Continuation Betting

[JeffreyGB]

I'm sure this has been discussed before. I'll look around tonight and post some links if I find anything relevant.

When do you c-bet? Assuming that the answer is "almost all the time", then perhaps a better answer is when do you not c-bet? To what extent does it depend on your position? Certainly we've all experienced the players who float any blank flop, often to try to take it away on the turn/river. Assuming you've identified such a player, how does it affect your tendency to c-bet against him in position? Out of position? Do you like to run a mix of skipping and/or delaying the c-bet? Against such a player, would a "33% to 50% c-bet matched with 80% to 100% value bet" line work out (probably betting the turn > 70% of the time if given the opportunity)?

[zook]

Assuming this is heads-up, off the top of my head I probably c-bet 90% of the time in position and 75% of the time oop. Players who fold to c-bets less than 60% of the time are the ones I'm looking for reasons not to c-bet. Boards I might check include... 3-flush boards, two-tone boards with all low cards, two-tone connected boards, and occasionally rainbow low boards.

[griffey24]

Assuming this is heads-up, off the top of my head I probably c-bet 90% of the time in position and 75% of the time oop. Players who fold to c-bets less than 60% of the time are the ones I'm looking for reasons not to c-bet. Boards I might check include... 3-flush boards, two-tone boards with all low cards, two-tone connected boards, and occasionally rainbow low boards.

Is there a way to check this in pokertracker? (ie: check cont betting by position?).. cause I know in "more details" or whatever you can get your betting after you raise the flop percentage, but I've never checked how my frequency changed in or out of position.

If there is an EP limper, and I raise in LP/button and limper calls, I don't generally cont bet on flops like 226, or rags like that, because any low/mid pair is gonna call that flop. But these types of boards can be good to second barrel if you think villain is capable of folding on the turn to strength.

I think the frequency of cont betting definitely depends on the villain and how many ppl see the flop.

[Renton]

There seems to be two basically sound (game theory) strategies to doing this.

The first one is to c-bet literally 100% of heads up flops. This is an ok strategy but your image will require you to second barrel a lot more.

The other one is to c-bet a lot less, but balance your checks. Like, whenever you are fairly certain you are getting folds 50+% of the time, then obviously you should bet. But when you aren't sure, default towards checking instead of betting. As long as you check your good hands sometimes too, its all good.

The first strategy works well if you are 12 tabling with few reads, it can get sticky when you start feeling obligated to second barrel more though, and you are also put in crappy spots almost every time someone raises you on the flop, and you end up folding the best hand a ton.

The second strategy works well if you are decent at small ball and getting value out of mediocre hands. If you aren't blasting at every flop willy nilly, then it gives you a lot of opportunities to make more money with hands like underpairs, second pair, and top pair weak kicker, that you would basically never make using the first strategy.


I like the second one a little better.

[Renton]

when do you not c-bet?

Usually don't c-bet when I have:

JJ on a Qxx/Kxx/Axx, QQ on a Kxx, KK on a Axx
Nothing on a 98x two tone, or a 652
A7 on a Axx
second pair when the pair is of tens, jacks, queens, or kings
top pair multiway

you see the running theme here.

[zook]

Is there a way to check this in pokertracker? (ie: check cont betting by position?).. cause I know in "more details" or whatever you can get your betting after you raise the flop percentage, but I've never checked how my frequency changed in or out of position.

Not that I know of. I estimated those numbers based on the fact that, in a HU pot, I almost always c-bet when checked to, but when I'm first to act in a HU pot I don't c-bet quite as often.

Usually don't c-bet when I have:

JJ on a Qxx/Kxx/Axx, QQ on a Kxx, KK on a Axx

Welcome back. I see the logic in the last one, b/c you're only getting called when you're beat and there are very few cards that can come to beat you if you're ahead. But that second statement doesn't hold true for the JJ & QQ situations. With QQ on a Kxx board there are three extra cards (any ace) that could make villain's hand, and with JJ there are six. Don't you think there's more reason to bet for value in the first two cases?

[Renton]

more reason? sure. But I still think checking is mostly better than betting.

If you are dealing with a player who you don't think you'll be making money vs on the turn with those hands, then by all means bet the flop.