C-bet in poker: what is it and why is it useful?

Mastering the c-bet strategy is a fundamental skill that distinguishes a strong player from a beginner. In this article, we will discuss why c-bets are necessary, how to use them correctly, and in which situations they are most effective.

C-bet (Continuation Bet) is a bet made in one of the betting rounds to continue the aggression initiated on the previous street.

In poker, a c-bet is a key tool for aggressive play: it allows you to take down pots without a showdown, maintain initiative, and control the flow of the hand.

When making a c-bet, we follow the logic:  

Our range is stronger than our opponent’s

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We want to put money in the pot

The main functions of a c-bet:

1. Put money in the pot.

2. Take the initiative and maintain control of the hand.

3. Protect your equity*, i.e., prevent your opponent from realizing their advantage on future streets.

4. Gain fold equity*, i.e., force your opponent to fold under the pressure of the bet.

5. Increase the pot size.

*Equity (Equity) — the probability of your hand winning at showdown against your opponent’s range.

*Fold equity (Fold equity) — the probability that your opponent will fold their hand under the pressure of a bet.

Basic c-bet strategy in various types of spots

Before making a c-bet, one must: 

1. Assess the type of spot. Who is calling us? Is the opponent in position or out of position? Are we facing one opponent or are we in a multi-way pot? Who was the aggressor pre-flop?

2. Compare the ranges of participants in the hand. Who has more strong hands on this board? What is our and our opponent's equity?

After the analysis, we can conclude which action will be optimal for the further course of the hand.

Let’s go through four main situations that you will most often encounter in practice and see how to act in each spot.

Situation #1: We opened with a raise, and a player from the blind called us

This case demonstrates how position affects the profitability of a hand over the long term. What exactly is our strategic advantage? 

1. We can escalate the pot because our range is usually stronger in equity than the caller’s range.

2. We can control the flow of the hand because we have the last word on each street.

Main characteristics of the spot: 

Recommendations:
— Make a c-bet on almost all board textures
— Frequency is close: ~100%
— Standard bet size: 1/3 of the pot — this is enough to apply pressure and not lose many chips. 

Example hand: 

Situation: We opened from early position and got called by the big blind. This structure suits us better because our range contains more top pairs and overcards, while the opponent often has nothing to continue betting with. 

With a ⅓ pot bet, we often end the hand, and if not, we can apply pressure on subsequent streets by many runouts*.

* A runout is the sequence of cards that come on the table after the flop — on the turn and river. These cards affect the strength of players’ hands and can change the winner of the hand. 

Situation #2: We opened, and a player in position called us

In spots against a caller in position, we do not have an advantage as in the first situation. What should we focus on when discussing the logic of the hand? 

1. The opponent acts after us, sees our actions, and can control the pot more effectively.

2. The calling range is stronger than the player in the blind's range. It includes Broadway combinations*, suited connectors*, low suited aces* and low pocket pairs (from 22 to 88).

Broadway combinations are cards from ten to ace that can make higher straights (e.g., KQ, QJ).

Suited connectors are sequential cards of the same suit that can make straights and flushes (e.g., T9s, 98s).

Low suited aces are aces with a card 2–9 of the same suit.

3. Equity is roughly distributed 50/50. Our hands do not have a clear advantage on the flop, so c-bets should be made more selectively.

Main characteristics of the spot: 

Recommendations:
— We c-bet only with a part of the range that has a chance to improve on the turn. Typically, these are gutshots, overcards, and draws.
— We c-bet with a value range* and extract value from weaker hands.
— The frequency of the c-bet is about 50%.

* Value refers to the part of the player’s hand range that the player bets to extract chips from weaker opponent hands.

Example hand: 

Situation: We opened from UTG and got a call from a player in MP. The other players folded.

In this case, poker calculators suggest c-betting 40% of the time because the opponent’s range is comparable to ours, and we rarely see a fold. Furthermore, we can often face resistance with a raise and it will be difficult to play subsequent streets without position.

Situation #3: We opened, a player in position called, and another opponent entered the hand (e.g., from the blind)

When three or more players are involved in a hand, we find ourselves in a multi-way pot. What dangers and advantages exist in this type of spot? 

1. Our equity is now distributed not among two players, but among three, lowering the average strength of hands. 

2. Applying pressure becomes more challenging because both opponents can defend against bets. 

3. Positional advantage remains concerning one player — the opponent in position acts last and controls the flow of the hand.

In such hands, one needs to play more honestly and cautiously, prioritizing hands with good equity and ready combinations that can win at showdown*.

Showdown* refers to the revelation of cards after betting to determine the winner of the hand.

Main characteristics of the spot: 

Recommendations:
— Reduce betting frequency: bet about 40% of the time.
— Choose hands with good equity or ready combinations: strong pairs, ready straights or flushes, as well as prospective draws — gutshots and flush draws.
— Strong hands should not be slow-played*: even if we have top pair or a set, it is not advisable to just check. These hands need protection and can earn more chips on turn and river. Furthermore, this action prevents opponents from seeing subsequent cards for free, hoping to hit the nuts*.

* Slow play is a strategy where a player with a strong hand does not make an aggressive bet but checks or calls to lure the opponent into the pot and get more chips later.

* Nuts is the strongest possible hand combination on the given board that cannot be beaten.

Example hand:

Situation: We opened from UTG, got a call on the button and a call from the BB. The flop comes a drawing board 9♦ 6♥ 5♠.

In this situation, both opponents may have straight draws, flush draws and already made straights. Even a pair of aces in our hands may have little chance to continue playing three barrels.

