Poker Games Strategy Ep.3: Setting Up Traps against Squeeze Play

In the third episode of the poker video series about online poker strategy, I’m discussing about squeeze play and how to set up traps against super-aggressive players who overdo it! Squeeze play is not such an advanced poker strategy, although you need to be careful when you try it. In simple words, when you have position against the preflop raiser and a caller, you 3bet hoping that the initial raiser gives up, since the caller who is “squeezed”, would rarely continue, donating their dead money. In the poker hand described in the video the squeezer is actually at the blinds and I’m the caller. Watch what happens when I setup a trap with a premium hand against the fish who squeezes and 3bets more often than they fold!

As I explain in the video, this is not the standard way to play a premium hand in poker online. However it’s the only way to keep bad players contesting for the pot and giving them the chance to bluff, when they don’t have any outs! They also don’t know how to use squeeze play effectively, since they opted to squeeze with an off-suit gapper hand that rarely flops well when they are called. Their only hope is to hit a straight or trips, otherwise it would be difficult for them to continue, especially out of position.

I suppose an even bigger mistake is when they call my 4bet out of position. Squeeze play besides isn’t a bad play and it should be included in any poker player’s arsenal. Yet, squeezing out of position is a tricky one and they should either shove or fold when confronting with my 4bet surprise! In case they believe I bluff a lot (4bet bluff against squeezing) and try restealing the pot, they should shove, forcing me to fold a better hand than theirs, such as T9s or QTs. On the other hand, if they think I’m capable of setting up traps against squeeze play, folding is the correct decision.

Do you utilize squeeze plays in your poker game? What is your defense against poker players who squeeze a lot? Let me know in the comments below.