Part: Part Five - Betting Before the Flop

Flatting a three-bet

Pre-flop
Blinds 100 / 200Pot 2,600 (13 BB)CO7♠7♦● 25,000 (125 BB)YOUyou opened to 500BTN● 25,000 (125 BB)3-bettor3-bets 1,800 (9 BB)SB● 25,000 (125 BB)posts 100 (0.5 BB)BB● 25,000 (125 BB)posts 200 (1 BB)D

You open to 500 from the cutoff with 7♠7♦. The button three-bets to 1,800 and the blinds fold.

You opened pocket sevens and the button three-bets to 1,800 (9 BB). Best?

WhyPocket sevens are too strong to surrender to a reraise but not strong enough to reraise for value - four-bet and you turn a decent pair into a bluff against a range that has you crushed when stacks go in. Calling in position keeps his bluffs and dominated pairs firing, with the implied odds to stack him when a seven arrives.
What happensYou call and take a heads-up flop in position. Pot: 3,900 (19.5 BB). Now you're set-mining with the positional edge to steer the rest of the hand.
Flop
Heads-upPot 3,900 (19.5 BB)7♥K♦2♣CO7♠7♦● 25,000 (125 BB)YOUa setBTN● 25,000 (125 BB)3-bettorbets 2,200 (11 BB)D

Flop 7♥ K♦ 2♣ - you flop a set. He continuation-bets.

You flopped a set in a three-bet pot and he c-bets 2,200. Best?

WhyK-7-2 is bone dry, so he'll keep betting overpairs and ace-king with confidence - raise here and you only fold out the hands that pay you while screaming strength. Flatting hides the set and keeps his whole range barreling into you.
What happensYou call, the money goes in on the turn, and your set is miles ahead. A big three-bet pot swings your way - because you let him keep betting instead of announcing your hand on the flop.
You flatted the three-bet in position instead of forcing the action, set-mined cheaply, and let him bury himself when the seven hit. Calling three-bets well is a distinct skill from four-betting them.

Not every three-bet is a four-bet-or-fold spot - medium pairs and suited connectors often make the most money as in-position calls that set-mine cheaply and outplay the opponent after the flop.