What is a continuation bet in poker?

1. Continuation Bet Frequency
2. Continuation Bet Poker
3. Continuation Bet In Poker
4. Continuation Bet Definition
5. Continuation Betting

Continuation betting means that, after making a preflop raise, if the action is checked to you on the flop, you follow up your preflop aggression with a bet on the flop.

Continuation betting as a semi-bluff. Continuation betting as a semi-bluff is an excellent technique as it gives you two ways of winning the hand. Your opponents may fold, or they may call, and you make your draw on the turn or river. However, if you are in a multiplayer pot, the chances that all opponents fold are slim, so you must reconsider. The turn continuation bet is one that works best given the texture of the board cooperates, especially if the turn brings a useful card, generally one of the Broadway persuasion. Maybe you slow-played a monster, having flopped a set maybe your over-pair (As or Ks) doesn’t mind seeing another card fall, or maybe the turn hits you.

Two main reasons make the continuation betting a compelling choice. First, when you raise preflop, you demonstrate strength. It is like stating that you have a mighty hand and want to put a lot of money in the pot with it!

Your c-betting range. The first thing to consider when c-betting is how to size your bet with respect. Quiz: When To Continuation Bet. By Pokercoaching / August 9, 2019 September 22, 2019. Do you know when you should continuation bet? See how you do in our latest quiz! Can you score more than 8 correct? Post navigation ←. A continuation bet is any bet made after taking the last aggressive action on the previous betting round. In Hold’em it is most commonly used for describing a bet on the flop after open-raising or 3betting preflop – however it can be used for any scenario where we follow up on previous aggression.

The second is related to the probability of connecting with the flop. In Texas Holdem, when your opponents start with two high cards, they will be missing the flop about two-thirds of the time!

Keep in mind that, like all bluffing bets, making a continuation bet into more than two opponents rarely works.

Continuation betting and tight-aggressive play

Continuation betting is even more profitable when you play a tight-aggressive style. If you play tightly, your opponents will give you more credit for having a strong hand. If you play aggressively, your opponents will have to worry that you will fire a second barrel on the turn! Fearing the possibility of facing a second bet on the turn will prevent your opponents from calling on the flop in the first place.

Continuation betting and board texture

Dry boards are best suited for continuation bets. It is more difficult for your opponents to connect with a dry flop than with a “wet” board. So, it will be less probable that they have a hand worth calling your bet.

For example, on a flop like K♦8♠3♣, your opponents either hit a pair, or they completely missed the flop. On the contrary, on a draw heavy flop like Q♥J♥9♠, your opponents may have connected with the flop in more ways. They may also have made a straight or picked up a straight or a flush draw!

Paired boards, like QQ5 or K77, are particularly suitable for a continuation bet, as they present fewer possibilities for your opponents to have connected. In paired boards, many times, the first one to take a stab takes down the pot! Be careful as some professional players understand this concept and can make a raise-bluff in these situations.

Continuation betting and opponents’ ranges

If you can put your opponents on hand ranges, then you will be able to identify which flops are favorable for a continuation bet and which are not.

For example, if your opponents are on tight ranges, a flop with two or more high cards, like A♦J♠9♣, is unfavorable for a continuation bet. This is because your opponents’ ranges contain a lot of high cards, making it very likely that they have connected with the flop. On the contrary, if your opponents are on wide ranges, a flop with suited, connected, and middling cards, like 9♦8♦6♣, is less compelling for a continuation bet.

Continuation betting and opponent’s style

Continuation betting against loose players as a bluff is not a good idea as they will be calling most of the time. If your opponent is a “calling station,” make sure to keep your continuation bets for your value hands!

Continuation betting against aggressive players presents you with the following paradox. It is better to make a continuation bet if you have completely missed the flop, as a pure bluff, than it is if you have a medium-strength hand. This is because, your aggressive opponents will often raise when they have a strong hand, forcing you to fold. While it is ok for you to fold a trash hand with close to zero pot equity, it is not so great to fold a medium-strength hand, giving away significant equity!

For example, imagine that you are playing against two aggressive opponents, and the flop is K♣8♠6♦. If you have Q♠J♥, making a continuation bet after the flop may be the only way of winning the pot. Taking a stab, and folding to a raise can be ok. However, if you have a hand like 9♦8♦, a middle pair, the situation is different. If you think one of your opponents may raise you, checking may be a better option. When you fold to a raise, you are giving away equity as you miss on the chance of improving your hand to two pair, a set., or even a backdoor flush. Checking achieves both controlling the size of the pot and gives you a chance to improve when you are behind.

Continuation betting as a semi-bluff

Continuation betting as a semi-bluff is an excellent technique as it gives you two ways of winning the hand. Your opponents may fold, or they may call, and you make your draw on the turn or river. However, if you are in a multiplayer pot, the chances that all opponents fold are slim, so you must reconsider.

A specific situation when you should not semi-bluff is when you are in a multiplayer pot and drawing to a nut draw. Firstly, you want to avoid being forced out of the hand by a big reraise. Secondly, you want players that are also drawing but for a no-nut draw to stay in the hand. If you make your draw, you may be able to win a big pot against them, and you do not want to miss out on that! Even when no one else is drawing, by checking, you camouflage your draw and may extract more money if you make it.

So, how much to bet?

When you make a continuation bet as a bluff, you can compare the odds the pot is giving you, and calculate how often your opponents have to fold to make it profitable.

If you bet half the pot, you will need your opponents to fold 1 out of 3 times or more to make the move profitable. This is because if one out of three times you win the size of the pot, and two out of three times lose half the pot, you break even.

