In poker, a 4-bet is the fourth raise in a preflop betting round. It’s a good move to make when you have a strong hand and want to build up funds in the pot before your opponent calls. When done correctly, it can also be a useful tool for isolating weak players or even trapping them with a bluff.

However, a lot of players overuse the 4-bet and it can actually be detrimental to your game. The main reason is that when you have a strong hand, it’s often better to play it strongly and extract value instead of trying to trap your opponent with a bluff. This can backfire and cause you to put too much money into the pot before your opponent folds, and it’s a common mistake that many players make on a regular basis.

There are a few different ways to 4bet in poker, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing is to always consider your opponents’ tendencies when making the decision. For example, if your opponent is a LAG player that 3-bets with a wide range, it’s likely that they will call your 4bet with most of their hands. This means that your 4bet bluffing range should be more capped, and include only the strongest of hands such as AK+.

Similarly, you should also consider your own relative stack sizes when making the decision to 4-bet. If you are 200bb deep and the 3bettor is only 100bb, then your 4bet sizing should be much larger than normal, as this will deny them more equity if they call your flop.

The final thing to consider is whether or not you want to bluff when 4betting. It’s generally best to stick with a GTO approach when doing so, and this involves having a balanced range of value and bluff combos. However, if your opponent is a nit who 3-bets with a very tight range and you’re not getting enough folds from them, then it might be worthwhile to use an exploitative approach and expand your value range to make more bluffs.