Continuation Bet in Poker (C-bet)

17.01.2025
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Updated 17.01.2025
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A continuation bet or c-bet is one of the strongest, simplest and most overrated techniques all at the same time. Many players use it ineptly, extracting only a small part of the benefit that this technique can bring. From this article, you will learn everything about the continuation bet in poker, where and how to use it, and how to get maximum value out of it. Let’s get started!

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Definition

There are several possible developments after you entered the game with a preflop raise. In this article, we will focus on the one that occurs most often, all the people check to you and you have an opportunity to continue your aggression. Now you choose whether to make a continuation bet or not.

As a rule, you will make a choice in favor of a continuation bet in 60-70% of cases. However, it is not the average c-bet frequency that we look at when deciding whether to bet or not, but rather the specific way our opponents react to c-bets.

Therefore, if an opponent folds often to continuation bets, we want to bet much more often. And vice versa, if an opponent never folds to continuation bets, then using them empty-handed will be extremely inappropriate. At the same time, such opponents will give you a lot of money in situations when you have a good hand and bet for value.

Advantages of a Continuation Bet

Continuing your aggression benefits you in the long run. However, there are often situations in which a continuation bet can only do harm. There is a technique called a delayed continuation bet specifically for these cases.

A continuation bet is one of the most popular techniques in poker. Two things we can say for sure about it:

  1. It is one of the most effective and simple lines in poker;
  2. Many players abuse it.

A continuation bet can be made on the flop, turn and river in situations where you act as the aggressor, having made the last raise or a re-raise. However, most often we refer to a bet of the flop when we talk about continuation betting, after a pre-flop raise. This allows you to assert your strength and force opponents to fold weak hands. You demonstrate your strength preflop with a raise, and then continue your aggression with a continuation bet.

These actions make any hand you have appear stronger to your opponent than it actually is. For a bluff c-bet the size of 50% of the pot to be profitable, opponents must fold their hands more often than 33% of the time. If you bet 2/3 of the pot, then you need to make him fold 40% of hands to reach the breakeven threshold with a bluff.

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Example of a Continuation Bet in Tournament Games

We have already explained what a continuation bet or c-bet is. Now let’s look at some examples of how to use a c-bet to help you understand the concept better.

In the first example, you have 9♠8♠ and are in the cutoff position in a poker tournament. The blinds are 500/1000 and the effective stack is 60,000 chips.

You raise it to 2,300. The button and small blind both fold and the big blind defends, leading to a pot of 6,100 chips including the ante. The flop comes 9♥5♦3♠, giving you the top pair and several possible backdoor draws. Your opponent checks and you bet 1,500 chips, which is completely in line with the GTO approach.

We won’t go into the rest of this hand, as your opponent’s reactions to the continuation bet are irrelevant to the current discussion. Our goal is to understand the concept of continuation betting in poker, and the 1,500 flop bet is a classic example.

Example of a Continuation Bet in Cash Games

Another example of a continuation bet in poker: You have A♣K♥ and are on the button in a $2/5 cash game with $500 effective. You raise it to $15 and the big blind calls. The pot is $32 and the flop comes 5♣3♣3♦, giving you only a backdoor flush draw with two overcards.

When the big blind checks, you bet $10. The only key difference between the first and second example is that in the first case you had a top pair, while in the second you only had A-high.

However, in both cases, a continuation bet is the right move because the range of hands you represent includes many strong hands. Your opponents will likely fold hands with decent equity against a bet and occasionally call with weaker hands.

We used small continuation bets in both examples, which means that even if your opponents fold not too often, you only make money on these bets. And that doesn’t include the subsequent bets you might make on the turn and river.

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When and how to Use a Continuation Bet?

Delayed continuation bets are especially effective on small boards, in cases where you have overcards. Imagine that the flop is 8-5-2, and your hand is A-J. It is difficult to imagine what hands we can fold out with a continuation bet on the flop. However, if a card higher than a jack comes on the turn, then you have every reason to make a bet, since many players will fold their small pairs and draws.

