Among the various concepts that surround Texas Holdem poker is the continuation bet. This particular concept has gained a lot of attention in the last few years and is used by a large number of professional players today.
The concept
Continuation bet is basically an extension of a theory that selective aggression is rewarded in no limit Holdem games and that if a player takes the lead for a particular hand it would be necessary to keep control of the hand for as much as possible. Taking the lead refers to being the first one to bet on the hand. For example, if you hold As 9h and are in the middle position and the hand has been folded around, it is better to raise than just call. This is done to alert the players that you have a strong hand and will help you call the action on the table. In case you are raised pre flop then you will get an idea that your hand is not strong enough. If you are simply called around it can be said that most players have weaker hands.
In order to maintain control a continuation bet may be used on the flop. Basically this means continuing the betting action on the hand regardless of whether or not you hit that flop. Since in most cases players tend to miss the flop this bet would be enough to take down most players if you have only been called preflop. When you raise before the flop most players will believe that you either have Ax or a pocket pair. With an ace high flop, you make the continuation bet and you will end up winning the pot in most cases unless an opponent flops an ace pair or a larger hand.
Pitfalls of continuation bet to avoid
When four or more full tilt poker players have called pre flop and if you miss the flop the continuation bet can turn out to be risky. There is a chance that one of the opponents may have made something with so many players still in the game. If you get raised or called you may be in a tough spot. Also, with a dangerous flop like 9h, Qc, Qh or Qs, Js, Ts it would be better not to make the bet or to make a small one since such flops may give an opponent a huge draw.
Another mistake is making a bet of this nature every time you have missed the flop or checking when you hit. When you check a flop with ace high after pre flop bet with an ace and bet the same flop if your pre flop had been with a pair you opponents may catch on very quickly. Like with any other type of strategy it is essential to vary the game play and to never play consistently since the opponents would be able to very easily predict your game strategy and your motives.