Preflop play is very important, but to fully learn how to play poker, you also need to study postflop scenarios. One of the basic questions after the flop is the size of your continuation bet (c-bet), or whether you should bet at all.
Introduction to c-bets
Definition: A continuation bet is a play made on the flop by the preflop aggressor.
New players often feel insecure and struggle with knowing when to bet and when not to, and what sizing to choose. Over time, beginners gain the confidence to range bet (cbet 100% of the time) every flop with a small size, as it’s low risk play. With a bit more learning, they discover the concept of making small continuation bets on dry boards and larger c-bets on wet boards.
However, there’s more to it – on extremely wet boards, it can be optimal to return to small bets. The more you learn, the more you understand advanced poker tactics related to c-betting on the flop, and the more you know, the less you have to guess.
Bet sizes are dictated by nut advantage, and their frequency is dictated by range advantage. You don’t want to bet big on dry boards because you won’t get any value if your opponent folds, and there is no threat to the top of your range. Wet boards represent quite the opposite site – high value from fold equity and many draws that can beat the top of your range on later streets.
Study different spots
Here is what we are going to do: we will analyze two different flops with the same stack depth (50 big blinds) and the same positions (Cutoff vs Button), so we can understand the idea behind the general mechanics of small and big bets. Poker Academy’s AI Postflop Solver has an option to customize bet sizes. For learning purposes, we will set only three options: check, small bet (30%), and big bet (75%).
Dry board c-betting strategy
The flop is Kh 7d 4c. The Big Blind checks, and here we are with straightforward answers from the Poker Academy’s solver. As the CO player, you are supposed to bet small with over 86% of your entire range.
The decision is driven by nut advantage, as your nutted hands (top pairs, sets, and overpairs) have very high equity against our opponent’s range, which you can also verify using Poker Academy’s AI Postflop Solver. There is a small amount of hands, which can harm the top of your range, that’s why there is so little checking back.
Wet board = big bet
Same situation (CO vs BB), but a totally different board (Kh Qh Td). The solver proves our general c-bet mechanics correct. CO should cbet a little more than 85% of the time with higher sizing, and in total, almost cbet 100% of the time.
Now, CO has even higher equity advantage on this board, because Big Blind’s range does not have AK (tptk) and any sets (KK, QQ, TT).
Because of that, Cutoff’s fold equity becomes much more significant, as the Big Blind should fold many gutshots and even some open-ended straight draws. Look at how the Big Blind’s calling range changes if you choose the wrong sizing on a board like this!
Now they fold far fewer second pairs, gutshots, and other medium-equity hands, which pose a significant danger to the top of your range. If you want to start learning poker online, we encourage you to read another one of Poker Academy’s blogs called ‘What Keeps You Stuck at Low Stakes in Poker?’.