The continuation bet in Texas holdem is a very popular bet. A continuation bet is when a player bets before the flop and then bets after the flop, regardless if they caught a good hand or not. It shows a commitment to the hand and forces other players who have nothing out of the hand.

The downside of a continuation bet is that it might not intimidate other players. It could lead to trouble, especially if it's a technique a player often uses. The continuation bet is easy to isolate if other players are paying attention, and if they are bluffing, they may eventually falter because of its constant use.

As a Semi-Bluff

Using the continuation bet as a semi-bluff is a safe mode to operate out of. The continuation bet, if it doesn't eliminate everyone from the hand and give you the pot, will at least knock out some of the players and keep you in a hand with decent pot odds.

After the turn card, you should see exactly how much you are willing to commit to the hand, and then you can bet accordingly. Once a hand is head to head, all betting strategies change. The continuation bettor can either continue to bet, or he can reverse the strategy and check, urging the other player to make a decision.

Against Weak Chip Stacks

If you have a great chip advantage over a player, you can use the continuation bet as a way to chase the weaker player out of the hand. Most of the time, a continuation bet will bully a player who has a weaker chip stack, unless the weaker chip stack player has a real good hand.

When You Have a Good Poker Hand

If you have a descent hand, a continuation bet is always a good idea. Why not try to build up the pot? Especially when there are many players at the table. For example, if you’re dealt pocket 8's and the flop is A 6 4. The ace is a scare card. Your pocket 8's are strong, unless someone has a really strong ace. If you place a continuation bet, many players will fold, unless they have that ace.

If a player reraises your continuation bet, he may be trying to squeeze you out with a bluff. Or, more likely, he actually has that ace. You must decide how to proceed, but at least you didn't risk your whole chip stack up to this point.

Theory and practice go hand in hand. Be advised to experiment with the continuation bet on PokerStars!

If you found this page useful, consider linking to it to let others know about it. Simply copy and paste the code below into your web site, blog, or forum (Ctrl+C to copy). It will look like this:
The Continuation Bet in No Limit Texas Holdem