When not to c-bet
Every reasonable player knows what a c-bet is. Also known as continuation bet, the c-bet is basically a way to exploit the edge one has created by being aggressive preflop, after the flop and possibly winning the pot on a pure bluff. The c-bet is considered to be successful a high percentage of the time and this is one of its features that often prove confusing for players. Because the c-bet is a high yield move, many people commit the mistake of abusing it after a while. C-betting every single time you raise preflop is not a good idea in the long run though, because first of all you are bluffing, and secondly you blow your cover and become predictable. This way, the c-bet will turn from a money making device into a weakness that will bleed your stack away.
Obviously, there are situations when c-betting is OK and there are situations when it’s not. You probably mostly know the situations when you are supposed to c-bet. Here are a few pointers as to when you should avoid committing money to the pot after the flop.
One of the recommended c-betting situations is when you find yourself heads-up with an opponent on the flop. Logically then, when there are multiple callers going on to see the flop, you should not fire your second bullet. Here’s why: if there are several people faced with the choice of calling your bet, the odds of one of them doing so radically increase. Because there are more preflop callers (to your preflop raise) there’s more money going into the pot, which offers each of the players better pot odds on the flop and decreases the fold equity.
The odds of one of the hands taken to the flop by all those players being hit for something better than your hand obviously increase as well.
Bottom line: against several callers, you’re better off betting a good hand for value, because you’re highly likely to get at least a caller. When your objective is to avoid a call, stay away from such situations.
Always keep your perceived hand range in mind. Whenever you make a preflop raise, you tell your opponents that you have a hand you like and you’d like to play that hand for better value. That usually tells them you have high cards, possibly a high pair or something like AK, KQ etc. When the flop falls, and it comes a bunch of low rags, it will definitely not look like it has hit you at all. Make sure that your opponents perceive the flop as something that may have hit you. If the flop has something like a Q, K or A in it, then it’s basically asking for a c-bet from you.
Boards that present countless opportunities for drawing hands are not good for c-betting either. They offer a high percentage chance for your opponent to happen upon a monster which he will probably not relinquish, regardless of how big a bet you come up with. Even if your opponent doesn’t get a made hand on the flop, he might hit a draw he likes (like a 4-card flush) and decide to commit resources to chase it down.
Take your position into consideration as well. Everything is tougher in poker when you’re out of position, and that goes double for c-betting. Floating, which is one of the ways to bust a c-bet is best executed from position, which means if you’re out of position, your opponent is in a perfect position to execute that move on you. If you see that your opponents are getting tricky on your c-bets when they’re in position, better reduce the frequency of your c-bets altogether and only use the move when you’re in position. Some opponents just cannot be c-bet, therefore it’s extremely important that you get the right reads on your opponents. If there’s a calling station facing you on the flop, c-betting him won’t really get you anywhere. Sign up to a rakeback deal and stop leaking money to the rake. At the end of the month, you’ll be amazed to see how much money you’ve saved. Become a poker prop if you’re looking for even more, and get paid to play.
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