Here our strategy is to bet only with hands that can confidently continue the hand on the next streets.

What is a drawing board? Read in the article about the main types of boards. 

Situation #4: An opponent opened with a raise, we made a 3-bet, and the opponent called

Let’s orient you in the terms. A 3-bet is a bet made after someone has already raised before us. What is the strategic goal of this bet? 

1. We want to isolate one opponent to avoid a multi-way pot and more easily realize our range advantage.

2. We want to make the aggressor fold stronger hands.

3. We want to increase the pot size with a strong hand.

For more details about 3-bet pots, you can read in this article (leave a link).

In our situation, the opponent is resisting and calling — what could that mean? 

1. Our range is often stronger. We made a 3-bet, showing the strength of our hand. The opponent called and didn’t raise the pot size with our bet — there’s a high chance they defended a weaker range. In equity on most textures, we are ahead. 

2. We want to make the aggressor fold stronger hands. The range of the calling player may include low pocket pairs, suited connectors, and Broadway, suited Ace hands. 

Main characteristics of the spot: 

Recommendations:
— Use a wide c-bet (up to 100%) on most board structures.
— A small bet — ~33% of the pot is particularly effective.

Situation: An opponent opened with MP, we made a 3-bet from BTN and got called. In this case, the calculator suggests a 100% bet on the flop with different sizes — from 25% to 33%.

The opponent’s range indicates that they don’t have premium hands, and we might achieve a fold already on the flop, even without a made hand.  

Size of the c-bet

In MTT tournaments, a small sizing* is most often used — ~33% of the pot. Now we will describe the advantages of such a strategy, revealing a few theses: 

* Sizing (sizing) refers to the size of the bet that a player chooses in a particular hand in poker.

“We apply pressure without risking too many chips”

A bet of approximately a third of the pot is universal and allows the aggressor to control the hand without risking too large a stack.

“Allows for increased bet frequency in typical spots”

Small sizing is convenient for an aggressive strategy: we can c-bet on almost all textures whenever it is appropriate. This is important for beginners: it is easier to follow the rule of “bet almost always” without thinking about complicated exceptions.

“We invest little, we gain much”

This thesis is justified because even with a small bet, the opponent feels pressure and does not control the hand's flow. Even if we haven't made a hand, the chance to take down the pot when we are in position increases.

A simple mathematical hint

For a bluff to be profitable, it’s important to understand how often the opponent needs to fold their hand. We suggest a formula to calculate the profitability of the bet concerning the potential fold of the opponent. 

Examples:
— A 1/3 pot bet → fold frequency ≈ 25%
— A 1/2 pot bet → fold frequency  ≈ 33%
— A full pot bet → fold frequency ≈ 50%

It is important to understand! If your hand has even minimal equity on the flop, the real profitability of the bet is higher than what pure fold equity shows. The hand can improve on the turn and river and beat your opponent’s strong match — if they have one. 

This simple example helps to understand why small sizing is often justified over the long term.

For more poker math basics, check out this article. 

When not to make a c-bet? 

As effective a tool as the c-bet is in the long run, it must be applied correctly. Let’s summarize the overview based on the situations we have described above. 

When is c-bet inappropriate? 

1. We have no advantage in equity. For example, if we opened from early position, an opponent called from CO or BTN, and we see the flop board as — 987. What is our logic?

The opponent is in position and has hit the board better according to their range — we have no advantage, it’s better to play from check. In such cases, checking allows you to play a smaller pot on average.

2. We do not want to increase the pot size. In some spots, our goal is to control the pot size rather than create pressure. For example, at the final table, we are playing against a covering stack.

A check in such cases allows you to manage the pot carefully and retain options on the turn and river.

3. Multi-way pot and playing out of position. In pots with three or more players, our average equity decreases; thus the pressure from a c-bet becomes less effective. When we are out of position, it is harder to control the pot and respond correctly to opponents' actions.

In these spots, checking is often more reasonable. 

Beginner player mistakes on the flop

However, players who do not master the basic concepts of poker regularly make mistakes that reduce their effectiveness on the flop. Let’s focus on the main ones: 

1. Not betting frequently enough. Beginners often underestimate the power of the c-bet and bet too infrequently. As a result, they miss the opportunity to realize their initiative and win pots without a showdown.

2. Do not understand the type of spot. Some players use the same strategy regardless of position, the number of opponents or board texture. For example, they bet as often against a single caller from the blind as they do against a player in position or two in a multi-way pot. Over the long term, this leads to losses. 

3. Incorrect sizing. Beginners often make bets that are too small or too large without thinking about the purpose of the bet and the strategy for future streets. 

You have a chance to avoid these mistakes starting today. We’ve told you about the advantages of the c-bet strategy, how to use position, range and equity to control the hand and apply pressure on opponents. This knowledge will give you an advantage over many players you meet at the tables.

Ready to continue learning with us?

You have learned the basic information about the continuation bet in poker. Do you want to explore the issue in more detail? Apply to FirstFund via the link, become part of our team, and our trainers will help you understand the topic deeper: 

1. Which boards are suitable for frequent and rare c-bets?? You will learn to determine board texture and understand when frequent bets are advantageous and when it is better to play cautiously with specific hands. 

2. How to adjust to different opponents?? We will show you how to take into account your opponents’ playing style and adjust the frequency and size of your c-bets.

3. How does the c-bet strategy change depending on the stage of the tournament?? You will learn to adapt your play for early, mid and late stages, as well as the final table, considering stack sizes, pressure and game dynamics.

By mastering these skills, you can play aggressively and profitably, control the pot and minimize the mistakes that most beginner players make.