In recent years, the c-bet (short for continuation bet) has been pretty much the favored action in No Limit Hold ‘Em. What is it? It’s a followup bet after the flop when you raised pre-flop. It basically announces, “I like my starting hand and still like it after the flop.” The most favorable outcome, especially if the flop misses you and the other players, is to pick up the dead money in the pot when you c-bet and the other players fold. Here’s my problem with it. If the bettor improves on the flop and c-bets, he’s probably not going get any calls. Why not check and keep other players in the pot? Conversely, if your hand doesn’t improve, an opponent at the least, will most likely pick up a draw That indicates you’re pretty vulnerable. There’s no doubt you will bleed chips or get trapped if you c-bet consistently. My advice: mix up your game with and without using the continuation bet and beware of betting it out of position and/or against multiple opponents.
By Howard Hian