Continuation Betting
I remember one of the early anomalies I found while I was still learning Texas Hold’em was the continuation bet, or the c-bet. A c-bet on the flop puts pressure on after you raised pre-flop.
Truth: A c-bet has good chances of success (usually like 70% in a heads-up). As poker pro Phil Hellmuth put it, I’d win them all.
Essentially, the best scenario to c-bet is when your opponent’s range won’t have a higher improve frequency on a certain flop. Small flop, e.g., K-7-2 rainbow, is one of the best to c-bet.
How big you c-bet matters. The standard bet size for this flop would be 50-70% of the pot. This size of bet will apply some pressure to your opponents but will not cost you too many chips. For example, on a $100 pot, a c-bet of $50-$70 should work most of the time.
Use c-bets more selectively in multi-way pots. The more players who are still in the pot, the more likely it is that at least one of them hit the flop.
Exploit this information by adjusting your c-bet frequencies to your opponents. You c-bet more often against tight players as they are likely to fold. With somewhat loose players, be more cautious as they will call or raise more often. Doyle Brunson aptly surmised the essence of poker with the statement “Poker is a people game… It ain’t the cards I been given, it’s the people that I play with.”
A good second barrel (a bet on the turn) is when the turn card comes down as a scare card, such as an Ace or King. Betting a second barrel can often be enough to shake players off their middle-strength hands.
Players Who Win Most Often C-bet on the Flop about 70-80% and on the Turn about 40-50%.
Example Hand
For example, you raise pre-flop with A♥K♥ and the flop is J♣6♦2♠. That was a dry flop and one that was good for a c-bet. Essentially, betting 60% of the pot will make it hard for your opponents to call, unless they hit with a strong hand.
You are imagining the $1/$2 cash game. You raise to $10 pre-flop holding A♠K♠ and receive two calls. The flop comes J♣6♦2♠. Both opponents check to you. This is a perfect place to continuation bet. You bet $20 into the $33 pot. An opponent folds, and a third opponent calls. The turn is the 9♣. Your opponent checks again. However unlikely that scenario may be, the fact that you have elected to take a second stab at the pot means something and will make it look as if you have a real hand behind you (unless, of course, you were caught doing this before!). You bet $50 into the $73 pot. Your opponent folds; they would not fold, facing two strong bets.
As Phil Ivey once said, “The only no-limit holdem strategy is to put a man to decision for all his chips.” You put constant pressure on your opponents by efficiently applying continuation bets.
The Semi-Bluff
A semi-bluff is nothing like a pure bluff in which you are hoping to win the pot right now as a result of the bet and have absolutely no chance of hitting the best hand if you are called.
When and Why to Semi-Bluff
When you have a drawing hand, you should semi-bluff. The best time to semi-bluff is on the flop or turn because then you could hit your draw on the last card. For example, if you have A♠K♠ and flop 9♠7♠2♣, you have a flush draw with two overcards and hope to win all the money if you hit your flush. Your semi-bluff adds pressure to your opponents and offers you two ways to win by fold equity or hitting your draw.
Semi-bluff is one of the most powerful weapons in poker, says Phil Ivey, a top player and one of the all-time greatest.
Sizing Your Semi-Bluffs
You will want to size your semi-bluff similar to your value bets to be balanced and game theory optimal. Typically, a bet of around 50-70% of the pot will get the job done. It applies enough pressure but doesn’t commit too many chips. This might look like a $50-$70 semi-bluff if the pot were $100.
Vs tight players, indeed semi-bluff more often because they are the ones more likely to fold. When playing against loose players, you want to have a strong enough draw to be able to semi-bluff. According to Daniel Negreanu, “Only the best know when to bluff, and when to semi-bluff based on the situation and the players you are with.”
Data and Success Rates
The data shows that in fact, semi-bluffing fits the bill and can be incredibly profitable when used properly! High-level players often semi-bluff between 30-40% of the time when they find themselves in a good scenario.
