T♣T♦ MP vs CO, preflop, 100 bb
The spot
- You: MP
- Opponent: CO
- Your hand: T♣T♦
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 100 bb
- Pot: 13 bb
MP opens 2.5bb, CO 3‑bets to 9bb.
Best response from MP facing the IP 3‑bet with TT?
See the answer
Best play: Call
Why
Principle: mid-pocket pairs vs IP 3‑bet ranges flat to set-mine because the dominated portion of villain range continues betting. Applied to TT vs CO 3‑bet: solid equity + set-mining at 1-in-8.5 + showdown vs ace-highs OOP. So: call — 4-betting bloats face-up vs JJ+/AK, while folding gives up set-mining EV.
Key idea
Against an in-position 3‑bet, mid pocket pairs flat to set-mine and realize showdown value rather than 4-betting into a range that dominates them.