"So I 3-bet to find out where I stood..."

[Ed Miller]

How many of you have said this recently? Raise your hand...

I think it is basically always wrong to 3-bet for the purpose of "finding out where I'm at." There are two reasons:

The information is unreliable

So you are looking to see if your opponent just calls your 3-bet, or if he 4-bets. Let's examine what each reaction could mean.

Calls the 3-bet:
<ul type="square">[*]Because he's waiting for the turn to raise again with a big hand[*]Because you've scared a timid player into calling you down with a better hand[*]Because it confirms that your opponent was screwing around with a weak hand or a draw[/list]4-bets you:
<ul type="square">[*]Because he has a big hand[*]Because he has a big draw and wants to semi-bluff you and/or try for a free card[*]Because he likes to say "Cappuccino!"[*]Because he's overplaying a weak hand[*]Because he 3-bet you preflop with K4s, missed the flop, and now has to play it like the nuts to have any hope of winning[/list]
No matter how your opponent reacts, you STILL don't know if you are ahead or behind. What good is "finding out where you're at" if you don't find out where you're at?

You bloat the pot

The second problem is that you make the pot really big. By the time you get 4-bet, the pot often becomes too big to fold! So, you either fold too much when the pot is big (does that ring any bells?), or you don't use the "cheap" information that you got.

In poker, we should play tighter when the pot is small and looser when the pot is big. When you raise for information, you are planning to fold if the pot gets bigger.

Having said all that, it might be right to raise for information against a particularly PREDICTABLE player. If his reaction to the 4-bet RELIABLY tells you about his hand, then it may be worth it. Online, this is almost never the case. (1) You see new players every half hour, and (2) many people play like total maniac goofballs online. 3-betting with the intent to fold to a 4-bet (or call the 4-bet and fold on the turn) against these goons is a TERRIBLE play.

Also, it's ok to call down, guys. You aren't a "horrible calling station" if you call down with a hand you aren't sure is best (but is too good to fold because of the size of the pot). This is especially true if the pot is already heads-up or three-handed. It is no longer so important to protect your hand with a raise... so you can often start calling down.

Raising on the flop is almost never a "cheap" way to get information that will "save you money" on later streets. The information is far too unreliable. "Cheap" often means paying four bets to see a turn card that should have only cost one or two. "Saving you money" often ends up meaning making bad folds in big pots.

Break the habit...