3-bet shove (re-shove) in tournaments
A 3-bet shove (also called a re-shove or re-steal) is going all in over someone’s open-raise. It’s one of the most powerful moves in tournaments with about 15–25 big blinds: too short to 3-bet and fold, but deep enough that your shove puts real pressure on the opener.
Why it works
Section titled “Why it works”- Late-position players open wide to steal. Many of their hands can’t call an all in.
- When they fold, you win their raise plus the blinds and antes — often 5–6bb with no showdown.
- When they call, you often still have reasonable equity. See fold equity.
When to use it
Section titled “When to use it”| Situation | Re-shove? |
|---|---|
| Opener in cutoff, button or small blind, you have 15–25bb | Yes, with a good range |
| Opener in early position (tight) | Only with strong hands |
| Opener is very short and committed | No — they’ll call; just call or shove for value |
| You have 40bb+ | Usually a normal 3-bet is better |
Which hands (about 20bb, against a late open)
Section titled “Which hands (about 20bb, against a late open)”- Value: pairs 7-7+, A-10+, A-8s+, K-Qs.
- Wider against very loose openers: small pairs, A-x suited, K-Js, Q-Js.
These are starting points; adjust to how often the opener steals. See stealing blinds.
Why not just call?
Section titled “Why not just call?”Calling with 20bb leaves you playing a big pot post-flop with a short stack and often out of position. The shove uses all your fold equity and avoids difficult flops.
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”- Re-shoving into an early-position raise with A-9 or small pairs.
- Waiting until 8bb, when nobody folds anymore.
- Re-shoving over a player who has already committed most of their stack.
See also open shove, push/fold and middle stage.
What is a 3-bet shove?
Section titled “What is a 3-bet shove?”Going all in over another player’s open-raise, also called a re-shove or re-steal.
What stack size is best for a 3-bet shove?
Section titled “What stack size is best for a 3-bet shove?”Roughly 15–25 big blinds.
Which openers should I re-shove against?
Section titled “Which openers should I re-shove against?”Wide late-position openers, such as the cutoff, button and small blind.
Why shove instead of calling with 20bb?
Section titled “Why shove instead of calling with 20bb?”Shoving uses all your fold equity and avoids hard post-flop spots with a short stack.