The Continuation Bet

For experienced poker players, the ‘continuation bet’ is also referred to as the ‘second bullet.’ It can be a great weapon when used correctly. The purpose of using the continuation bet is to get rid of those players who would have normally checked in an effort to outdraw you later on in the game. The bet needs to be big enough to free oneself if another player is looking to set a trap. The goal in this regard is to bet enough so that ones pot odds are increased but only via small, incremental bets. A half-pot size bet is generally sufficient. This of course will be dependent on a whole host of factors, including what ones opponents might be doing.

The appropriate bet size to drive out a player will, again, depend on a number of factors, one being the playing style of ones opponent. For example, a competitor that plays tight won’t require huge-sized bets to drive them out. Conversely, more aggressive players aren’t generally very good for this type of bet because it is hard to intimidate them, without spending lots of money.

It is important to be careful when making continuation bets. Players need to be able to pick their spots. If they do it too much then their opponents might find them easy to read and begin turning the bet back on their head, i.e. using it against them. A continuation bet, in simple terms, is the follow-up bet made on the flop after a person has raised pre-flop. There are many advantages to making this type of bet. It allows individuals to maintain the advantage they have attained by acting aggressively pre-flop, into the flop. Sometimes this move will enable a player to win the pot without much resistance. However, this is not always the case. Individuals can use the continuation bet in such a way that it begins to work against them if they are not careful. Below, we will discuss times when the continuation bet is best left unutilized.

Individuals who begin to automatically use this bet after raising pre-flop may soon find it working against them. They will become predictable. Astute competitors will take notice and make eventually make them pay.

Other ways to mismanage the continuation bet is to use it against multiple callers. Being called by more then one opponent after raising pre-flop will hardly result in success. When there are a lot of people in the pot, the likelihood that a player will be called, increases. A person’s fold equity also decreases, which results in increasingly being called. In this atmosphere, bluffing isn’t as effective. A continuation bet is essentially a mini-bluff that utilizes fold equity gained by raising pre-flop.

A continuation bet is also not advised when going up against calling stations. This is because it is difficult to bluff against a calling station. This doesn’t mean that it can’t be done, but that a person should advance in this manner very carefully. They will need to be able to get a good read on their opponents before proceeding with this bet.

A continuation bet can be very powerful and effective when used correctly. When it is mismanaged, it can cause players, problems. Individuals must very carefully choose their spots so that they do not become too easy to read. If the continuation bet becomes something that a player automatically does, without fail or consideration for the other players and the playing situation, they will likely find that their opponents use this tendency against them. Using this bet when a player is out of position, against multiple callers and calling stations will many times render it useless as well.