Part: Part Six - Betting After the Flop
One barrel, then give up
Flop
You opened and the big blind called. Flop J♠ T♣ 4♦ - a coordinated board; you have A-K high. He checks.
A wet board, you have overcards and the lead. Best?
WhyContinuation-bet. A reasonable c-bet still wins a fair share even on a coordinated board, and you have overcards plus a gutshot as backup.
What happensYou bet 800; the big blind calls. Pot: 2,900 (14.5 BB).
Turn
Turn 6♥ - a blank that misses you. He checks again on this wet board.
He called your flop bet on a coordinated board and checks the turn. Best?
WhyCheck behind. He called a c-bet on a board full of pairs and draws, so he likely has a piece that isn't folding; a second barrel mostly burns chips. Take your free showdown with ace-high and give up the bluff. Knowing when to fire only one barrel saves a lot of money.
What happensYou check behind and miss the river, but lost only one barrel. Disciplined give-up.
You fired once on a wet board, but when the caller stuck around and the turn bricked, you shut down rather than barrel into a sticky range. Not every c-bet deserves a second bullet.
Give up the bluff after one barrel when the board favors a caller and your hand has no equity to add - firing again into a stuck range just bleeds chips.