Continuation Betting

[mconstab]

What is the general consensus with continuation betting in NL? As I've come from limit I'm basically programmed to bet the majority of flops when 2-3 handed after being the pre flop raiser because of the price we get on a bluff/semi bluff. From the videos I've watched so far on NL this doesn't seem to be the case.

Is our opponents range a lot more important on our decision to fire a bet as we're getting an inferior price to take the pot down in NL compared to limit?

[Taardvark]

If you opened the pot you are generally going to be c betting. There are some board textures and some opponents which will change that.

One of the things that happens in NL that complicates flop c betting is when you are out of position and your opponents are often aware you are c betting and put you to test by calling ("floating"). This often freezes up the out of position player and if they check the turn the player in position steals the pot with a decent size bet.

Another consideration is the stack sizes because there are some instances where you want to play big pots and some situations where you don't.

[the_hawk]

Perhaps the forum that this was posted in makes the question obvious, but isn't it a good idea to specify that this is a tourney question (if it is indeed such)?

By saying "in NL" I'm pretty sure you will lead some people to think you mean NL cash.

[mconstab]

[cowboyfan]

As you're starting with tournaments, stack size and position should be the most important considerations for when to CB at this point. As you move on and gain more experience, you'll need to start to take a higher variance approach and learn when the CB is only going to make worse hands fold and therefore check behind in order to induce turn bluffs. The board texture will tell you when to do it and when to bet out and protect against draws.

In the early goings of tournament poker, betting is almost always better than checking. Aggression often will win you pots that you shouldn't win. Be conscious of your stack size and your opponents stack size and position, but betting the vast majority of the time will not often be wrong.

[Scully]

I've read a lot of Gus Hansen's book Every Hand Revealed, and other than being quite an entertaining read, the two things I've taken from this book are the importance of stealing after the antes kick in, and c-betting.

Effective c-betting is crucial in building/maintaining a competitive stack IMO.

As to when, it's a feel thing really. The classic board to c-bet is a rainbow board of one high card with two rags. That said if your opponent is loose, c-betting on a board of all scare cards like AKT can be effective.

Like most things in poker there are no hard and fast rules - except ask yourself the question, based on how this guy plays, how likely is this to have hit him? If the answer is unlikely, go for it. If he's a nit and it comes AKQ and you have 78s, this isn't a good spot.

One other thing to bear in mind, if a guy checks to you on a pretty dry board and calls a c-bet OOP, and then starts betting big on the turn, beware the set. In fact, always beware the set in NL. You'll rarely call all in with TPTK and lose to a straight or flush as you'll see it. Without much experience you won't see his set of 3s on a AT396 board when you have AT or AK. Well I don't anyway and I've been playing NL for 5 years!!

[leofric]

I'd also say that this comes down to whether or not this is a MTT qn or a cash qn.

In general in MTTs you almost have to always c-bet to keep a competitive stack, otherwise players in position will call your raises and push when you check to them.

In cash I think most people c-bet too often. It's probably worth remembering that in cash more people call you will have some kind of hand to do it with whereas in MTTs its sometimes any two cards (see Arnold Snyder's book for details!)