Let's discuss the corrective play from preflop, moving action by action. There are several key stats in preflop: VPIP, PFR, 3-bet, fold, 4-bet. When it is said that someone is “too loose” or “too tight,” it should be interpreted in relation to the average player – the standard model. Minor deviations are insignificant, so make adjustments only when deviations are significant.
- If someone is “too loose” in preflop with VPIP and PFR in a shorthanded game, there are several ways to exploit this to your advantage. You can frequently 3-bet them, call them while in position, and apply pressure in the postflop stage, or you can do both. In heads-up, an opponent with a high VPIP or PFR on the button is normal and won't be easily exploitable, but if they have a high VPIP out of position, then your strategy could be to bet as much as possible on flops and turns (there's a chance you won't need to do anything at all, as such players will simply give away money by folding on many flops). If a player plays with a wide range and attacks on many flops, it would be better for you to tighten your open range a bit, but always apply pressure on flops and turns. Ranges generally become wider and more aggressive, but being in position, you should always be ahead.
- If someone plays “too tight” with VPIP and PFR, you should automatically win by having a good preflop raising range. Against a player who is very tight, you simply win more blinds, and this will add up in the long run. Meanwhile, just play according to their narrow raises, fold hands you would normally call, and respect their flop bets more.
- If someone 3-bets too much, in a shorthanded game, we can either liberally 4-bet them or start calling more often in position, or we can do both.
Just remember that 4-betting is a natural decision, while calling is a potential one. This means that if you call them in position and then don't follow any thoughtful exploitation strategy, you'll just lose money. For a potential decision to be effective, you must follow up with actions such as floating bets in position, bluff-raising on flops, or more frequent call downs with medium-strength hands.
In heads-up, the response to an aggressive 3-bettor is exactly the same: more 4-bets or calls. Just a warning, in heads-up, corrective play is much more important because 3-bet pots are played much more frequently.
- If someone has a very low 3-bet frequency, against such a player, it's better to fold more often to their 3-bets and show them respect. Similarly, when playing against someone with too narrow VPIP/PFR, simply maintain your normal, healthy 3-bet frequency, and this will allow you to win more money in the long run.
- If someone has a high fold to 3-bet frequency, obviously, you should 3-bet them often.
- If someone has a low fold to 3-bet frequency, the best adjustment would be to consider how passive they are postflop. If the player is very active and
aggressive postflop, then the best decision would be to tighten your 3-bets. But if the opponent is quite passive, then you can continue 3-betting with a normal or even wider range and simply take the pots with flop and turn c-bets. Against weak or passive players who are almost unwilling to fold to 3-bets, taking 3-bet pots with a c-bet will be one of the biggest edges you'll encounter while playing. - If someone 4-bets too much. Adjusting to such a player's game depends on whether they are really trying to widen their 4-bet/call range or just trying to maintain their 4-bet/call range constant. Some players will simply 4-bet at a higher frequency without trying to widen their 4-bet/call range, including weaker hands like AJ or medium pairs. In this case, the ideal adjustment would be simply 5-betting. If the opponent is indeed widening their 4-bet/call range, more frequent calling to 4-bets and confrontation postflop is a better choice (5-betting is a natural decision, calling to a 4-bet is potential). Of course, if someone 4-bets you with a good deal, it's always useful to reduce your 3-bet frequency.
- If the opponent 4-bets too little, 3-bet them as much as you like.
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