Example Hand
Let’s say you raised pre-flop with Q♣J♣ and a flop of 10♠8♣2♣. Open-ended straight draw + backdoor flush draw. This is a great spot for a semi-bluff. You make a 60% pot size bet, and one opponent calls. The turn is an A♠, which means an additional out has hit. You continuation bet, continue with the pressure, and keep the lead. Your opponent folds, and you manage to steal the pot without using your weak draw.
In a $2/$5 game, you limp 9♠8♠ and get 2 players calling you for $20 more after someone has raised pre-flop. Flop: Q♠7♠3♦. You have a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw. Both opponents check to you. This is also a very good spot for a semi-bluff. You bet $40 into the $60 pot. One folds, and the other calls. Turn: 5♣ — This improves your straight draw with even more outs. Your opponent checks again. With that scare card and your strong draw, you can get a fold right now and put yourself in a position where you can also win the river. You bet $90 into the $140 pot. The opponents cannot handle the heat, and they fold.
“Poker is war,” as Doyle Brunson has said. “People pretend it is a game.” This is exactly the sentiment that semi-bluffing is built around – the belief that one can be both aggressive and hold potential strength in his hand.
The Check-Raise
The check-raise is one of the strongest and most deceptive plays in Texas Hold’em poker, designed to extract value when you have a strong hand pre-flop or on the flop, or to win the pot when you have nothing post-flop. By starting with a check/call and then raising an opponent’s bet, you show your strength and put them in a very uncomfortable spot.
When and Why to Check-Raise
The check-raise is a powerful tool when you have a strong hand or a powerful draw and want to extract value or make a better hand fold. If you have a strong hand or your opponent has only some marginal hands, check-raising is a good idea.
In the words of Phil Hellmuth, “The check-raise is an on-gangster play and is designed to make your opponent’s head explode and give you control of the hand.”
Sizing Your Check-Raises
When you check-raise, make sure to bet a large size. On average, a good check-raise size is a little over 2.5 times the size of your opponent’s bet. For example, if your opponent bets $20 into a $40 pot, a check-raise to $60 or $70 will put a lot of pressure on them.
Check-raise against super passive players who are calling your bets, so you will make more money with a check/shove in higher pots when you hit. Doyle Brunson emphasizes the importance of knowing your opponents, mastering moves like the check-raise in the infamous, “Poker is a game of people.”
Data and Success Rates
There are studies suggesting a check-raise may be an effective strategy when used infrequently. Good players use the check-raise 10-15% of the time, often based on game flow and the strength of their holding.
Example Hand
Imagine you are playing in a $2/$5 game. The big blind posts 7♠7♦. Flop: 7♣5♦2♠ — Top Set. You check, and your opponent bets $20 into the $30 pot. This is a great spot for a check-raise. You raise to $60, putting the villain in an interesting place. They call. Turn: 9♥. You bet $100, and they fold, unable to keep facing this strength.
You’re in a $1/$2 cash game. You have A♠K♠ on the button. The flop comes K♦10♣4♣. You check, and middle position bets $15 into the $20 pot. You elect to check-raise to $45, which should either look like a strong hand or a draw. The cutoff decides his stack is too precious to risk and folds.
Daniel Negreanu: “The check-raise is an underused weapon that, when implemented correctly, can win you a lot of money.”
Value Betting
Value betting is one of the few ways you can actually get ahead when you play Texas Hold’em. It’s one of the main reasons why Texas Hold’em is the only poker game that can be beaten over and over again by just a small group of top players. The point is to get more value out of your strong hands by betting amounts that weaker hands are willing to call.
When and Why to Value Bet
It is better to value bet on the turn and river, as you know the board and the strength of your hand in comparison to his range. In the words of poker legend Phil Ivey: “In poker, if you don’t get value out of your strong hands, you are leaving money on the table.”
Sizing Your Value Bets
How much to value bet? A standard value bet is usually around 50-70% of the pot. It is large enough to bring the pot to a reasonable size but small enough to be appealing to hands that are a little weaker. If there is a pot of $100, then a value bet of $50-$70 is perfect.
