This hand is versus a good multitabling TAG regular. Definitely capable of raising a coordinated flop like the one below with a wide range.

Seat 4: VI-Popsmak ($276.75 in chips)
Seat 5: RebuyFoolAA ($201.75 in chips)
4 other players

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to VI-Popsmak [As 8s]
2 folds
VI-Popsmak: raises $4 to $6
RebuyFoolAA: calls $6
2 folds
*** FLOP *** [3s 9d Js]
VI-Popsmak: bets $12
RebuyFoolAA: raises $28 to $40
VI-Popsmak: raises $56 to $96


In this example im hoping to get all in with my nut flush draw. But there are a couple good reasons not to just 3bet all in

1. I want to encourage my opponent to felt weaker draws, and with a smaller 3bet i give him the illusion of fold equity.
2. When i am 3betting with air in a spot similar to this, a smaller 3bet allows me to do so at a lower cost.
3. When my opponent has a hand like 9-7 or K-Qo, he has to fold. Depending on the opponent, in future spots like this he will likely adjust by either playing too aggressively (felting K-Qo and middle pair/no kicker type hands) or too passively (floating the same hands on the flop, and often giving up on the turn/river).


If instead of having the nut flush draw i had a hand like 10s-8h (OESD w/ backdoor FD), a 3bet all in would actually be a better bet since i want to encourage other weaker draws to fold.

To make sure i 3betAI and 3bet smaller with a relatively balanced range, i'd alternate between these sizes with my nut hands (on the board above, a hand like J-9 or 3-3) based on history with my opponent and how id been playing at the table. Because our 3bet AI range contains our weaker draws, we don't need to bluff with air (i.e. AKo) hardly ever because this range doesn't include our strongest draws.