Today we’re going to talk briefly about the continuation bet – what is it, when should it be used and when should we steer clear? Like anything in poker, you could just about write a book on this subject alone but let’s stick to the basics.
First of all, what is a continuation bet? A continuation bet is the bet you make after the flop when you have been the original aggressor pre-flop.
For example, the dealer deals you A-K and you make a standard raise with one player calling your bet. The flop comes A-10-5 and you bet again. This is known as a continuation bet, or c-bet, because you are continuing to bet after being the first one to do so in the hand. The example above is a very obvious one. You have raised with a good hand, have flopped top pair and bet again for value because more than likely you have the best hand.
So when should we c-bet? Let’s assume we have A-K in all of the examples of different flops below:
A-10-5
A-J-2
K-4-8
A-K-10
J-10-Q
In all of these cases the flop has been kind to us and we should bet for value. The final example is ideal because we have flopped the absolute nuts but for the most part we can be very pleased with the flop and will c-bet just about every time. If you are re-raised, now it might be time to out the thinking cap on – but that’s for another article altogether.
Here are some other examples of hands in which we might c-bet:
J-6-2
Q-7-5
10-2-4
These flops are nowhere near as good as the previous examples because we have missed the flop, which is generally going to happen about two-thirds of the time. However, they all have something in common in that they are very dry flops. Your opponent will either have flopped a pair or they will have missed too. They might have even flopped a small pair and fold to your bet anyway (an ideal result for you)! The key to remember here is that the hands your opponents will have made on these boards will be paired hands and you don’t have to worry about them calling with draws to a straight.
Finally, when you should not c-bet? As a general rule, if you make a raise, have two or more players call and see a flop such as one of the three above in which you have missed, you should be less likely to c-bet because the more opponents in the pot, the more likely it is than one of them will have made at least a pair. More dangerous flops, though, might look like this:
9-10-J
Q-9-8
4-5-6
In each of these examples, we see what is known as a ‘wet board’ – rather than having just flopped a pair, your opponent could have flopped a straight, two pair or a combination of a pair and a draw. For obvious reasons, no bet you make is going to make them fold if that’s the case. And of course, if two or three of the cards are of the same suit (and you don’t have that suit), you could be anything from a massive underdog to win the hand to completely dead. In such a scenario, making a c-bet is akin to burning money.
The c-bet is a standard aspect of poker and one of the first concepts you will learn about when you start studying the game, but make sure that you put some thought into why you’re making your c-bet rather than simply betting as some sort of default play.
