If you read much poker strategy or spend time on the forums, one term you might come across is a “polarized range.” For example, a player might write something to the effect of “my opponent had a polarized 3-bet range, so I 4-bet him in hopes of forcing a fold.”
The simple definition of a polarized range is when somebody only bets with strong hands like A-A and K-K, and really weak holdings like 2-2, 6-7 and J-8. There is nothing in between this player’s betting range such as pocket 7′s or KQ. They either bet with great hands because they actually have something, or they bet with nothing in order to steal a hand. So how does any of this help you?
Well knowing if your opponent has a polarized range is very important to dealing with their raises. As a general rule, it’s recommended that you call (instead of raise) somebody who has a very polarized range so you can judge your opponent’s actions on the next turn. Of course, the subject gets much more complicated than this, and you could spend hours debating the intricacies of playing against polarized 3-bettors.
But as you gain more information on specific opponents, you can begin to pick apart their polarized betting range. After all, good hands don’t come around very often, and if your opponent is 3-betting quite often with their polarized range, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to 4-bet them and force a fold. The key is to watch your opponent, and figure out how often they’re 3-betting with the lower part of their polarized range.
We’ll get more into this subject in future posts, but this gives you a solid overall definition on the subject.
