Continuation betting is a smart and aggressive way to pick up pots after you have already shown strength earlier in the hand. A lot of players use continuation bets nowadays and it has become a fairly standard play. This article will talk about what a continuation bet is and when and how you should use them.

A continuation bet is basically a bet made on the flop after you have made a bet pre-flop. The flop bet amount is usually anywhere from half the pot to the full pot in size. Making a continuation bet can disguise your hand because many players do it whether they hit on the flop or missed. For example, a continuation bet can be made with an (A,K) after you missed the flop and often times you will be able to pick the pot up right then. If you hit on the flop the continuation bet will often build the pot because your opponents may think you are just trying to buy the pot, which is common with a continuation bet.

Continuation bets can be very effective because your opponents won’t know whether you hit the flop or not. This will often result in players laying down hands when you missed the flop and players calling when you made a big hand. Of course the vice versa can also be true and your opponent could call when you have nothing and fold when you have a big hand. If you showed strength pre-flop then often times a continuation bet will be the best play regardless of whether you improved on the flop.

If you did not improve you should probably only try the continuation bet heads up or at most with 2 other opponents. The more players there are the more likely that at least one of them improved their hand. It is also much better to bet out on flops that aren’t likely to have helped your opponents, such as low cards that don’t bring straight or flush draws. Making a continuation bet on a (9H,10H,JH) flop is much less likely to be effective.

If you make the continuation bet and your opponent calls you are put into a difficult situation on the turn. You can either bet out again and try to continue with the bluff or you can cut your losses and check. The best method is completely dependent on the situation. If your opponent is a calling station then you shouldn’t bet because you are likely to be called again, however if there was a flush draw on the flop and a third card of that suit didn’t come you might be able to put your opponent on the flush draw. In this case making a big turn bet would be your best option to get your opponent off the hand. A lot of players just call continuation bets in order to bluff on the turn if the opponent shows weakness. It’s because of these players that the turn decision isn’t easy. Just because a player calls a continuation bet on the flop doesn’t mean they have a strong hand, but then again they very well could. You have to make your way through the information and try to make the right play.

You must also consider your table image when making a continuation bet. If you are seen as a tight player then players will often give you the benefit of the doubt and fold to your continuation bet or at least not call with nothing. If you are a tight player and you do get called on your continuation bet then you should assume that your opponent has some sort of hand or a draw. If you are a loose player it is much more difficult because your opponents may just be trying to play back at you when they call your continuation bet. It is a much more difficult situation and another reason why playing tight aggressive is generally the most profitable poker style.

Other Advanced Texas Hold'em Poker Strategy:

Being Aware of Future Hammer Bets

Playing Tournaments with Huge Fields

Value Betting

Implied Odds

Taking Down the Table Bully