This line will also be relevant in the case of obvious passivity of the opponent on a blank turn. If he checked on the flop and again later on the turn, then most likely he does not have a strong hand (otherwise he would have already bet for value).

If the flop did not suit you, and the turn significantly increased the equity of the hand, then it is time to make a turn continuation bet. Even if the opponent calls you, you can win a decent pot in case of a successful river. The opponent may also float the turn and fold on the river. If you feel like your opponent is calling on the turn with a draw that doesn’t improve on the river, don’t be afraid to bet, as you’ll likely see a fold.

If you use stat tracking software, we’d recommend betting the turn against opponents who check on the river and have a low WSD (Went to Showdown).

How often do C-bets succeed?

There are tons of factors contributing to the success of a c-bet. For example, your table image or the overall frequency of continuation bets. Of course, if your continuation bets have no foundation, your opponents will not believe you. However, even this can be used to your advantage, because such strategies for continuation betting can work, and very often.

Remember one simple rule: the more opponents at the table, the less likely your continuation bet is to succeed. It is also less likely that your continuation bets will be profitable against more experienced players. The more opponents there are, the more likely it is that one of them will have a strong hand. In addition, all players are different and the card that one considers bad may seem very strong to another. Therefore, to continue betting against several opponents, you must have good reasons and a promising hand that has a good chance of winning.

Pairs and Flushes / Strong Bets on the Flop

A continuation bet will be most successful on paired and rainbow boards. These are the most dry boards that are very hard to hit, so the probability of a fold against your continuation bet will increase drastically. Again, experienced players will understand this and try to bluff in such cases, so you need to know against whom you can bluff and apply aggression.

A good card for your range on the board creates good conditions for c-betting. For example, when you see a flop of A-7-3, this gives you a reason to make a continuation bet, since people are going to continue mostly with a pair of aces or a set.

You will be surprised, but big continuation bets are more successful. This is confirmed by the experience of many players. A big bet increases fold equity, which positively affects the profitability of each continuation bet. Therefore, do not skimp and use continuation bets of 60-70% pot size.

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When is it Inappropriate to Use a Continuation Bet?

There are also many scenarios when a player should definitely not make a continuation bet. Let us list them:

  • You know that your opponent never folds to continuation bets and you have a weak hand.
  • The common cards fit your opponent’s hand range well and you have a weak hand.
  • You have the nuts and the probability of your opponent calling a continuation bet is close to zero.
  • You have a strong hand and you understand that if you do not bet now, you will be able to extract more profit on the following streets. This also includes situations when we expect to get additional profit due to a potential check-raise.
  • Your hand equity will not increase on the turn.
  • You will not be able to represent a strong hand with this move.
  • Your opponent often makes big bets on the turn after floating on the flop.

By making a delayed c-bet (check flop/bet turn), you create a very difficult line of play for your opponent to understand. On the flop, you show weakness, after which your opponent can play straightforwardly or, on the contrary, too carefully. Do not forget that by raising preflop, you seize the initiative. Check back if you feel that your bet will look bad. You can always use a delayed continuation bet.

Conclusion

Understanding these factors, you will be able to use a continuation bet or c-bet in your game as effectively as possible. This line should be in every successful poker player’s arsenal, since it allows you to significantly increase your profit without a showdown and maximize the value of the nuts. Thank you all for your attention!

But wait, that’s not all we have for you! In the end, we have prepared useful information for you about a top service that not everyone knows about yet. In fact, you can use this knowledge to your advantage in order to beat other “less informed” opponents. We are talking about HisHands service. Our service collects data on the played hands of other users (in Cash and MTT). Thus, HisHands helps make optimal c-bets. Use it to the fullest, but first contact the manager for detailed information and the most profitable offer!

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Nik Maslov Professional poker coach since 2021
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