C-betting is one of the most efficient tools in a good poker player’s arsenal towards winning money on hands that would probably lose at showdown. The theory behind the continuation bet is that by firing a second bullet, the player makes use of the advantage he has created by placing a preflop raise.

The preflop raise usually tells opponents that the one who makes it has a hand which he would like to play for more chips: obviously a hand which he reckons might be the best at the table. The continuation bet says the preflop raiser still likes his hand and he’s still willing to put chips into the pot on it.

Generally speaking, the continuation bet yields a good return because most of the time flops miss most hands. Players who are caught with nothing on the flop will often fold even if they suspect you don’t have anything either.

The only problem with the continuation bet is, if you abuse it, get read about it, or fire it out in the wrong moment you stand to lose some serious money on it. You should never reach the point of continuation betting every single preflop raise you make. That will ultimately make you exploitable and it will cost you serious money. The conclusion is basically that firing a second barrel does indeed work sometimes, other times it doesn’t. Figuring out when a c-bet is a good idea and when it isn’t is the key to the whole equation.

In order to figure out when a situation is good for c-betting you need to pay close attention to the board-texture and to your opponent, trying to get into his mind and to put him on hand-ranges all the time. A good situation to c-bet is when the flop looks like (from his perspective) it may have hit your hand. Any time there’s a high card like an A or a K on the board, such an opportunity is ripe. When you make your preflop raise, people tend to assume you have high cards in your pocket: either a high pair (which is a made hand which can be hit for a set) or something like A,K.

When you find yourself heads-up against a single opponent on the flop is also a good opportunity. The likelihood of the flop missing your opponent’s hand increases dramatically under these circumstances, and a high percentage of the time, the c-bet will give you good value for your money.

A flop which is likely to have missed your opponent is also something you just have to exploit. He’ll be readier then ever to fold his hand under such circumstances, all he needs is a little nudge to send him over the edge.

It is not wise to fire a continuation bet into a table with multiple preflop callers. These guys have already committed money to the pot so they’re more likely to try to keep you honest. The fact that there are several hands still involved in the game also increases the chances of the flop hitting one of these players.

Calling stations are excellent sources of revenue. They’re like rakeback: they keep giving players money on every hand that they play. They’re not good opponents to c-bet against though. If you’re faced with a calling station, better err on the side of caution, than walk away with a chopped-up stack.

Being out of position generally makes things pretty difficult in poker. If you plan to c-bet against an opponent who has position on you, you get called, you eventually fold and you do this several times, you can rest assured the table will take note and exploit your weakness.

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