While there is a wide range of advanced poker tactics that may only be applied in extremely specific scenarios, there are also some techniques that can be added to your repertoire and utilized continuously throughout any given session. At the top of this list would be continuation bets.
A continuation bet is when you make a bet during the current round of action after having made a similar bet in the previous round. A common example would be to bet on the flop, get called by at least one player and then make a similar bet on the turn.
Demonstrate Strength
A continuation bet is used by players as a way of conveying strength, even when they hold weak hands.
Since strong, aggressive play will win more pots than acting timidly, continuation bets are employed as almost second nature by experienced players in most situations. Another effect of a continuation bet is that it allows you to control the action at the table and get a good idea of where you stand in the hand. If you check too often and allow the other players at the table to make all of the plays, you will have a very difficult time ahead of you when trying to rate the strength of your opponents’ hands.
When to Make Continuation Bets
One of the best ways to integrate continuation bets into your table strategy right away is to start following up your pre-flop raises with a continuation bet. By raising pre-flop you show the rest of the table that you have a hand of at least above-average strength and this will likely weed out most of the players prior to the flop.
Now if the flop comes and you lead out with a continuation bet, you have established a table image of extreme strength and you have given yourself the opportunity to win the pot just by intimidating the other players out of the hand, whether or not your hand improves on the flop or not.
By no means is a continuation bet a sure-fire way to win money; as usual you need to pay attention to the way the current hand is playing out. There are a number of things to take into consideration such as what position you are in, how aggressive/weak the rest of the table is playing, what your current table image is, etc.
Once you have established a good working knowledge of when to make continuation bets, you will immediately see a positive change to your game and to your chip stack. Further information on how to increase your winnings can be found in the three must-know bankroll secrets (3 Steps to a Bigger Bankroll – Intermediate).
Key Points
• Follow up one bet with another of similar/higher value in the next round.
• Use continuation bets to build a table image that conveys strength.
• When to make continuation bets
Chris
- Chris Laquinta is a magazine editor, content specialist and poker fanatic with 10+ years writing experience and over 1,500 published articles. Chris is a naitive of Southern California, where he spent his entire life learning gaming concepts and theories from relatives that had been former professional gamblers. He currently resides in Torrance, CA where he works as a professional content writer and part-time SNG professional.
