4-Bet

Definition

A 4-bet is a raise on top of a 3-bet — making it the fourth bet in the sequence (big blind, open-raise, 3-bet, 4-bet). In most poker games, especially at lower stakes, a 4-bet pre-flop signals an extremely strong hand. The betting escalation — raise, re-raise, re-re-raise — means the pot grows very large very quickly, and both players involved are usually committed to playing for significant money.

Example

A player under the gun raises to $6. You're in the cutoff and 3-bet to $20 with A♥ A♠. Then the player under the gun, rather than calling or folding, raises again to $55. That's a 4-bet. The under-the-gun player is telling you they have a very strong hand — likely kings or aces. With pocket aces, you're thrilled: you 5-bet all-in (though at this level it's just called "re-raising all-in"), knowing you almost certainly have the best hand. If you had a weaker hand like J♠ J♦ and faced a 4-bet, you'd face a much tougher decision, since the original raiser likely has a premium hand that dominates you.

Why It Matters

As a beginner, encountering a 4-bet pre-flop should put you on high alert: your opponent is telling you in the clearest possible way that they believe they have a powerhouse hand. Unless you hold pocket aces or kings, a 4-bet is often a good reason to fold even strong-looking hands like queens or ace-king. This isn't being a pushover — it's being mathematically sound. 4-bets represent such a narrow range of hands that calling with marginal holdings is frequently a money-losing play. When you eventually start 4-betting yourself, do it with only your best hands.