Where Good Value Bets Are Made
Seek out spots in which your opponent is apt to have a worse hand than your good hand-but not so good that they would fold it. For example, if you make top pair with a good kicker and the board is fairly dry, you should bet for value. Another profitable spot is extracting value with a set or two pair when your opponent has shown some interest in the pot.
You need to make smaller value bets against tighter players that they will likely call. As Doyle Brunson once put it, “You bring a bull a piece of cheese, and you can pull the wool over his eyes awhile, but you skin him only once.” This works fantastically well when value betting against various kinds of opponents.
Data and Success Rates
Good players tend to bet for value about 30%-40% of the time with their strong hands to get paid off to the maximum.
Example Hand
Let us say you hold A♠Q♠, and the flop was Q♦7♣2♠, giving you top pair with the top kicker. If you bet $20 into a $30 pot, and your opponent calls. Turn: 5♣. The other player calls again, and you bet $50 into a $70 pot. River: 10♦. This is a great opportunity for a value bet. You bet $100 into a pot of $170 because you expect your opponent will call with weaker queens or maybe even a ten.
So let’s say you’re in a $1/$2 game with J♣J♦. Flop: J♠9♣4♦ — You hit top set. You place $15 into the pot of $20, and your opponent calls the bet. Turn: 6♠. You bet just $40 into the $50 pot, and he calls again. River: 3♥. A value bet in this spot. You bet $100 into a $130 pot. Your opponent calls with 9♠9♦ for a smaller set, and you win a huge pot.
As Phil Hellmuth says, “If you wanna win big pots, you gotta get paid off with your big hands.” The adaptations DJs make away from the main stage are called bootlegs. When you bet only for value, you are guaranteed to get the full value out of your really strong hands.
Floating the Flop
Floating the flop is an advanced poker strategy where you call a bet on the flop with the intention of bluffing on a future street (usually the turn). This is a move to take advantage of players who c-bet often but often give up if called.
When and Why to Float Flops
The key to successfully running a bluff like this as a float is to have a read on how your opponent is playing and to pick the right spots where the board texture allows you to take it down on the turn or river. In the words of poker pro Phil Ivey, “Sometimes you have to play a hand like when you have it and vice versa. Timing is everything.”
Sizing Your Float
When choosing to float the flop, your call sizes should depend on the pot size as well as your position. In general, you would be making a small enough call (relative to the pot) to keep your commitment small and then set up for a turn bluff. For example, if your opponent bets $20 into a pot of $30, a float is calling the $20 with the intention of betting if your opponent checks the turn.
What Types of Boards Are Good to Float?
Some board textures make it better to call on the flop. Dry boards, like K♣7♦2♠, are the best because they are never going to smash your opponent’s range as hard as a wet board such as T♠9♠7♠. On the other hand, wet boards with a lot of draw combinations, for example, J♠10♠8♣, are not good opponents to float against since they will bet a wider range of hands and combo draws frequently.
Floating works against opponents who c-bet frequently, and can be a riskier prospect. Doyle Brunson said it best, “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.”
Example Hand
Now say you are playing a $1/$2 cash game with 10♣9♣ on the button. The flop comes A♦7♠4♣. An aggressive opponent C-bets $20 into a pot of $30, and the action is to you. It’s actually a good spot to float and try to bluff them off most turns. You call the $20. Turn: 2♦. Your over bet signals a weak check from your opponent. You bet $45 into a $70 pot as the pre-flop aggressor, value betting an apparently strong hand. Your opponent folds, and you collect the pot without making your hand.
Let’s say you are playing $2/$5 and get Q♠J♠ in the cutoff. The flop comes K♣8♦3♥. The hijack, a player that is known to c-bet a lot, bets $35 into the $50 pot. You choose to float and call the $35 intending to represent a strong hand on the turn. Turn: 5♠. Your opponent checks, and you go ahead. You made a bet of $80 into the $120 pot, causing your opponent to fold and sending you the $120 pot.
Floating, Daniel Negreanu stresses, “Creating possibilities is what floating is all about. You change what is a marginal holding into a winner by betting on the follow-up streets.”
