What is C bet in Poker? Is it a super technique, can it be considered a Bluff at the Flop round or not?
Of course, it is a “dirty bet” but it is a bet with a basis and the application method is not difficult but particularly effective in winning the POT.
Executing this technique is difficult, but there are many ways to support you to apply it more easily.
What is C bet in Poker?
C bet in Poker is short for Continuation Bet, which means “Continuation Bet”.
Simply put, this is the action of continuing to Raise money at the Flop round provided that the player has Raised at the Preflop round.
Two Raises in two consecutive betting rounds are Pre Flop – Flop, so it is called Continuation Bet (C-bet).
This method is intentionally used from the Pre Flop to the Flop to create the impression for other players that you are either an active player or have a very strong hand, enough to defeat all other opponents.
The effectiveness it creates is to allow you to win the POT immediately at the Flop round because the opponents all Fold.
History of C-bet in Poker
To talk about the history of Continuation Bet, we have to go back to around 2003 – 2004, when Poker began to develop quite rapidly.
One characteristic you need to know is that most players holding poor connected hands or low outs only choose to Fold, Call, or Check.
This inadvertently gives strong hand holders an advantage to eliminate opponents and win easily.
That is the reason why in 2005, C-bet in Poker was born.
As soon as it was applied, this form was considered a bluffing technique, bringing very promising victories to the user.
Because in the early days of its emergence, all players were quite surprised by this strategy, no one could think that a player with a small hand would dare to Raise continuously.
As of now, Continuation Bet has been somewhat decoded, but its effectiveness remains unchanged.
In fact, if you apply this technique well, no one will know whether you are Bluffing or really have a strong hand, and therefore C-bet still naturally exists as a secret weapon when participating in reputable online Poker games.
When should you C-bet?
Continuation Bet is a continuation bet at the Flop, so the deciding factor on whether to execute it or not lies in this round.
The success rate depends on what three community cards are revealed, and below are two cases for you to visualize easily.
a) When should you C-bet?
According to experts, it should only be executed when:
Case 1:
The three community cards are high cards like face cards or Aces. Since you have Raised before the Flop, many people will assume you have a strong hand.
When a big card appears on the table => The opponent will think you have a Pair or a Set of J, Q, K, A. If the opponent has a pair from 6 – 7 or lower, they are likely to fold.
Case 2:
This is done when your hand has Hit: From a pair (Paid) or higher, it’s easy to understand that if you have Hit, there’s no reason not to C-bet.
Note that the Raise must be reasonable to ensure the opponent can follow. If you Raise too much, the opponent will fold.
Case 3:
Based on the number of Outs and Equity at the Flop to execute.
If you can wait for your hand, you can also C-Bet, which will create a significant advantage for the two rounds of Turn and River.
b) When should you not C-bet?
It still depends on the cards that have opened at the Flop to decide this.
Suppose you have A ♦️, K ♣️. If the Flop shows: 8 ♥️, 10 ♥️, and J ♦️.
It seems that your hand has an advantage because A, K is quite strong, but there is a possibility that the opponent is waiting for a Flush ♥️.
If the two cards the opponent holds are ♥️, they will definitely follow to the end, or if they have a 9, they will be waiting for a straight. Even if 9 ♥️ is a double-ended straight, it is extremely dangerous.
In this case, do not C-bet; the opponent will definitely follow. Additionally, you should not perform continuously as it is easy to get “caught out.”
How much C-bet is enough?
What is the purpose of C-bet? It is to eliminate the opponent to win the POT immediately.
Therefore, how to Raise is also an art; if you Raise too little, the opponent will not “worry” and will fold, resulting in the opponent following. Of course, you will fail.
What if you Raise too much? It will definitely lead to two cases:
- Unnecessary because if you Raise $10, the opponent will also fold. So why Raise to $20?
- Secondly, if the opponent Calls – follows, you will lose more than you gain.
Therefore, the advice that experts give for the Raise level in Continuation bet Poker is from ½ to ⅔ to ¾ of the POT.
At the same time, you should also apply a “flexible” strategy, meaning not always ½ or ¾, but adjust to prevent the opponent from reading your hand.
What is the relationship between C-bet and the flop?
Continuation Bet is the action of continuing to Raise from Preflop to Flop, so if we talk about what relationship it has, it is the key to whether you win the hand or not.
Specifically, this is the round that determines the success or failure of this skill:
- If all opponents fold => You succeed.
- If there are opponents who follow => Your C-bet fails.
The rate of folding at the Flop is usually the highest, so your C-bet has a very high chance of success.
However, if you cannot make the opponent fold and win the POT, then consider it a failed challenge.
The chance of winning in the next two rounds is very small, about 20%, because the opponent has called, they may have many hands or have already hit.
Factors affecting C-bet
The following factors will affect the success of the Continuation Bet:
- Hand in the Flop round: As analyzed above, the hand in the Flop round will greatly determine whether you should make a C-bet or not. Don’t consider the possibility of hitting your hand because you can perform this trick with a few non-hits; instead, consider your opponent’s chances of winning.
- Number of players: C-bet will be easier to win if there are fewer than 3 hands. If the Flop has 4 or more players, then you shouldn’t C-bet because there will definitely be someone with a strong hand.
- Your opponent: Observe your opponent from previous rounds before making the C-bet. If the opponent is a loose player, someone who acts frequently, then don’t proceed. If the opponent plays tight, you will have a very high chance of success.
- Your position: If you are in an early or middle position, the C-bet will be extremely beneficial because almost everyone will think you have a very strong hand. Learn more about positions in Poker and your advantages.
Example of Continuation Bet in Poker
The position I recommend you to make the C-bet is UTG or UTG +1, your opponent will be extremely psychologically affected.
Suppose in Preflop you have two cards J ♣️ and K ♥️: This hand should be raised because you know you are holding a strong hand.
Of course, you must choose Pot Limit or No Limit if you want to play C-bet. Raise ½ POT.
In the second round, if the following appears:
- 6 ♦️ – 7 ♦️ and A ♥️: You can C-bet because you are waiting for a straight, but remember your opponent may be waiting for a flush, and clearly, the outs of your opponent are greater than yours. So, C-bet also ½ POT.
- If A ♦️ – 9 ♥️ – 5 ♣️ appears: You should C-bet because a quick calculation shows that the opponent cannot have a HIT; if they do, it would only be a pair of 9s or a pair of 5s, and the opponent will fold => C-bet ¾ POT in this case.
- If K ♣️ – Q ♥️ – 9 ♦️ appears: Don’t C-bet because the hand is very strong, the chance of winning is very high. Let the opponent underestimate and bet more money into the POT; the chance of winning will be greater.
See more tricks and techniques in Poker:
Conclusion
C bet in Poker what is it has been answered, and it can be confirmed that this is a top Raise skill in the Flop round.
If applied flexibly, your opponent will not be able to predict your hand and will absolutely not dare to follow. So, be sure to add this strategy to your “secret arsenal”!
