[Aequitas58]

This discussion was started at , where one of our regular forum members posted a hand history. There was a glaring mistake on his part, and the subject of continuation bets came up in the context of no limit hold em tournaments. Hopefully, this new discussion will show varying points of view, shed some light on the topic, and more importantly, help your game.

Continuation Bets

Although the subject of continuation bets is easy to elucidate in one sentence, there seems (to me) many nuances unbeknowst to a vast majority of players. Hopefully, without spending too much time away from actually playing poker, I can cover a few of the bases.

Simply put: continuation bets are bets made on the flop, which, in essence, continue the action. You continue to be the aggressor. This is very important. If you are the aggressor pre-flop, then you have opened with a raise. Continuation bets occur when, on the flop, it's either checked to you, or you open with a bet - EVEN THOUGH YOU MISSED THE FLOP.

Example
NLHE Tournament, 100/200 blinds. The action is folded to you, as you sit in the CO position with ATs, and you raise to 600. The button folds, SB calls, and the BB folds. Two players see the flop, which brings a K 9 2. The SB checks. Now, the action is to you.

The correct play here is to bet. Yes, you missed the flop, but your opponent doesn't know that. You took the role as aggressor pre-flop (by raising), and now you are continuing the action by betting out on the flop. You again, force your opponent to make a decision. Most likely, if your opponent missed the flop as well, he will fold, simply because he won't risk more chips to a pre-flop raiser who also followed up with a bet on the flop. I will discuss how much to bet below.

How Much To Bet
In my experience, I like betting 1/2 to 2/3 the pot. Simple math will help you derive this number. While 2/3 may seem high, keep in mind that aggression (in NLHE tournaments is a good thing). I don't prefer a pot-sized bet, just because I think it's overkill ... but to each his own.

Look At The Flops
I wouldn't say to make a continuation bet EVERY TIME you see a flop. Example: You have 55, and the flop comes AK6. Someone called your pre-flop raise of 5xBB. This flop is a little too dangerous in most circumstances. I would probably save the chips and wait for a better spot.

Limit HE v. No Limit HE
The beauty of continuation betting is hard to understand while playing limit holdem. The reason being, in NL, you can easily snap off 1/2 or 2/3 the pot after showing serious aggression with a 3-5xBB PFR. This bet on the flop (1/2, 2/3) is often enough to push someone off a pot - especially when they missed. Playing L, on the other hand, betting out on the flop probably won't be enough to scare someone off, so just keep in mind that continuations usually work better in NL than L. Maybe one of our limit experts (Shabi / Chip / TP) can talk more about continuation betting in limit tournaments.

Stuff To Keep In Mind
-The fact that you are making a continuation bet means you missed the flop. If you raised preflop, then subsequently HIT the flop, then your bet is for value.
-The main goal is to win the pot with the continuation bet right there on the flop. If it was checked to you, you made a continuation bet, and then someone smooth-called, then proceed with caution.
-Usually (and I say this loosely), CBs work best in late position.
-As the # of players in the hand go down, the power of your continuation bet goes up. That is, if the hand is heads up, your continuation bet is most powerful. Why? The more players in the hand, the higher chance that someone actually hit the flop.

Hopefully, this helps. If you are serious about playing NLHE (tournaments OR ring games) you should have this in your arsenal ... ready and waiting!

GL.