What is a c-bet (continuation bet) in poker?
A continuation bet, or c-bet, is a bet on the flop by the player who raised preflop. It "continues" the aggression from the previous street, and it works because the preflop raiser's range is stronger on most flops than the caller's.
Why it matters
The c-bet is the most common postflop action in No-Limit Hold'em, and its sizing carries the strategy: small (about a third of the pot) on dry boards where the raiser has the range advantage and can bet almost everything; larger on wet, connected boards where the caller has more strong hands and the raiser should bet less often but bigger.
The two leaks around it: c-betting every flop regardless of texture (predictable and exploitable by check-raises), and giving up the initiative by checking flops you should bet — the passivity that HoldemPro's data shows is the biggest leak at low stakes.
The numbers
- 46.3% of the 147 players HoldemPro has diagnosed (68 players) have "too passive postflop" as their single biggest leak — checking and calling hands that should bet, the mirror image of a healthy c-bet strategy.
- HoldemPro's stats engine flags a c-bet frequency above 80% as a leak: that's a player betting every flop regardless of texture.
Figures come from the same preflop charts and research data the rest of the site uses (charts last updated July 5, 2026); they change when that data does.
The measured distribution of poker leaks across 147 diagnosed players.
Aggression factor under 1.5. You check too many strong hands and let villains realize equity for free.
Common questions
How often should you c-bet?
It depends on the board, not a fixed number. On dry, high-card flops the preflop raiser can c-bet very often for a small size; on low, connected flops the raiser should check more and bet bigger when betting. Around 50–70% overall is typical for a balanced player heads-up.
What size should a c-bet be?
About one-third of the pot on dry boards (a range bet), half to two-thirds on wet boards, and up to pot or more when the range is polarized. Smaller sizes let you bet more hands; bigger sizes need a stronger range.
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