Squeeze Play
A squeeze play is a re-raise bluff, usually a three-bet, made after one player has raised and one or more players have called. It tries to make all of them fold, because they have shown less strength by calling.
The simple explanation
For example, one player raises, another calls, and you re-raise big from the blinds. The raiser may have a weak raising hand, and the caller usually has a medium hand that does not want to put in more money. You can win a large pot without a showdown.
A closer look
The squeeze works because the caller's range is capped (he did not three-bet), and the raiser faces two opponents. The best squeeze size is larger than a normal three-bet, since there is more dead money in the pot, for example 4 to 5 times the original raise. You can also squeeze for value with strong hands. The squeeze fails against players who call a lot or never fold, and it is risky when stacks are deep.
A practical example
A player on the button raises to 6, the small blind calls and you three-bet to 24 from the big blind with K♣ K♦. That is a squeeze, here for value.
Full explanation
A squeeze play is a re-raise bluff, usually a three-bet, made after one player has raised and one or more players have called. It tries to make all of them fold, because they have shown less strength by calling.
A squeeze play is a big re-raise after a raise and one or more calls.
There is dead money from the caller.
The raiser and the caller both have to fold.
It can be a bluff or for value.
Alternative spelling: Squeeze
A squeeze play
No-limit Hold’em · Blinds 1/2 chips · No rake
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips.
Read the example transcript
Player A has the button (BTN). Player B posts the 1-chip small blind (SB). Player C posts the 2-chip big blind (BB).
- Preflop · Pot: 3 chips
The blinds are 1 and 2 chips.
- Player A BTN AAce of diamonds (Ad)QQueen of clubs (Qc) · Stack 200 · In this round 0
- Player B SB 88 of hearts (8h)77 of hearts (7h) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player C BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 9 chips
Player A on the button raises to 6.
- Player A BTN AAce of diamonds (Ad)QQueen of clubs (Qc) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B SB 88 of hearts (8h)77 of hearts (7h) · Stack 199 · In this round 1
- Player C BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 14 chips
Player B in the small blind calls 5 more.
- Player A BTN AAce of diamonds (Ad)QQueen of clubs (Qc) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B SB 88 of hearts (8h)77 of hearts (7h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player C BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 198 · In this round 2
- Preflop · Pot: 36 chips
Player C in the big blind re-raises to 24. The first raiser and a caller are both in the pot, and the big blind squeezes them with a big three-bet. This is a squeeze play.
- Player A BTN AAce of diamonds (Ad)QQueen of clubs (Qc) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player B SB 88 of hearts (8h)77 of hearts (7h) · Stack 194 · In this round 6
- Player C BB KKing of clubs (Kc)KKing of diamonds (Kd) · Stack 176 · In this round 24
Cards are shown for learning; totals are displayed before pot collection.