Continuation betting is one of those poker moves that some people mistakenly use when they think they’re being clever. Better put, many players misuse c-bets because they don’t realize when a situation is not right for c-betting. That being said, here’s a look at situations where a c-bet would be the wrong move.
You’re in a pot with several players
The point of a c-bet is to pick up chips after the flop in a dead money situation. So being in a pot with several players doesn’t exactly present the best situation for making a continuation bet. If you find yourself locked in a pot with multiple players, your best bet is to just fold when the flop misses you. The reason being is that more players left in the hand after the flop means one or more of them is very likely to call your bet just to see the turn.
You’re up against a very aggressive player
The ideal player to make a continuation bet against is tight since they’re unlikely to call you assuming they missed the flop as well. That’s why being in the hand against an aggressive player doesn’t exactly lend itself to a good c-bet – especially if that player has proven to have little regard for money. Remember, the idea behind a c-bet is to steal the pot with as little trouble as possible.
Your c-bet was called by another player in early position
If you raised from early position, then you’ve given off a strong indication that your hand is very strong. Unfortunately, that strong hand goes out the window if the flop misses you. And your problems have only been compounded if the player to your left called the pre-flop raise since it’s likely they had a strong hand too. It’s even possible that the flop didn’t miss them thus making their hand even stronger.
