Facing a raise: 3-bet, call, fold

Someone raised before you. Your options collapse to three: 3-bet (raise their raise), call, or fold. The instinct at low stakes is to call way too much. Every flat call with a marginal hand is a slow leak. 3-bet range (value): QQ+, AKs, AKo, AQs — your premium value plus position-dependent polar bluffs. Call range: hands too strong to fold but not quite 3-bet-worthy — JJ–99, AQo, AJs, KQs, KJs, QJs, suited connectors (in position). Fold range: everything else. Two major adjustments: - Facing a wide open (CO or BTN)? 3-bet wider — add AJo, KQo, some suited Ax bluffs. They're opening wide, you can value-extract and bluff-pressure. - You're in the small blind? Raise-or-fold only. Flatting OOP is a leak. 3-bet the top of your range, fold the rest. - You're in the big blind? You've already committed 1bb and close the action. Defend wide — call with anything that plays reasonably. Pot odds matter here too. Against a 3bb open, the pot is 4.5bb and you call 3bb → 40% pot odds when you're not in the blinds. That's a forgiving price; implied odds cover the gap for medium-strength hands.