I keep seeing people making posts where they are making TERRIBLE continuation bets.

Betting into 4-5 people on boards with draws when they have very few outs.

You need to remember that a continuation bet is a bluff.

In order to be effective, you need to be heads-up or at least 3 handed, and the board needs to be pretty ragged.


Harrington gives some examples in HoH where he doesn't make continuation bets.

You open in 6th position with 88, the button calls.

Flop is What does Dan do? He checks.

Every bet should have value. If you bet here and get called, what have you learned? Is he slowplaying? Does he have a draw? You won't learn anything and it is unlikely you have the best hand. If you do your opponent will probably be afraid to bet.

Don't let your ego get in the way. Every bet should have value. Checking is quite underrated.

I'll try to take that message as personal as possible since I've posted quite a few tournament hands lately where I've made horrible continuation bets...that's just pride fucking with me....It's like a sting...in the back of the neck...I need to get over it and start playing better post flop

Also, don't think this is only to you Trons. You are not the only one who has posted about making poorly thought out continuation bets. Besides, I know you're reading Vol2 so you should be cleaning up these flaws in your game shortly!

Originally Posted by The Real DeCoy

Also, don't think this is only to you Trons. You are not the only one who has posted about making poorly thought out continuation bets. Besides, I know you're reading Vol2 so you should be cleaning up these flaws in your game shortly!

TRD, I didn't think it was only to me, I just want to to take it to heart because I make that mistake so frequently. It's probably one of the biggest holes in my game and I truely like to plug it. It is covered in HoH, and I've read that section, but I still make it. When I'm at the table, it's hard for me, after putting down a 4bb raise to open the pot and getting 4 callers, to not take a stab at the pot when it's all blanks...I can be taught, but ask my wife, it's a long process

Originally Posted by Beavis68

You need to remember that a continuation bet is a bluff.

I prefer to think of continuation bets more "Semi-bluff" than outright bluff - after all you must have had something that would have prompted the pre-flop raise! However, I also continuation bet if I get my flop too - not just when I miss it and bluff/semi-bluff. If you only continuation bet when you missed and slowplayed when you hit, that would a tell fairly quickly picked up on by aware opps.

So if that flop was instead of Beavs 3 overcard (and connected) example against I would very definately continuation bet - even against 4 opps. I might get to fold fearing an overpair or or something simular offsuit.

Another tactic to help cover for a continuation bet is the occational check-raise when you have strengh to balance out the strong continuation bets. This keeps opps unbalanced as well as occationally getting a free card when your intention was to check-call on a draw. Position is all important for this however and has to be used selectively.