Feb
27
There are many occasions in Texas Holdem Poker games where you will raise before the flop, and then find that your hand did not connect with the community cards in any way. A standard ‘move’ is continue with the aggression you have shown before the flop. Betting out even when you have missed tells your opponents that you have a good hand and may win the pot uncontested on many occasions.
While continuation betting is a valuable weapon in every poker player’s arsenal, it must be used correctly to show a profit over time. These raises should also be mixed with ‘value bets’ – by making the same bet when you are really strong it becomes difficult for opponents to get a read on your hand.
The three areas listed below will help you to ensure that your continuation bets are more effective.
1) Ensure As Few Opponents As Possible
The ideal number of opponents to continuation bet into is just one. Unpaired starting hands in Texas Holdem will miss the flop 66% of the time. Against a single opponent a bet after the flop will show a profit even if you get raised the 33% of the time your opponent does hit. While it is possible to continuation bet into 2 opponents, any more than this should stop you doing this. There is just to high a probability that one or more of them hit the flop
2) Good ‘Flop Texture’ For Continuation Betting
Some flops are more dangerous than others for continuation bets. For example a flop of 10-J-Q of one suit compared to 2-7-J of 3 different suits. The number of draws and high cards should determine your betting frequency after the flop. Since opponents are more likely to play high cards and suited cards a flop containing these is more dangerous than a ‘raggy’ flop with widely separated cards.
3) Your Table Image / Bet Frequency
If you continuation bet every time that you make a raise before the flop then opponents will (rightly) start to become suspicious. They will know as well as you do that most flops will miss most hands and assume that your bets are bluffs a large percentage of the time. If you find yourself in a position where your continuation bets are being played back at often then this may be the reason – slow down for a round or two!
To summarize, continuation betting is a powerful poker strategy, taking the pot a large percentage of the time when you have shown strength before the flop. Good strategy for these bets involves being aware of the number of opponents still in the hand, the texture of the flop and the image which you have established at the table.
Mark Holland is an online poker pro and publisher of high quality strategy articles on a wide range of poker variations. For profitable insights into Poker Strategy for all forms of Online Poker Tournaments check out his sites today!
February 27, 2008
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