The squeeze play has become very popular in both no-limit cash games and no-limit tournaments, as it’s an effective way of picking up a lot of chips without needing a monster starting hand. A squeeze is essentially a three-bet made over the top of a raise that has picked up one or more callers.
The idea is that after an opening raise from a middle or late-position player and at least one call, the ‘squeezer’ three-bets preflop, putting pressure on all the players involved by representing immense strength. The theory is that the original raiser is probably opening fairly wide and the flat-caller rarely has a very strong hand, otherwise they would have three-bet themselves. This play can be very profitable when you understand the underlying issues, as you often make instant profit and take the initiative to the flop if you are called.
A squeeze is generally made with a marginal but playable hand, sometimes even with a relatively junky hand. For it to be convincing, however, you must be willing to play your big pairs with the same preflop line, especially in multi-way pots.
Squeezing the juice
Why should you introduce squeezing into your game? Well, the main reason should be to increase your win rate. Squeezing can be a hugely winning play if it is used sparingly, because representing huge strength is difficult to counter unless your opponents are willing to adapt and play a far more high-variance game. The vast majority of low and mid-stakes players know what a squeeze is, but nonetheless struggle to deal with them.
The other important reason for increasing your squeezing frequency is to increase action and widen your three-betting range as you move up through the mid-stakes. If you are known as a player with an exceptionally low squeezing percentage, your observant opponents will play super optimally against you, calling with small pocket pairs because they know they have good implied odds (against a range composed entirely of monsters) and folding all the very strong hands they now recognise are crushed by your range (such as A-Q and A-J). When you have a wider squeezing range, observant opponents are put in a quandary. Sure, they know you are squeezing some of the time, but if they are wrong, it’s usually a very expensive mistake as their options in a bigger pot result in a much closer risk/reward ratio.
Introduce squeezing into your game gradually, but bear in mind that position is super important. Squeezes in position with playable hands (like A-5 suited) will yield a much higher expectation than those out of position, which will put you in much trickier spots after the flop.
Picking your targets
When deciding whether or not to squeeze a certain hand in a certain spot there is a checklist that you should mentally tick off. First, you need to understand the players involved – this is paramount. The types of opponents you want to pick on when squeezing include weak-tight players and good tight-aggressive players. These players will have little difficulty crediting you with a big hand, as long as you don’t go absolutely mental. When the cat is out the bag that you squeeze light against TAG raisers, beware, as they will adjust and start sticking it back at you. Players that you should be much more hesitant to squeeze against (especially out of position) are the bad LAGs that will never fold and will try to get too funky after the flop, and the exceptionally loose fish that won’t fold preflop and won’t recognise your perceived range.
Squeezing against maniacs is an interesting idea, as they will usually not have a premium hand when raising. However, against this type of player over-aggression with marginal hands is normally not the most +EV strategy and you’re better off waiting for a real hand.
This leads us onto the nature of squeeze-worthy hands. What hands should you add to a squeezing range? Well, against a maniac, definitely do not squeeze hands like A-J suited and 9-9 unless you are prepared to get your stack in against them (against a probable wide range). Doing so would be suicide. Against more conventional opponents, position, image, hand strength and the tendencies of the players involved are more important factors.
With a loose-aggressive image, flat-calling the button with 7-8 suited after a middle-position raise and cutoff call might be more profitable than squeezing, especially if one or both of the blinds is a fish. You have position, a hand that plays better multi-way, and a fish in the blinds that will often overcall and go too far with second rate holdings. Given that you want to play as many pots as possible against bad players when in position, squeezing is probably a less attractive proposition, as you will force the fish out the pot and run the risk of being four-bet off the flop even if you hit (because you have squeezed on the button and you have a LAG image which your opponents will not credit).
Tight table image?
If on the other hand you have a tight image and are in the big blind with the same 7-8 suited after the same action, a squeeze might actually offer a higher expectation. In this case you are picking up more dead money, and as you are out of position your suited connectors have a much lower value anyway. Additionally, your perceived range is stronger, and even if the fish in the small blind decides to call your squeeze, you have position and a nice hand in a bloated pot, so it’s not the end of the world.
One final point about squeezing is to take note of stack sizes. Squeezing when there are short stacks willing to gamble is, again, suicide. Always take the time, no matter how many tables you are playing, to check the stack sizes of the players still to act before hitting the squeeze button.
What if they call?
Playing the flop after making a (failed) squeeze play preflop is really interesting, especially against better opponents at mid-stakes. In squeezed pots, you need to realise that there will be a lot of bluffing going on, as the pot can often be in excess of 40 big blinds and hence well worth fighting for. You should definitely spend some time messing about with ranges and equity on PokerStove.com, because you will have to fight hard but smart against tough opponents in these spots.
Out of position on the flop
The first situation to consider is playing a squeezed flop out of position (OOP). If you are OOP, the villain will have called a squeeze in position, where his range will be at its widest for squeezed pots. That’s not to say he won’t have A-A or K-K occasionally, but in general he will have more 8-8 and K-Q suited type hands than he would if he was OOP, because good opponents understand their positional advantage. Consider the player type – if a TAG has called a squeeze, his range (provided your image is solid) will be something like 8-8+/K-Qs/A-Js and some higher suited connectors like 8-9s. There will be relatively few Broadway holdings. The villain has shown himself willing to call preflop, which means he is happy with his hand.
If you are going to continuation-bet after a squeeze, have a plan for the hand. So let’s say you elect to squeeze J-10 suited OOP pre, and flop 9-7-4 with one of your suit. Don’t continuation bet this board unless you are going to shove or check-raise the turn (assuming the stacks are deep enough for this). On this board I think a check-raise all-in is fine, but at the same time in a squeezed pot against a tough TAG opponent it’s okay to concede occasionally (i.e. check/fold). However, continuation-betting just one barrel in squeezed pots is a huge leak. Fire twice or not at all.
In position on the flop
In position, your options are obviously a little wider depending on what the action is before you. Typically I don’t mind checking back all top pair, weak kicker type hands in three-bet pots, as opponents tend to spew chips when you check back in squeezed pots, making all sorts of false assumptions about your range. Say you squeeze Ad-5d in position, the flop comes 8d-9d-Ac and the villain checks. You should check it back here, because if you then make your flush the villain will never put you on it. Also, it will be hard to extract value from worse hands in a squeezed pot by betting this board anyway. With the top pair/flush draw combo you’re either way ahead or way behind, so protection becomes less of an issue when there’s a lower pot-to-stack ratio. On the turn, tough/tricky villains will try to represent a lot of strength thinking that you are unlikely to have A-x or a flush draw and bet into you.
The secret is in doing your homework and finding out which opponents are completely horrible in three-bet pots. Your session and opponent reviews should give you a clearer understanding of individual opponents’ nuances and then it’s up to you to exploit them.