continuation bets losing money, how do I adjust?

[fuzzbox]

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Out of curiousity I recently started recording what I was winning/losing with continuation bets. I include times where I have KK/QQ/JJ and an overcard hits because I don't really want a call there and will have to give up to any aggression. Well in just this past day of playing I've lost 100$ just on continuation bets, which is what I thought. I'm losing money by continuation betting.

So.... I am profitable with AK/AQ/AJ and all pair type hands, so obviously continuation betting isn't making me unprofitable here, and its possible I am just running bad. But it definitely does seem like a leak, how do I adjust my play accordingly? Raising AK/AQ/AJ seems really pointless if you aren't going to make a continuation bet, it seems like you are going to get the pot taken away from you very often. Limping them sucks as well. Well I have no idea what I need to do, any ideas?

PS. I only try continuation bets against 1-2 opponents and I usually bet near pot size (7 into 8, 8 into 10, etc)

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If playesrs limp and then call your raise, they often have a PP. If the flop comes 852, they often fancy their chances against your "whiffed" A-big. Checking behind sometimes on these kinds of flops (and correspondingly checking behind on Axx or Kxx flops where you have top pair) is certainly worth doing.

In case 1 - you might turn one of your cards, and they might bet into you, or they might check-the turn and you might take the pot there.

In case 2 - weaker hands might bet into you, allowing you to make more money from your top pair hand, without risking getting check-raised and playing a big pot with it, and without risking lots of folds by your opponents.

The texture of the flop is very important in making a continuation bet, as is the hand-range that you can put your opponent on. Also - you may well have to fire two barrells at least some of the time when you are bluffing, or players will call you to see what you do on the turn, and take the pot away from you there very often.

Your opponents are evil - you must conquer them with your goodness.

[xorbie]

One good tip is to bet the turn from time to time, especially with position. If you continuation bet like 80% and then bet turn like 33% when called on flop, you'll actually do fairly decently.

[ScottTheFish]

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One good tip is to bet the turn from time to time, especially with position. If you continuation bet like 80% and then bet turn like 33% when called on flop, you'll actually do fairly decently.

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So true. There's something in Ciaffone's book about the key to his success and he said it was "knowing when to fire the second barrel".

Of course a little of this goes a long way, don't turn into a bluffing machine.

Another tip is this: Be more likely to continuation bet in position after they being checked to than from OOP.

I also agree with betting 2/3 to 3/4 of the pot. Rarely are they folding for a pot bet when they would call 2/3.

[vulturesrow]

Also when you do hit the flop and youre OOP , check raise from time to time. I dont C/R much in NL, but this is one situation where I do. This will make your continuation bets a little more credible as well.

[punter11235]

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4) Don't make continuation bets into loose players that are liable to call you with any piece of the board. These are fish who need to be value bet, not bluffed.

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Fish is a player who always fold to continuation bet without 2pair/set.
In practice is almost always good to call with anything cause most people when raising preflop with AK feel entitled to win the pot whatever comes.

Best wishes

[ScottTheFish]

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In practice is almost always good to call with anything cause most people when raising preflop with AK feel entitled to win the pot whatever comes.


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This is not almost always good. What do you do when I see you calling all these continuation bets and start firing 2/3 of the pot on the turn? Keep assuming I missed my AK and call?

[Jimbio]

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If playesrs limp and then call your raise, they often have a PP. If the flop comes 852, they often fancy their chances against your "whiffed" A-big. Checking behind sometimes on these kinds of flops (and correspondingly checking behind on Axx or Kxx flops where you have top pair) is certainly worth doing.

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You mean like this?

Shed some light on an old thread [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[voltron.]

even if the actual continuation bets are -EV if they help your table image they can be +ev.

i probably continuation bet 50%, and fire on the turn 1/4, but that really depends on the opponent. the more hands you play the more you get a sense of when the flop hit them and when it didnt. also youll learn who will check fold and who will check with a hand expecting you to bet.


and the person who said continuation bets can work better in large pots actually has a point. though this is high risk and i dont do it often, and when i do i need a read.

[mpethybridge]

Go back and memorize Harrington's chapter on continuation bets. There are lots more guidelines there and in the hands at the end that you should be following. Your continuation bets are bigger than Harrington suggests, btw. Also make sure you do not make a cb at every flop with 1 or 2 players. Harrington suggests about 50% or so, as I recall. So you pick the really bad half of flops and check them, based on texture, number of opponents and type of opponents.

Continuation bets are bluffs. Your opponents know you are only gonna hit the flop about a third of the time. So if you are betting too high a percentage of flops, your opponents know you are full of it most of the time, and are just looking you up.

Also, make sure you are not continuation betting at the flops that have the highest probability of having hit your opponent(s). Again, look to Harrington for advice on this.

[guaranteedBluff]

I posted a similar thread a few weeks ago, about my unsuccessful continuation betting system. I've developed a sort of "session strategy" since then that has been quite successful.

For the first 50 hands or so, do not continuation bet much (less than 50%). At this time, other players like to think that every flop bet from you is a steal, and you'll get lots of callers.

During these hands, show down only a few, and make sure that they are strong hands - this gives you a sort of credibility at the table.

After showing that "you only value bet", continuation betting will be at least 2x as successful, because now your opponents will have switched to the mindset of "if he's betting, he's got it!"

It's funny how you are often just placed into category A (always bluffing) or category B(bets good hands); if you can be aware of your standing in this respect, you will be much more successful in terms of these missed AK, AQ, AJ, etc...