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The continuation bet (also known as a c-bet) is one of the most basic and commonly used plays in the game, but also one that many players make many mistakes with.
Over the years, continuation betting has changed a lot. From the days players would only c-bet when they had it to those when some players would always c-bet on the flop and the current time of a balanced approach to c-betting.
If you are having problems deciding when to c-bet and when not to, you have come to the right place, as this guide is designed to help you decide how often to c-bet, how big to make your bets, and when to give up.
Keep reading and find out everything there is to know about continuation bets in a very short format to get you started down the right path.
If you are relatively new to poker, you might not yet understand the idea of a continuation bet, and that’s perfectly fine, as you are here to learn.
The term continuation bet stands for a bet made on the flop (or turn) by the player who made the last aggressive action before the flop.
For example, if you raised from the button before the flop, got one caller, and are now betting the flop after they check to you, you are effectively firing a c-bet.
The c-bet does not necessarily represent a value hand or a bluff but should rather represent a whole range of hands that you play aggressively on a certain board texture.
The decision between firing out a c-bet and not doing so comes up a lot in poker games, as you get into a lot of spots where you raise and get a call or you re-raise, and the original raiser just calls.
In spots like these, you will want to decide which hands to continue betting on the flop and which ones to check, and your decision should be made based on a few different factors, including:
Each of these elements will help us determine how our range does against our opponent’s on a certain flop and whether or not a certain hand falls into the range of hands we should be c-betting.
Let’s take a slightly more detailed look at how these might impact our c-betting decisions.
The board texture is one of the most important things to look at when deciding whether to c-bet and how big to c-bet.
After all, by raising before the flop, we have represented a certain range of hands, and if we are playing good poker, we should have hands that fall within that range.
For that reason, we should be c-betting on boards that our perceived range hits a lot, while checking on those that it does not.
The board texture also plays the main role in deciding how to size your continuation bets, but we will look into this a bit later.
Position is an important element of any poker hand, and when deciding whether to continuation bet or not, you should always think about whether you are in or out of position against your opponent.
Typically speaking, you want to play a bit more aggressively with your c-bets when you are in position and a bit more conservatively when you are out of position.
Firing a c-bet on the flop in position gives you multiple benefits, as it allows you to call some raises and still be in position, control the size of the pot on the turn, and fire multiple barrels when needed on your own terms.
On the other hand, being out of position makes it a lot more difficult to respond with hands with limited showdown value and playability, which expands the theoretical range of hands you should check on the flop after raising out of position.
The way your range compares to your opponent’s on the board that was dealt should play a big part in your decision to c-bet or not.
In most cases, you will want to c-bet on boards with the range advantage and the nut advantage, while you will want to check more often on boards that give your opponent both.
For reference, range advantage means you have a range that connects better with the board that was dealt with, while nut advantage means you have more hands that fall into the “nuts” category on a given board.
In most cases, boards with high cards and paired boards give the original raiser and 3-bettor a range advantage, while that advantage goes to the defending player on middling boards with straight possibilities.
In many cases, the board will allow for both you and your opponent to have some decent hands, but you should think about who is more likely to have them and proceed with that in mind.
The size of the effective stack compared to the size of the pot is another thing to consider when deciding whether to keep betting on the flop or not.
When deciding if your hand is worth betting, you should think about how your opponent can respond to the bet and how you might want to respond.
When the effective stacks get short, you will want to c-bet more with hands that you are prepared to put all the chips into the pot with, as you may not be able to make a reasonable fold after you c-bet and your opponent goes all-in on you.
On deeper stacks, however, you can pull multi-barrel bluffs and get fancy, which means you can make more c-bets with a clear plan for future streets.
The next thing you want to think about when firing a continuation bet is how big you should make it in order to get the desired results.
Note that you should absolutely not be sizing your c-bets based on the strength of your hands or whether you are bluffing or not, but rather based on the flop texture.
Typically speaking, there are two simple rules to follow:
boards are boards that don’t have too many draws on them and are unlikely to connect with too many hands in your opponent’s range.
Boards like As9h3d or Kh5c5s fall into this category. On these boards, you can keep your bets quite small, as your opponent is not very likely to have a hand they want to continue with.
In such boards, you will want to c-bet very often, usually even betting your entire range, but you will want to keep your sizing small.
If you bet 75% of the pot on one of these boards, the opponent is likely to fold all their Ace-high hands or small pairs like 44, as they simply don’t like the price they are getting.
On the other hand, a small 33% bet might get you some value from such hands but will still take care of all the hands that have some equity but have not connected with the flop.
On the other hand, wet boards like Ts9c7c or QcJh8c connect with a lot more hands than your opponent might have, which is why you want to c-bet them less frequently but for a bigger size.
In these cases, you will c-bet a more polarized range that’s made up of very strong hands like sets, straights, and two pairs, as well as bluffs like straight draws and flush draws.
The sizing here can be 66%, 75%, or even 100% of the pot, as you are looking to eliminate all marginal hands and are fully aware that your opponent will continue with their strong hands and draws.
While c-betting is a powerful play, it should also be noted that checking the flop after raising the preflop does not mean you are giving up on the pot.
Instead, you will certainly want to check the flop with some hands that have completely missed the flop, as well as some hands that have hit the flop in a marginal way, and some monsters.
By doing this, you will allow yourself to control the size of the pot with your marginal holdings, as well as get some free cards or get away cheap with hands you have no interest in continuing with.
Checking some of the best hands you can have on the flop will also ensure that your range is balanced and that your checks aren’t always weak, which your opponents could potentially exploit.
As previously mentioned, there are some situations in which you truly want to fire a c-bet with your entire range, as the board simply favors your range so much more than your opponent’s.
In most cases, whether you are the original raiser or the 3-bettor, Ace-high, King-high, Broadway heavy, and paired boards will present the opportunities to do so.
These boards typically prefer small c-bet sizes, and such c-bets will print money in most cases, as the defender’s ranges will not have many hands that connect with these boards.
Even when the opponent calls the c-bet, you will be able to win the pot with another bet on the turn or river, leading to huge gains with your entire range.
Just because we didn’t fire a c-bet on the flop does not mean we can’t still win the pot on the turn whether we have a made hand or not.
Continuation betting has been a popular play for many years, and many players these days often float against c-bets in the hopes of stealing the pot on later streets.
By checking back the flop on certain board textures, you take that ability away from your opponents and force them to play turns.
When you check back the flop in position, you will often have a marginal hand like one pair, but you can also have many hands that have missed the flop altogether.
When your opponent checks for the second time on the turn, you can fire a delayed c-bet, which is a turn bet designed with the same purpose as the original c-bet.
This delayed bet will often work even better than the flop bet, as players will be less inclined to float with just one street left and will play their cards more face-up.
Remember to fire a delayed continuation bet in position with some of the hands you checked on the flop to make even more money in scenarios where you entered the pot as the aggressor.
Continuation betting is a very powerful play and one that every poker player should have in their arsenal and be knowledgeable about.
You will be firing c-bets in Texas Hold’em Poker time and time again, so knowing when to fire them and how to size them will be a critical part of your overall strategy.
Start practicing your c-betting ranges today, adapt your sizes on different board textures, and learn which hands you can check on various flops to maximize your EV and optimize your play.
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