What is a c-bet?

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poopnuggette

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I just read on an old post. A guy said he would take on a limper with j10 and then trap them with a c bet or something.

Whats a "C" bet​

P.S how does a C bet help you when playing poker?

**update Feb 2018

A c bet is a continuation bet after the flop made by the original pre-flop raiser. Read some of the posts below for a more detailed response.

CardsChat has an amazing glossary that includes the definition of this and many other poker terms:

Poker Glossary
 
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razzmachine

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c bet

It is when the original raiser makes a continuation bet after the flop. Hence the term c bet.
 
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Cobryn

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Harrington's books details this and explains it well.

Razz is right, but to flesh it out a bit more for you, say you get AQ and open the pot from the button with a standard raise of 3 or 4 times the big blind.

The big blind calls.

The flop comes 8, 4, 3 unsuited.

While this flop didnt help you at all, it probably didnt help him either. If he checks his hand to you... you would bet about a third of the pot to try to take it down right there even though you didnt hit it.

I was going to make some non funny smart remark and invent something else to be a c-bet... but I couldnt think of anything so I gave you the answer instead.
 
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dranger7070

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A "c-bet" is when the original Pre Flop Raiser bets again on the flop. Also called Continuation bet. Hence C-bet.

Example:

I have AK. I raise Pre Flop. One person calls me. Flop comes, I bet again.

That is a c-bet. Also, a c-bet helps you in that say you miss the flop with your AK. However, your opponent is only going to hit the flop around 1/3 tries too. So, when you put out a continuation bet, often times you can take the pot down right there.

WARNING: Just because you CAN c-bet doesn't mean you always SHOULD. For example, NEVER c-bet into more than 2 players if you don't have at least one pair on the flop because chances are, one of them hit the flop and will play back at you, ok? You have to know WHEN to c-bet in order to do it correctly.
 
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spacemiu

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dranger is right, the reason you -as a preflop raiser- want to c-bet on most flops most of the time is because %60 of the time people dont hit the flops. So you want to take advantage of that %60.

Against tight passive players, the advantages of c-bet is huge. If he calls, you can be sure he has something and play accordingly on the turn. You can always push them off their hand if a scare card comes, just to keep in mind.

If your opponent is a loose-aggressive player and often floats (meaning he calls even though he hasnt hit the flop to see what you do on the turn or to take the pot away from you on later streets) then you might want to double barrell him more often because it's more believable and people have a harder time calling the turn bet, OR you can simply choose NOT to c-bet if you have a hand with a showdown value/or has the potential to get better so that he doesnt push you off your hand by raising.

It's all about reading the opponents, but overall doing a c-bet %70 percent of time being the preflop raiser is about right.
 
Stu_Ungar

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A c bet is a original a pre flop raiser

Id take it one step further though.. A c-bet is made by the origional raiser but its a bet done to cause others to fold. Its done on most flops that you think your opponent hasnt hit. You look at the flop and take a guess.

Its usually 1/2 - 3/4 of the pot size. This mustbe the same as your usual value bet otherwise players will be able to tell when you have hit and when you havnt!! i.e you try and min raise a c-bet but bet 3/4 pot size with a hand.

It is not a value bet, when you c-bet you are essentially bluffing, but with a hand which COULD improve. You are basically saying .. if you havnt hit this flop then its going to cost you to continue.

If someone raises yoour c-bet, you fold... you have nothing .. unless you think a re-raise would cause him to fold.. but you need to be deep stacked to even think of that.
 
califantasy

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One more thing...C-Bets make more sense when the flop that comes looks like it might have connected with your hand to your opponent...or better yet, it appears to you as though it did not improve your opponent. (i.e. if you raised preflop with AK, and the flop comes as an 8,6,3 rainbow--as long as your opponent didn't call your big preflop raise with a small pair, a C-bet should take the pot).
 
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califantasy

califantasy

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(i.e. if you raised preflop with AK, and the flop comes as an 8,6,3 rainbow--as long as your opponent didn't call your big preflop raise with a small pair, a C-bet should take the pot).


I just realized that Cobryn said almost exactly this. (Or maybe he credited Harrington with it :) Great minds think alike?:confused:
 
buckster436

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C bet or C note,?? a C note is a 50 dollar bill i believe,,,,,,, buck:)
 
tenbob

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Just for clarification.

IF you have AK raise preflop, and bet a 5 6 J flop its a C-bet.

IF you have AK raise pre-flop and bet a K 6 5 flop its not a C-bet. (there is other names for this type of bet :) )

By defination a c-bet is to bet a flop that missed you if you were the pre-flop raiser.
 
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memexyz

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where did the cnote thing come from lol
 
zachvac

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Just for clarification.

IF you have AK raise preflop, and bet a 5 6 J flop its a C-bet.

IF you have AK raise pre-flop and bet a K 6 5 flop its not a C-bet. (there is other names for this type of bet :) )

By defination a c-bet is to bet a flop that missed you if you were the pre-flop raiser.

I definitely always have used and heard used cbet for just betting any flop that you raised regardless of if you flop TPTK, set, or air. Do you have some sort of reference here because obviously I don't know if there's an actual definition but I know that whenever I use/hear the word cbet it usually refers to just the betting pattern regardless of cards.
 
Stu_Ungar

Stu_Ungar

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^^^

The C-bet here is the first because its a standard flop raise.

The second is a value bet because he has hit TPTK

I dont think he is sayng dont bet the second senario.. just that the bet is for value.
 
dj11

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The function of the c-bet is to confirm that you believe you have the best hand. You first did that with a preflop raise, and now post flop, you don't want to give anyone the impression your hand has gone belly up. So you c-bet almost any flop which re-enforces the notion that you have a big pair, or hit the flop good.
 
Stu_Ungar

Stu_Ungar

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The function of the c-bet is to confirm that you believe you have the best hand. You first did that with a preflop raise, and now post flop, you don't want to give anyone the impression your hand has gone belly up. So you c-bet almost any flop which re-enforces the notion that you have a big pair, or hit the flop good

Im not sure I agrre with thatstatement dj11.

The accepted use of the c-bet is to declare that you have a hand that has connected with the flop or was premium preflop and the flop hasnt changed that. (which is what you said)

However, since beginning to learn about poker (and I admit I am an absolute beginner) I have seen a lot of advice advocating the use of the c-bet regardless of hitting the flop or not.

In fact its often given by pros etc on youtube stuff I have seen as an inside tip.

I think a while ago it was used to declare a hand, and had a secondary use as a bluffing tactic.

But this advice is now so mainstream that most players c-bet regardless of the flop. It is done in position and is effectively the flop's unofficial blind.

I believe its usage has evolved. It is simply a defence against weak / passive players and short stacks. The pre-flop bet probably declares a reasonable hand.. but the c-bet is now simply an extension of that initial raise. Its almost meaningless. Except to weak players who called the flop with nothing, it causes them to give up the pot. Shortstacks who havnt hit the flop are also put in a position where they realise they probably cant steal pots. Against a strong player, and with a competative chip stack, would you fear his c-bet?

I wouldnt, in fact its so routine that I would be expecting to pay it anyway.
 
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