Knowing when and how to make a good continuation bet is a key part of poker. A c-bet is when you’re the preflop raiser, and then you continue to be aggressive on the flop with a bet. But, just because you were the preflop raiser, it doesn’t mean you must ALWAYS make a C-bet. Knowing when to do this is important.
A c-bet can be a great way to take down pots nobody else wants, to tell a story about your hand or to get more chips into the pot when you have the best hand.
Here are 5 things to consider, about c-betting:
1. Consider your opponent’s style
When deciding if you should C-bet into one person, first think about what sort of player they are. If you are faced with a weak player who folds a lot on the flop and rarely raises, your continuation bet strategy should be to bet with a high frequency and small size, no matter what kind of flop you see.
It’s a simple but effective strategy against this type of player in three ways:
1 – They’ll usually fold and let us steal the pot on the flop, without investing much
2 – They could raise, but if they do, we have strong information about how good their hand is.
3 – They could call, and if they don’t improve their hand, we can often steal the pot on the turn with a bigger bet
A strong c bet strategy gives us multiple ways to win.
2. How many players are in the hand
When you’re deciding to c-bet a flop, it’s important to take into account how many players there are.
When the pot is multi-way, we will lower the frequency a lot, since we need a better hand to bet against 2 or more people. We will also keep the bet small, around 1/3 of the pot. We risk less with a smaller bet but even more importantly, betting into 2 or more players is seen as a strong move and so it’s not necessary to bet big.
If you can risk less for the same result, that’s a good way to save chips in the long run.
3. Consider the flop texture
You should always think about the flop texture before you c-bet. Is this particular flop good for your range or for theirs? As the preflop raiser, you’ve already shown some strength and that you likely have a good hand. A low, unconnected flop probably won’t have hit you and is much more likely to have hit your opponent.
On the other hand, continuing to bet on a flop with Broadway cards makes a lot of sense and tells a good story that your opponent could believe, even if it isn’t true.
The better the flop looks for you, the higher your c-bet frequency should be.
4. Your bet size should change with the flop texture
Continuation bets tend to be smaller now than a few years ago. But that doesn’t mean you should only have one size of bet.
One of the things that will change the size of your c-bet is how dry the flop is.
A dry board is one that doesn’t look like it gives many opportunities for drawing hands. On dry boards, we’re interested in making small continuation bets, like 1/3 of the pot. We know that draws won’t have our opponents calling more than usual on a board like that.
When an action flop comes with many draws, you need to bet bigger, around 3/4 of the pot because then your opponents are folding their weakest pairs and the worst straight-draws.
The texture of the flop is an important factor in c-betting.
5. Consider your hand strength
The strength of our hand on the flop is one of the things that will determine if we c-bet or not. When we have a medium hand that isn’t very vulnerable on a particular flop, like Jacks on a Q72 flop, you will want to check. This is because generally only the Ace and the King are bad cards for our hand. There aren’t as many queen X hands that will have called.
If, on that same flop, we have 88s, then we would make our smaller c-bet because we have to protect our hand from the Ace, King, Jack, Ten and Nine. The other reason we c-bet there is to get an opponent to fold hands like T9, K9, KT, etc
How vulnerable our hand is on the flop will help us decide on a c-bet.
Summary
Making well-timed continuation bets (c-bets) in poker is very important and provides five key factors to consider. Firstly, understanding the opponent's style is crucial, as a weak player who folds often is susceptible to frequent c-bets with small bet sizes. Secondly, the number of players in the hand influences the decision, with fewer opponents warranting higher c-bet frequency and larger bet sizes. Additionally, analyzing the flop texture helps determine whether to c-bet or not, as favorable flops increase the likelihood of a c-bet. Adjusting the bet size based on the dryness or draw-heavy nature of the flop is also important. Lastly, the strength and vulnerability of one's hand on the flop guide the decision to c-bet or check.
In summary, the article highlights the significance of understanding opponent styles, considering the number of players, evaluating flop texture, adjusting bet sizes, and assessing hand strength when making continuation bets in poker. By incorporating these factors into decision-making, players can improve their c-bet strategies and increase their chances of success at the table.
