Continuation Bet

The continuation bet is a foundational postflop concept. As the preflop raiser, you have the initiative and a perceived range advantage, which means opponents expect you to bet the flop. Modern poker strategy has evolved the c-bet considerably from its early days when players would bet the flop nearly 100% of the time. Today, optimal c-betting involves selecting the right sizing and frequency based on board texture, number of opponents, and range interactions. On boards that favor the preflop raiser's range (such as A-K-x or K-Q-x), a high-frequency, small-sized c-bet is standard. Your range contains more strong hands on these boards, so you can bet often and put pressure on the defender. On boards that favor the caller's range (such as 8-7-5 or J-T-8), the preflop raiser should check more often because the defending range connects with these boards heavily. When you do c-bet on low, connected boards, a larger sizing protects your value hands and charges draws appropriately. C-bet sizing is a critical decision. Small c-bets (25-33% of the pot) are used on dry boards and as range bets, while larger c-bets (50-75% pot) target wetter boards or aim to deny equity from drawing hands. Multiway pots demand a much tighter c-betting range because the chance of someone having connected with the board increases with each additional player. The best postflop players adapt their c-bet strategy to each unique board texture rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.