Continuation Betting: A glimpse of recent theory in my brain.

[john kane]

This is something I've mulled over.

If you always continuation bet say 3/4 pot, then your opponent knows this. Thus he is getting far better than even money to call preflop, as he knows if he 'hits' then not only does this give him the preflop chips but your continuation bet as well.

I feel this is why it is important to check down showdown value hands, like when you miss with A high, or when the board comes A x x and you have K high, becuase often someone will check-call anyway to see what you do on the turn if he has any pair. Unless you are often 2 barrelling, then he will not make this play.

Thus, the a single continuation bet is very rarely a good play. It fails to merge your good hands with your bluffs as the turn check/bet tells the opponent which you have. Also, they are far more willing to check-call when you are bluffing.

So I advocate either check down with marginal hands, or two barrel. Whereas with when you completely miss or hit, then bet the flop when checked to.

Given if you two barrel with marginal hands, as you are also doing this with complete bluffs and big hitting hands, then i think your fold equity becomes to low on your bluffs, plus you are liable to be semi bluff. Therefore I think checking is best with any hand with showdown value, and betting when complete trash you have raised with and with top pair, middle pair, overpair etc.

As for semibluffing, entirely opponent dependent.

Just my recent thoughts I thought I would share. For many people this will be old theory, which has been said many times before, but I thought I would like to post it.

Good luck