To understand the logic behind the term, you need to visualize the following: While the three-betting term is also used in postflop situations, whenever you hear a 3-bet name, you can assume it refers to a preflop spot as a rule of thumb. When someone opens a pot by raising, and you decide to re-raise, that action is a 3-bet, and you are considered a 3-better in this hand no matter what happens next. The simple definition and the most commonly used 3-bet term refers to the initial re-raise before the flop.