If you bet full pot, you will need your opponents to fold one out of two times or more to make the move profitable.

The bet sizes above are indicative. Betting anything from a third of the pot to full pot or more can be called for. If your opponents fold when they miss the flop, even to small bets, opt for the lower end of the spectrum as you are risking less. If your opponents tend to call small bets no matter what, but fold to bigger bets, opt for higher continuation bets.

Continuation bet for value

The times that you hit the flop, you will need to bet for value and also to protect your bluff continuation bats. If you bet both when you have hit the flop and when you have missed it, it will be impossible for your opponents to put you on a hand.

An additional benefit of continuation betting as a bluff is that it makes it more likely for your value bets to get callers. Your opponents know that you are capable of betting with air, so they will be more inclined to call when you value bet!

In a nutshell

The continuation bet is a great tool to have in your arsenal. As you have shown strength preflop with a raise, firing a second barrel on the flop makes sense to your opponents’ eyes. It will be tough for them to continue when they have not connected with the flop, which will be most of the time!

Continuation Bet Frequency

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The continuation bet is a popular strategy in online poker tables, especially in Texas Hold’em. When you raise before the flop and still make a continuation bet, your opponent will likely fold, meaning you stand to win more pots on the flop than if you had simply checked. However, this is not the only factor required for success with this bet. A continuation bet can also be made when a player has missed the flop but has entered the pot as the preflop raiser.

How does it work?

The basic idea of the continuation bet is that a hand is often not fully improved by the flop, so going on the offensive may result in you winning the pot. This strategy also works as a reverse bluff for players holding a stronger hand to increase the pot. The c-bet is usually more effective when you are playing against fewer opponents — if you are playing against more than one opponent, it makes it harder to make a prediction in the game.

How to make a continuation bet and bet sizing

It is important to decide on the size of your stake before you make a continuation bet. You should consider learning your opponents’ play style and behavior, the bet sizes, and your image on the poker table. At brick and mortar casinos, physical tells play a major factor. Online, the information you get from your opponent is the time and money spent on the table and what they say on the chat.

There are two reasons why players need to balance their bet size:

• You do not want to bet too small because it may result in your opponents calling
• You don’t want to be reckless and put all your bankroll in. To avoid giving the other players a hint, you also want to keep consistent and bet the same stakes pre and post-flop. For instance, betting small invites calls, and bets will become more costly if your opponent has a good hand.

You also don’t want to fire a continuation bet on every occasion. If your opponent becomes aware of your strategy, they might be able to trap you. When you place a continuation bet, the goal is to have your opponent fold. The idea is to take advantage of the pre-flop raiser and forfeit all the money. Another important thing to note is that some boards will be better than others.

Continuation Bet Poker

When is a good time to place a c-bet?

You should only decide to place a continuation bet when you know the type of opponent you’re up against. Are they an aggressive poker player or have they folded on the continuation bets made by other players? Remember that your opponents will often miss the flop completely, making this strategy even more effective. Just remember that this doesn’t guarantee you a win every time — sometimes your opponents may try to trick you.

The best continuation bet is the one that helps your hand. In a situation where the opponent puts you on big cards when you raise pre-flop, you are more likely to win your bet. Aces and kings are good to have on the board, as they make for perfect continuation bet situations. Your opponents are likely to assume that they have hit the pre-flop raiser if they haven’t given up because they do not have a decent hand. A great continuation bet is 2/3 to 3/4 the size of the pot. This is an effective strategy to make your opponent think that you have a much stronger hand and scare them out of the pot. If your bet is very low to the size of the pot, your opponents are likely to call, thinking that they have a better hand, or that you are most likely to draw.

When to avoid a continuation bet

Any strategy used 100% of the time will not be effective. Even with continuation bets, there are bad flops. This is when the c-bet helps your opponent’s hand and gives them a reason to call. In this kind of situation, you want to avoid making a continuation bet. Online poker is a game of prediction, and you can never know which boards will help you and which won’t. You need to predict the hand your opponent is likely to have called with, and if it is strong enough for them to stick around. You don’t want to bet if they have high ranking cards — for instance, a straight hand with 7, 8, and 9. In that case, you’re better off just checking.

You may also want to avoid continuation betting if you’re playing against many opponents. Your c-bet is highly unlikely to work if multiple opponents call after you have raised before the flop. The more opponents there are, the higher the chances of you getting called. Also, if you have a ‘calling-station opponent’ (a player who calls in every turn), it’s best to keep your continuation betting to the minimum.

Always remember your position. It becomes more difficult to c-bet when you are out of position. If you fire a c-bet in every turn and suddenly give up when your opponents call, they are likely to notice and forfeit the pot by calling your raises in position and calling your flop bet. Always keep your continuation bets to the minimum if you raise before the flop is called in position. Aggressive opponents are most likely to make your playing strategy more difficult.

Playing in a good position gives you the advantage to measure the strength of your opponent’s hand. In that case, you can make continuation bets more often.

Continuation Bet In Poker

Can you make a continuation bet outside the flop?

Continuation Bet Definition

The continuation bet can be made outside the flop. In fact, it tends to be more successful on the turn. The reason is that most players are likely to call a bet without a strong holding hand on the flop, given the popularity of the c-bet. If your opponent unnecessarily checks you in position on the flop, you can check to see their action on the turn. If they repeat the same move, you can make your c-bet. With only the river betting round left, it will become difficult for them to bluff, call, or check-raise. This is your opportunity to collect the pot!

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Continuation Betting

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