A squeeze play is a 3-bet made after one player has raised and at least one other player has called. You “squeeze” the raiser and the caller between you.
A squeeze example
At $1/$2, the hijack opens to $6 and the cutoff calls. You are in the small blind with A♦ Q♦ and re-raise to $28. That is a squeeze.
Why the squeeze works
- The caller has shown a medium-strength hand: if they had a premium hand, they would usually have 3-bet. They often have to fold.
- The original raiser has to act knowing another player is still behind them, so they fold more often than to a normal 3-bet.
- There is already dead money in the pot from the call, which makes a successful squeeze more profitable.
Squeeze sizing
Make it bigger than a normal 3-bet: start at about 4 times the open and add one open-raise size for each caller. Out of position, go a little larger still.
Good squeezing hands
Squeeze for value with QQ+, AK and AQ suited. As bluffs, use hands with an ace blocker or good playability, like A5 suited or KQ suited. Avoid squeezing as a bluff against players who call everything.
Every term in this series is listed in our poker glossary.
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