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Tips for Improving Your C-Betting in Poker Games

One skill that has become increasingly important in recent years is the continuation bet. NL Hold’em players that can c-bet effectively will enjoy better results than those that cannot. We’ve already given you the basics on how to continuation bet in poker. Today, we will give you some tips for improving your c-betting.

Continuation Bet More in Position

It is a well-established fact that when you’re in position in Texas Hold’em, you have a better chance to control the betting. As such, if you’re the pre-flop raiser in position, you should be continuation betting a solid percentage of the time.

More often than not, a continuation bet in position is going to take down the pot. If it does not, it will often help you put your opponent on a range and help you define their hand.

When you c-bet out of position, you open yourself up to dicey situations, especially in cases where someone is playing a trap hand and caught lucky against you. C-betting in position is generally going to produce much better results.

Bet More Often on Low Boards

Low boards are often going to present an opportunity to take a pot down with a c-bet. Of course, this depends largely on your opponent’s range. If they are someone that plays a lot of low-suited connectors or low A-x combinations, you will want to continuation bet less often against them.

You should c-bet nearly every time in these 10 spots:https://t.co/0NpFTEWD0f

— UpswingPoker (@UpswingPoker) March 21, 2021

More often than not, a low board will miss your opponent just like it did you. Put out a c-bet here to try and take down the pot.

Bet Boards that Match Your Range

If you’re playing against opponents that are able to put you on hand ranges, then you can take advantage of this when c-betting. For example, if you’re “that guy” that likes to play 6-4 suited or various oddball hands, a low board may match your range. A c-bet would make perfect sense to those that know your style of play and your range.

Again, if you c-bet and your opponent stays in the hand, you can put them on a hand or narrow down their range. Granted, also consider that they do not know your range and are just playing their cards. Betting boards based on your range is best for games with better players as opposed to low-stake cash games or poker tournaments where players don’t know what they’re doing.

C-Betting Paired Boards

Anytime that you can c-bet a paired board, you should consider doing so, particularly in position. In this case, you’re doing one of two things. First, you are trying to represent that you have flopped trips. Next, you’re trying to flush out a monster hand. If your opponent flat calls or raises, you can quickly abandon this move.

This quiz will test your ability to c-bet at an optimal frequency.https://t.co/4aMH4DoQKo

— UpswingPoker (@UpswingPoker) March 8, 2021

Don’t go crazy betting this hand as when you overbet it, you will get crushed in hands where they actually have it. Keep your bets smaller in this scenario. They will often be enough to get your opponent out of the hand.

Bet More Often on Draw Heavy Boards

If you are able to make a c-bet on a draw-heavy board, you should do so more often than not. The primary reason is that you do not want to make it cheap for an opponent to hit their draw against you. This is a time where a 3/4 or pot-sized bet will be a better tool to use.

When your opponent plays back or flat calls you, this should put up some big red flags and let you know to proceed cautiously. Other times, you will take down the pot without incident.

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