C-betting in live cash games: when to bet the flop, how much and against how many
A c-bet, short for continuation bet, is a bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop. It is the most common bet in poker, and in live £1/£2 and £2/£5 games it is also one of the most overused. This lesson covers why c-bets work, which flops suit them, how big to bet, and why a c-bet into several players needs far more folds than one into a single caller.
What a c-bet is
You open to £8 on the button and the big blind calls. The flop comes and the big blind checks. If you bet, that is a continuation bet: you are continuing the story your raise told before the flop.
Only the last raiser before the flop can make a c-bet. If you 3-bet and the opener calls, a flop bet from you is a c-bet in a 3-bet pot. A bet into the raiser from a player who called is a different move, often called a donk bet or a lead.
Why c-bets work
A c-bet can win in three ways:
- Value. When you have a strong hand, a bet builds the pot while worse hands still call.
- Folds. The flop misses most hands. A player who called with two cards that did not connect will often fold to one bet.
- Equity denial. A hand that folds can no longer catch up on the turn or river, so even a medium hand gains when weaker draws give up.
The raiser also has an edge in many flops: the raising range holds more big pairs and big aces than the calling range, because most players re-raise those hands rather than just call. That edge is why a c-bet is often right heads-up, and why it shrinks fast when more players see the flop.
Which flops suit a c-bet
Think about which range the flop helps more.
- Dry high-card flops such as K♠ 7♦ 2♣ suit the raiser. The raising range has more kings and big pairs, and few draws are possible. A small bet often wins the pot.
- Low connected flops such as 7♥ 6♥ 5♣ suit the caller. Callers hold more small pairs, suited connectors and hands such as 8-7 and 6-5. Check more often, and bet mainly with strong hands and strong draws.
- Paired flops such as Q♦ Q♣ 4♠ miss almost everyone. A small bet is often enough, but expect a player who has a queen to keep calling.
Out of position, check more often than in position. You will act first on every later street too, so a c-bet that gets called leaves you guessing on the turn.
How big to c-bet
Size follows the flop and the opponent.
- About a third of the pot on dry flops, where you bet a wide range and want a cheap way to win the pot.
- About half to two thirds of the pot on wet flops with many draws, and with strong hands against players who call too much.
In many live games players call too often after the flop. Against them, bet bigger with your value hands and bluff less. Against players who fold too much, small bets win often enough.
Heads-up at £1/£2 after an £8 open and one call, with both blinds folded, the pot on the flop is £19:
| C-bet | Share of the pot | Folds a pure bluff needs | Equity a caller needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £6 | 32% | 24.0% | 19.4% |
| £10 | 53% | 34.5% | 25.6% |
| £13 | 68% | 40.6% | 28.9% |
A bigger bet needs more folds to work as a bluff, and gives the caller a worse price. The bluff calculator and the pot odds calculator run the same sums for any size.
Multiway pots
Live games often see three or four players on the flop. That changes the c-bet more than anything else.
A bluff must get every player to fold. If each opponent decides on their own, the chance that all of them fold is their individual chances multiplied together. To reach the same overall fold rate against more players, each one has to fold far more often.
At £1/£2 after an £8 open, with both blinds folded, a bet of about half the pot:
| Players on the flop | Pot | C-bet | Folds needed in all | Each opponent must fold | Equity a caller needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 (heads-up) | £19 | £10 | 34.5% | 34.5% | 25.6% |
| 3 | £27 | £14 | 34.1% | 58.4% | 25.5% |
| 4 | £35 | £18 | 34.0% | 69.8% | 25.4% |
Against three opponents, each has to fold about 70% of the time for the bluff to break even. Players in a multiway pot also tend to call wider, because each caller sees others in the hand and a good price. So in multiway pots:
- Bet mostly for value. Two pair, sets and top pair with a strong kicker want to bet.
- Bet strong draws, such as a flush draw with an overcard, which can win when called.
- Check most hands that missed. A bluff into three players rarely works in a live game.
Try it: price a c-bet
Enter the pot, your bet and how many opponents are in the hand. See how often a bluff must work, how often each opponent has to fold and the price a caller gets.
Break-even figures for a bet with no equity when called and no rake. A bluff with outs needs fewer folds. The caller price assumes nobody else calls.
After the c-bet
Plan the turn before you bet the flop. If the c-bet is called:
- Keep betting when the turn helps your range or your hand, such as a high card or a card that completes your draw.
- Slow down when the turn helps the caller, such as a low card that connects a low flop.
- Give up on most pure bluffs that were called on a wet flop by a player who rarely folds.
The stack-to-pot ratio shapes the plan. In a single-raised pot with 100 big blind stacks it is about 10 on the flop, so there is room for several bets; in a 3-bet pot it is often below 4, and a c-bet with top pair may be most of the way to all in. The short and deep stacks lesson explains how stack depth changes this.
Common mistakes
- C-betting every flop, so observant players call or raise with any piece of the board.
- Bluffing into three or four players.
- Using one size on every flop, whatever its texture.
- C-betting out of position as often as in position.
- Firing again on the turn without a plan after a call on a wet flop.
- Folding to every raise after a c-bet; some players raise draws and weak pairs.
Check yourself
Heads-up, the pot is £30 and you c-bet £10. How often must your opponent fold for a pure bluff to break even?
You risk £10 to win £30, so the bluff needs £10 ÷ (£10 + £30) = 25.0% folds.
You face three opponents on the flop and your bluff needs 34% folds in all. How often must each opponent fold?
About 70%, if they decide on their own: 0.70 × 0.70 × 0.70 is about 0.34. That is why multiway c-bet bluffs rarely work.
You opened the button and the big blind called. Which flop suits a small c-bet better: K♠ 7♦ 2♣ or 7♥ 6♥ 5♣?
K♠ 7♦ 2♣. It favours the raiser's range and has few draws. The 7♥ 6♥ 5♣ flop connects with many of the hands a big blind defends.
Key takeaways
- A c-bet works best heads-up, in position, on flops that favour the raiser's range.
- Size it about a third of the pot on dry flops and about half to two thirds on wet flops or against players who call too much.
- In multiway pots, each opponent must fold far more often, so bet mainly for value and with strong draws.
Sources and method
Original Overshove writing. The tables assume £1/£2, an £8 open, both blinds folded and no rake. Fold figures are break-even points for a bet with no equity when called; a bluff with outs needs fewer folds. The multiway figures assume each opponent decides independently, which is a simplification. The flop and sizing advice is an editorial starting point, not solver output and not a promise of results; adjust it to your notes on the players at your table.
Questions
What is a C bet?
A c-bet, or continuation bet, is a bet on the flop by the player who made the last raise before the flop. It continues the strength shown by the raise and often wins the pot when the flop misses the caller.
How often should you c-bet in live poker?
Less often than many live players do. C-bet often heads-up, in position, on flops that favour your range. Check more often out of position, on low connected flops and in multiway pots, where a bluff has to get several players to fold.
What size should a c-bet be?
A common starting point is about a third of the pot on dry flops and about half to two thirds on wet flops with many draws. Against players who call too much, bet bigger with strong hands and bluff less.
Should you c-bet in a multiway pot?
Mainly with strong hands and strong draws. Against three opponents, each one must fold about 70% of the time for a half-pot bluff to break even, so most missed hands should check.
What flops are good to c-bet?
Dry high-card flops such as K♠ 7♦ 2♣ suit the preflop raiser, because the raising range holds more big cards and few draws are possible. Low connected flops such as 7♥ 6♥ 5♣ suit the caller, so check them more often.