When to Use a Squeeze in Poker

A squeeze preflop is a situation where one player raises before you, and another opponent calls. In this scenario, you make a large 3-bet against both opponents, signaling a very strong hand.

This move can be used both for value, to maximize profit with a strong hand, and as a bluff, forcing opponents to fold preflop.

In this article, we’ll discuss when and with which hands it’s profitable to use a squeeze, and how to adjust your strategy depending on your opponents’ play styles.

Table of Contents:

- Assess the Range of the Preflop Raiser

- Always Squeeze with Premium Hands

- Squeeze with Medium-Strength Hands

- Bluff Squeezing

Assess the Range of the Preflop Raiser

The first thing to consider when planning a squeeze is the range of the original raiser. Since this player showed aggression preflop, they might have a strong hand.

You can be less concerned about the hand of the caller, as their range is usually weaker and capped: with a strong hand, they likely would have made a 3-bet instead of a call. Typically, the caller has a speculative or medium-strength hand, hoping to see the flop cheaply, but will be forced to fold to your large squeeze.

If you have statistics on the preflop raiser, assess how often they raise from a particular position. In Hand2Note 4, this is shown through the Open Raise stat. The higher the percentage, the looser the opponent plays.

If you lack specific information, rely on general trends: players tend to raise with weaker hands from late positions more often than from early ones, as they face less resistance to steal the blinds.

In Hand2Note 4 reports, I filtered all the situations where I made a squeeze from the Cutoff, facing an open raise from the Early Position and a call from the Middle Position:

In this scenario, both opponents folded to the squeeze 0% of the time.

Now, let’s change the positions and specify that I used a squeeze from the Big Blind when facing an open raise from the Button and a call from the Small Blind:

Here, we notice the frequency of taking down the pot preflop increased to 52%.

Thus, against late positions, you can bluff squeeze more often, while against early positions, it’s better to stick to a narrower and stronger range.

Always Squeeze with Premium Hands

Although slow-playing a very strong hand preflop can sometimes be profitable, the situation is different when squeezing.

In this case, there are already two players who have shown interest in the pot. If you decide to flat-call to keep a weaker player in the game, you’ll end up in a multiway pot with at least four players on the flop.

In such situations, the risk increases that one of your opponents will outdraw you postflop. The more players in the pot, the less equity your hand has.

Even with monsters like pocket Aces or Kings, you should aim to reduce the number of opponents postflop.

I selected all the hands in my database where I played with pocket Aces or Kings, and only one opponent faced me on the flop:

According to the report, the frequency with which I won at showdown was 69%. Let’s observe how this changes in multiway pots with four or more players:

My showdown win frequency dropped to 52%.

Squeezing with premium hands helps you avoid multiway pots, increasing your chances of winning. Of course, this may cause all opponents to fold, but it’s better to win a small pot preflop than to lose a big one postflop.

Squeeze with Medium-Strength Hands

If the raiser is a regular player and the caller is a fish, you can widen your squeeze range to include medium-strength hands like high broadway cards (KJo, QJs) and middle pocket pairs (TT-88).

This approach can be especially profitable, as the regular may fold stronger hands than yours, like AQo or ATs, while the fish often calls with dominated hands like QTo or pocket pairs 77 and lower.

We were dealt KQ offsuit in the Big Blind, and before us, a regular opened from the Button, and a fish with VPIP of 58 called from the Small Blind.

HUD stats in Hand2Note 4 show that the original raiser opens from the Button 48% of the time, and folds to a 3-bet 67% of the time. This creates a favorable squeeze situation for us. We put pressure on the regular’s wide range and force them to fold most of their hands.

If the fish in the Small Blind calls, we’ll play postflop in position, with initiative, and often with the best hand.

However, even if the situation looks tempting for a loose squeeze, it’s important not to overdo it. Playing a big pot with a marginal hand increases the risk of making costly mistakes postflop, even against weak opponents.

Bluff Squeezing

Bluff squeezing is used when you want to force both opponents to fold preflop. This technique is effective only against thinking regulars who are capable of folding even strong hands.

Your bluff squeeze range should be narrower than your 3-bet range against a single player. Against two opponents, you need to be more selective with your hands.

Ideal candidates for bluff squeezes are suited aces. Having an ace in your hand reduces the chance that opponents hold a strong ace. Additionally, if your squeeze gets called, you still have the chance to make a top pair or a flush postflop.

Importantly, with suited Aces, if you hit a flush, it will be the nut flush. If your opponent also has a flush, the big pot will go to you, not them.

I selected situations where I used a bluff squeeze with marginal hands ranging from A2s to A9s:

In the report, we can see that the Action Profit indicator is positive, and squeezing with suited aces brings me an average of 0.67 BB in each such situation. The ability to optimally choose the right moment for aggression will yield profit over the long run.

Use bluff squeezes cautiously and only against suitable opponents. Regulars are often willing to fold under pressure, while fish tend to call even with marginal hands.

Correctly applying the squeeze strategy will help you significantly boost your win rate. Using Hand2Note 4, you can better understand your opponents’ play, their ranges, and find profitable squeeze opportunities.