	0	0
22	1	0	0	82s	1	0	1
				A7o	1	0	0
				K7o	2	0	1
				Q7o	2	0	3
				T7o	1	0	1
				87o	1	0	3
				75s	1	0	0
				73s	1	0	0
				A6o	3	0	2
				Q6o	1	0	2
				76o	3	0	0
				65s	0	2	0
				63s	1	0	0
				62s	2	0	0
				A5o	0	1	0
				K5o	3	0	2
				65o	2	0	1
				55	2	0	0
				A4o	2	0	1
				64o	1	0	2
				54o	4	0	1
				44	4	0	0
				42s	2	0	0
				A3o	4	0	1
				33	1	0	2
				A2o	2	0	0
				22	2	0	0

Well the least we can say is the ranges are very mixed between call and fold and some 3bets. 99 or 33 are sometimes folded, 82s can be called or folded, A5o is 3bet once etc. But overall strategy is similar to what we’re used to.

Just in case, I also checked defense strategy relative to size of opening of Villain. But as you can see, not much of an impact (or opposite really):

Size of RFI	Face RFI	BB Defend	Defend %
2BB	152	68	45%
>2BB – 2.25BB	627	300	48%
>2.25BB_2.5BB	211	111	53%
>2.5BB-3BB	141	82	58%
>3BB	247	15	6%

We’re going to focus on poker preflop defense frequencies and hand ranges played by Pluribus. In order to look properly at defense strategy, we need to consider both the position of hero in defense and the position of villain who opened RFI. That’s where we wished Pluribus had played 1M hands and not just 10K hands.

Indeed when we get to this level of detail, we’re down to about 300+ hands in each scenario and this does not allow to look seriously at ranges. It is good to stat the frequencies though. So we’re going to look at all these frequencies first, and then look at ranges but withour consideration for villain position. These ranges are just pointers to help us see what hands Pluribus calls with, or 3 bets with… and mixes up, using our own judgement to infer what hands are played against what villain opening position.

We’ll have a quick view on average 3bet sizings, but will keep detailed analysis for another post.

Detailed frequencies of preflop defense

So we show the number of hands the data is based on. Obviously can’t do hand ranges for these, but frequencies should be pretty good. In theory, we’d need to also compare that to opening size, but again this will make the data sets way too small.

I split the ranges in only 3 categories: IP (in position), SB, and BB. They are a bit confusing to study but combined with the above frequencies, we should have decent ideas.

Legend for reading the charts:

Defense hand range in position

Defense range from SB

Defense hand range from BB

Key learnings for poker preflop defense

By combining detailed frequencies and overall hands played, we can infer a better view of the “probable” detailed poker ranges from Pluribus. And we see a lot more variation in call, 3bet and fold than what most players do. IE a wider range for a fairly low frequency.

HJ vs LJ preflop defense

So we have 3.3% calls and 5.4% 3bet. That is 44 tuples for calls and 72 for 3bets, so a total of 116 tuples .

Hands actually played:

So we need a total of 116 tuples. AA-77 are obviously played even if many pairs not seen here. Probably most suited Aces (A6s and A2s folded) , QJs, K9s and lower is folded. So are Q9s and lower, J9s and lower, T9s, 98s, 87s, AJo and lower etc.

So we have a total of 116 + KK, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 4 more suited Aces so 162 tuples. A good chunk of them have to mix with folds to get to 116 tuples.

So the overall range would be:

• 77+ with a combination of 3bets and calls. Note that QQ is a call, and 77 is a 3bet in the hands played
• A2s+ with a mix of call, 3bet, and fold .
• KTs+, QTs+, JTs mixing 3bet and call
• AKo, AQo mixing 3b and call, KQo probably 3bet and fold
• 76s and 65s mixing 3bet and call

CO vs LJ preflop defense

With 8.7% tuples, we still need 116 tuples. Here are the hands actually played

So we have more or less the same range as for HJ vs LJ. Maybe 54s and 66 added. We also get confirmation that pairs are sometimes a call sometimes a 3bet, look at 88 and JJ. Also confirmation that low suited connectors are a mix including fold sometimes, same for suited Aces below ATs or A9s…

CO vs HJ preflop defense

So we gradually increase the range, now we need 179 tuples.

So now the range adds lower pairs and K9s as a 3bet. We keep seeing pairs mixed between call and 3bet (like 55 here) and some folds for 44. Everything else much the same, we just get more tuples by having less folds on the range, but always with the same hands, ie KQ0 , bad Axs and lowest pairs and connectors.

Button vs LJ preflop defense

So we now need close to 200 tuples with twice as many calls as 3bets. In other words significantly less 3bets than from earlier position.

Again we see pairs 3bet or called, and the lower pairs sometimes folded. Below 55, probably fold, Pluribus didn’t get 44, but did fold 33.

We add to the range:

• K7s+ with the lower ones 3bet
• Q9s as a call
• J9s mixing call and fold
• T8s+
• ATo+ with here AT as a 3bet and AJ as a call
• We get to 200 tuples by not folding much in the mix strategy except lower pairs and the newly added tuples (J9s, ATo etc .)
• Important we call twice as much as we 3bet, I assume because of the position and less players behind

Button vs HJ preflop defense

This is the same range as Button vs LJ. It confirms 44 is played. It confirms we fold some bad Axs, and lowish pairs.

Button vs Cut-off preflop defense

We are now looking for 241 tuples, with a slighly more balanced call vs 3bet, still with more calls.

• Much less folds in the mix, here only JTo
• All pairs (don’t know for sure on 22 as not dealt)
• QJo and JTo added
• K6s+
• The rest is much the same
• Note again the variety of 3bets: 66, 99, ATo, JTs, QJo etc.
• And the real mix in 3bet/Call like K9s 3bet, K6s call, JJ or JTs both call and 3bet. QQ call. I get the feeling only AA and AKs, perhaps KK are 100% 3bet…

The way Pluribus defends pre-flop is interesting; we’ll do a few posts on it, for now let’s focus on poker preflop defense frequencies.

Key learnings on preflop defense strategy

• Overall in position defense frequencies are very similar to the pros frequencies and “current wisdom”
• Maybe a bit less 3B and more call from the button
• Significant differences from the blinds
  • Pluribus defends a lot more from the small blind, with a lot more calls
    • like twice as much as the pros did in this game!
  • Pluribus defends less from the big blind, will less calls
  • 3Bet sizes from the blinds are also larger than the pros and the averages we see online.

Preview on preflop defense hand ranges in position

I’ll need a full detailed post on this but many “new” behaviours to me in position:

• Very mixed strategy between call and 3bet with the same hands
• Some fairly surprising hands to 3bet:
  • pairs all the way down to 55
  • KQo and ATo at high frequency
  • A lot of suited connectors, but that’s similar to Snowie

Further study needed

I need to look at more detail, ie position of the original open, size of the open and whether these have impact or not.

I only looked at average 3bet size, not the distribution of these, don’t know yet whether there is a big spread.

I also haven’t looked at ranges from the blinds.

So there is a lot more coming.