An Overview of the Continuation Bet in No Limit

As anyone who has ever played No Limit Holdem will tell you, those who are aggressive will often be the ones who will be winning, which means that your strategy must include elements of aggression. One of the most efficient tools you can use is of course, the continuation bet.

The continuation bet, in basic terms, is a No Limit strategy wherein a player makes a raise before the flop and, often regardless of whether he hits or misses the board, makes a another bet, the continuation bet. Quite often, this tactic will work, even if you get called pre flop. Why? Because the fact is that most of the time, players will not hit the flop.

Because you made the bet, the impression that your opponents will get is that you made a hand, therefore making it easy for them to fold. This No Limit strategy is best used when you are in late position, but the fact is that even if you are in the middle, it can be utilized quite effectively.

For example, if the action is folded to you or you sense that everyone got weak hands, you should make a continuation bet. If you are holding a J8 and the flop is Ace high, by making a bet the other players will think that you got hold of the pocket Aces.

Similarly, if you use this No Limit strategy holding a 9-7 on a flop of J-5-3, yoru opponents will likely conclude that you hit the set with your JJs.

As stated earlier, this tactic can work even if you get called pre flop. However, the same cannot be said if there are multiple callers pre flop. The reason is the odds will dictate that someone might be holding a solid hand. If you miss the board and make a bet, chances are high someone might call or worse, raise you. If this happens, fold your hand.

You should also be wary of using this No Limit strategy if the flop is suited or filled with straight potential. You should also avoid making yourself predictable. If you are always making a bet on the board, the other players will notice and realize what your strategy is,

The continuation bet is one of the most widely used strategies by successful No Limit players, for a good reason; it often pays off. Even if you are new, you can make this a part of your game plan, and a lot of your opponents will not even see it coming, translating into easy wins.