SPOT PRINCIPLE
At 1000bb, even against a positional 3-bettor, the arithmetic is merciless: aces raise, everything else calls or folds.
4-bet almost nothing but aces. Even KK often prefers a call – building a 1000bb pot preflop with one pair is a strategy of despair.
You opened middle, the cutoff 3-bet with position. Their range is wider than a blind's – your response widens to match.
Assumes a standard 3-bet; 4-bet to ~2.2–2.5x the 3-bet. Deep, favor calls over 4-bets – a 4-bet pot at 500bb+ commits you with range disadvantage.
Baseline assumptions: 9-handed · no ante · no straddle · 4bb opens · low-rake live structure · cold-calling allowed. Charts reduce low-frequency mixes to a single default action; adjust live for opponents and rake. Baseline v1 · updated 2026-08.