Quick answer
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33 by the numbers
- vs 1 random hand
- 53.6%
- all-in equity
- vs 5 random hands
- 16.4%
- full 6-max table
- Flop a set or better
- 11.8%
- about 1 in 8.5
- How often dealt
- 0.45%
- 1 in 221
How to play 33 by position
6-max cash game, around 100 big blinds deep.
- Early position (UTG)
- Usually fold in tougher games, or open-raise in loose 6-max games and fold to a 3-bet.
- Middle position (hijack)
- Open-raise when folded to. Facing an open, call only with deep stacks.
- Late position (cutoff, button)
- Open-raise. Stealing blinds and seeing flops in position is the main way to play.
- Blinds
- From the small blind, raise when folded to. From the big blind, call opens when stacks are deep.
- Facing a raise
- Call one raise when stacks are deep enough (roughly 15–20 times the call). Fold against 3-bets.
After the flop
- You flop a set or better about 11.8% of the time; otherwise, almost any board card is an overcard.
- When you flop a set on a coordinated board, bet so draws pay you.
- Check and fold more often when you miss, rather than bluffing into several opponents.
33 against common hands
Threes win 53.5% against AKo but only 46% against JTs, because jack-ten suited has so many straight and flush outs. Against 44 they win 17.8%.
| Against | 33 wins | Tie | 33 loses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-4 | 17.8% | 3.7% | 78.5% |
| A-K offsuit | 53.5% | 0.5% | 46.0% |
| J-10 suited | 46% | 1.1% | 52.9% |
All-in before the flop, exact results from every possible board. Suits as dealt in our example; figures shift slightly with other suit combinations.
What 33 makes by the river
If you see all five board cards, your best five-card hand ends up as each of these this often. Exact figures from every possible board.
- Straight flush0.01%
- Four of a kind0.8%
- Full house8.6%
- Flush2.0%
- Straight1.6%
- Three of a kind11.8%
- Two pair39.6%
- One pair35.7%
Common mistakes with 33
- Calling 3-bets hoping to flop a set with shallow stacks.
- Calling down with threes when every board card is higher.
- Opening from early position too often.
Where 33 sits in the chart
Suited hands above the diagonal, offsuit below, pairs on it. Number = equity against one random hand. A white dot means the hand has a full guide.
Pocket threes FAQ
Why are pocket threes called crabs?
Because the 3 can look like a crab’s claws. It is a nickname with no strategic meaning.
Should I ever call a 3-bet with 33?
Rarely. Only when you are in position and stacks are very deep, so a flopped set can win enough to make up for the times you miss.
How do I play threes with a short stack in a tournament?
With 15bb or less, push from late position and the blinds when folded to you. Calling shoves with threes is usually too loose unless the shover’s range is very wide.