What Is a C-Bet in Poker? Meaning Explained
A c-bet is a continuation bet — you raised preflop, then bet again on the flop. Here's why it works, when to fire, and a worked hand example.
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A c-bet — short for continuation bet — is a bet on the flop made by the player who raised before the flop. You took the betting lead preflop, and you continue that aggression on the flop, whether or not the board actually improved your hand. It’s the single most common bet in Hold’em, and knowing when not to make it is what separates winning players from the pack.
Where the term comes from
The name is literal: you continue the story you started before the flop. When you raise preflop, you tell the table you have a strong hand. A c-bet keeps that story consistent — a player with a real hand would keep betting, so betting the flop makes your bluffs and your value hands look identical.
That consistency is the whole point. If you only bet the flop when you connect and check when you miss, observant opponents read you instantly. The c-bet lets you bet both, so they can never be sure.
Why the c-bet is so powerful
Two facts stack in your favor as the preflop raiser:
- You represent the stronger range. You chose to raise; your opponent chose to call. On most boards, the raiser’s range is stronger.
- Flops usually miss. Unpaired hole cards pair the flop only about a third of the time. Your opponent is often holding air and looking for a reason to fold.
Put those together and a c-bet frequently wins the pot right there, with no showdown and no best hand required. That’s the essence of a bluff with structure behind it — you’re not bluffing randomly, you’re betting a range that’s credibly ahead.
Worked example: firing a c-bet
You raise to $6 preflop with A♥ K♦ from the cutoff and the big blind calls. The flop comes:
Q♠ 7♦ 2♣
You missed — no pair, just ace-king high. But look at the board: it’s dry (no flush or straight draws), high-card heavy, and it hits your raising range harder than a big blind’s calling range. You bet $8 into $13.
- If the big blind has a weak Q, they call and you can reassess.
- If they have 8-6, K-J, small pairs, or two undercards — most of their range — they fold, and you scoop the pot with ace-high.
You won without a made hand, purely because the story held together and the board favored you. That is a textbook c-bet.
Now change the flop to 9♥ 8♥ 7♠. This board smashes a caller’s range (straights, flushes, two pair) and barely touches ace-king. Here you should often check — a c-bet gets called or raised by better, and you’d be betting into strength.
Board texture is the whole decision
The skill in c-betting is reading which flops to fire and which to check:
| Board type | Example | C-bet tendency |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, high | K♠ 7♦ 2♣ | Bet most of the time |
| Paired | J♣ J♦ 4♠ | Bet — hard for caller to have trips |
| Wet, connected | 9♥ 8♥ 7♠ | Check more; favors the caller |
| Low, coordinated | 6♦ 5♦ 4♣ | Slow down, especially out of position |
Your seat matters too. In position you can c-bet wider and control the pot; out of position you’re guessing on later streets, so tighten up. The positions hub covers why acting last is such an advantage.
Related terms
- Delayed c-bet — checking the flop, then betting the turn to disguise strength and catch floaters.
- Double barrel — following a flop c-bet with another bet on the turn.
- Triple barrel — c-betting all three streets, flop through river.
- Float — calling a c-bet with a weak hand, planning to take the pot away on a later street.
Common misuse
- C-betting every flop automatically. The move only works when your range and the board support it. Firing into a coordinated board that hit the caller is a fast way to bleed chips.
- Ignoring the number of players. C-bets work best heads-up. Against two or three callers, someone usually connected — check far more often.
- Betting the same size regardless of texture. Sizing tells a story too; a robotic amount lets thinking opponents read your hand.
- Never following up. If you c-bet the flop and always give up on the turn, floaters will exploit you. Have a plan for the next street before you fire.
Keep going
The c-bet is where preflop initiative turns into flop pressure — master it and you’ll win a stack of pots without ever showing a hand. Pair it with sound bluffing fundamentals, and explore the rest of the vocabulary in the poker terms glossary.
Frequently asked
What is a c-bet in poker?
A c-bet, short for continuation bet, is a bet on the flop made by the player who raised before the flop. You take the betting lead preflop and continue that aggression on the flop, whether or not the board helped your hand.
Why does a c-bet work?
The preflop raiser usually represents a strong range, and most flops miss most hands. When your opponent has nothing, a c-bet folds them out and wins the pot uncontested — you win by betting, not by having the best hand.
How often should you c-bet?
It depends on the board and opponents, but a common baseline is c-betting most dry, high-card flops and slowing down on wet, coordinated boards that connect with a caller's range. Adjust to how much a specific opponent folds.
What is a delayed c-bet?
A delayed c-bet is when the preflop raiser checks the flop and then bets the turn instead. It disguises strength, targets opponents who float the flop, and picks up pots when the turn card is unlikely to have helped them.