Continuation Bet and Bet Sizing: When and How Much

A continuation bet (c-bet) is a bet on the flop by the player who raised before the flop. It works because the raiser is expected to have the stronger range, so opponents fold often. But betting every flop with the same size is a leak: good players choose whether to bet and how much from the board and the opponent.

Step 1: who has the advantage on this board?

• Range advantage: the raiser has more strong hands (overpairs, top pairs, big aces). High, dry boards such as K♠7♦2♣ or A♥8♣3♦ favour the raiser.
• Nut advantage: who is more likely to have the strongest hands? Low, connected boards such as 7♠6♠5♦ favour the caller, who has more suited connectors and small pairs.
• Position: in position you can bet more often because you also get to check back for free.

When you have the advantage, bet often and small. When the caller has it, check more and bet larger with strong hands and good draws.

Step 2: choose a size

The size sets the price for both sides. The bettor needs the opponent to fold often enough, and the caller needs enough equity to continue:

Check the figures with the pot odds calculator and the fold equity calculator. A small bet is cheap to bluff but gets called by many hands; a big bet needs more folds but wins more when called by worse.

Which size on which board

• Dry boards (K♠7♦2♣): small c-bet, about 25–33% pot, with a wide range. Few draws exist, so you do not need to charge them.
• Wet boards (J♥10♥8♠): bet less often but larger, 66–75% pot, with strong hands and good draws. Charge draws and give up weak hands that cannot improve.
• Paired boards: small bets work well because few hands connect with them.
• Multiway pots: c-bet far less; someone usually has a piece of the flop. Bet mainly for value.

Turn and river

• Barrel when the card helps your range (an ace or king when you raised preflop) or when it gives you a good draw or a blocker.
• Slow down when the card helps the caller (a low connected card), and when you have a weak hand with no draw.
• River: a bet is either a value bet or a bluff. Bet big with the nuts and with bluffs that block the opponent's calling hands; check hands that win only when the opponent is weak.

Common mistakes

1. C-betting every flop with one size, regardless of the board.
2. Bluffing into several opponents.
3. Giving up on every second barrel: an opponent who folds too much on the turn should be bet more often.
4. Betting small with strong hands on wet boards, which lets draws call too cheaply.

See also: pot odds, fold equity and semi-bluffs, GTO vs exploitative play and flop, turn and river play.