Continuation betting (cbetting) is the most common pot stealing play you’ll make in poker, especially on the flop. A well-placed cbet pressures your opponent into folding, even if you don’t have a strong hand (which is most of the time).
But how do you make your cbets more effective and maximize your fold equity to win more pots? Here are 8 key strategies to help you win more pots with flop cbet bluffs.
1. Bluff the Flop on Hard-to-Hit Boards
Certain flops are harder for your opponent to connect with, making them ideal for bluffing. Dry, uncoordinated boards like K72 rainbow (r) or A94r with no flush draw are difficult for most ranges and hands to hit. Paired boards (TT5 and A66) can also work. If your opponent’s range mostly consists of unpaired hands, they are more likely to fold to your continuation bet.
2. Bluff More Often When You Are in Position
Being in position allows you to control the hand and apply more pressure. Your opponent must act first, giving you more information and time to think, before you decide whether to fire a cbet. When you’re in position, your bluffs carry more weight because your opponent fears you may continue betting on later streets, making it harder for them to continue without a strong hand.
3. Use Smaller Bets When You Have Some Showdown Equity
If your hand has some potential to win at showdown—such as a weak pair or Ace-high overcards—you don’t need to risk a big bluff. A smaller cbet, around 1/3 of the pot, can serve two purposes: controlling the pot size and giving your opponent a chance to fold. If they fold, great—you win the pot without needing to hit your hand. If they call, you still have the chance to barrel bluff or improve your equity on later streets.
If they call the flop, most likely they’ll check to you on the turn. Being in position (#2 above), you have the option to check-back and see the river for free, or continue barreling if you believe they can find the fold.
Example Hand #1
Preflop: Villain 49 limps into the pot (41.4bb starting stack), Hero iso-raises to 4bb with Td9d, and V49 is the only caller.
Flop: 4s Qh 4d, 9.5bb pot. V49 checks and Hero cbets ~1/3 pot (3bb) and V49 folds.
Turn Plan: If V49 called the flop, Hero would barrel on a diamond (giving Hero a flush draw) and on straight draw cards (K, J, 8). Hero would also barrel on a Ten or 9 after picking up showdown value. This would allow him to check-back the river if necessary to see showdown (#6 below). And complete blanks like 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 would be great for barreling as they likely don’t help V49’s flop calling range.
Lesson: Even smaller cbets can work on hard-to-hit flops when in position.
Check out this YouTube video for help on planning for future streets:
4. Target Players Who Fold to Flop Cbets More Than 60%
If their HUD shows their Fold to Flop Cbet > 60%, you should cbet bluff them more often than not. These players are fine with folding flops, so give them that opportunity. If you have strong drawing equity, like two overcards with both a flush draw and a straight draw (QsJs on Tc9s4s), consider betting larger. This applies a lot of pressure and also builds the pot with your high equity holding.
READ MORE: Test Your HUD Statistics Knowledge
5. Exploit Players Who Show Flop Honesty
Fold to Flop Cbet is a great statistic to notice, but look at their other flop stats. Maybe they also have a low Cbet Flop < 50%, and they’ve never raised versus a cbet. These are additional signs of flop honesty and indicate a straightforward flop player, making them prime targets for cbet bluffs. Against these players, fire more flop cbets and expect to win the pot a high percentage of the time.
6. Double-Barrel More Often When the Turn Helps YOU
A great opportunity to cbet bluff the flop is when there are many possible turn cards that allow you to continue the aggression. Hands with backdoor flush draws, backdoor straight draws, or overcards on the flop give you the option to fire a second barrel (double-barrel) on the turn when a favorable card arrives. If your backdoor draws are nut draws, you gain even more equity and fold equity combined.
And, just as cbetting flop in position allows you to check-back turn to see the river, barreling the turn in position often allows you to pot control and check-back the river and get to showdown.
Example Hand #2
Preflop: Hero min-opens with AsQs, Villain 62 defends in the BB (55.3bb starting stack).
Flop: 9s 7c Td, 4.5bb pot. V62 checks and Hero cbets 2.2bb with 2 overcards + nut backdoor flush draw + nut backdoor straight draw. V62 Folds to Flop Cbets 100% (1/1), but calls. Hero plans to barrel on an Ace, Queen, spade, King or Jack. A blank 2, 3, 4 or 5 works as well.
Turn: Hero picks up a flush draw on the 2s. The pot is 8.9bb and Hero barrels 5bb with his added equity, V62 folds.
Lesson: Use helpful turn cards that add value or drawing equity with which to barrel. This continued pressure is often enough to earn the pot before you’ve made your hand.
7. Attack Tighter Players and Loose-Passive Fish
Tight players often fold if they don’t have a strong hand. Against them, well-timed cbets can steal many pots. However, another great target is the loose-passive “calling station” who loves to see flops but gives up when they miss. These players often call preflop in hopes of striking gold on the flop, but are quick to fold versus a cbet.
8. Choose Bet Sizes That Maximize Fold Equity
Your bet size should hit your opponent’s pain threshold—the point at which they feel it’s too costly to continue. On scary boards like an A-high monotone flop (As 9s 4s), even a small cbet of 1/3 pot can be enough to take it down. On more connected boards, like KQT, a larger bet of 3/4 pot may be needed to make opponents fold their weak draws and marginal hands. If you have a tight table image, opponents are more likely to believe your cbets, especially if they are on the larger side.
Take Action
Effective cbet bluffing requires a mix of strategy, observation, and well-chosen bet sizes. By targeting the right opponents, choosing the right board textures, and understanding when to double-barrel, you can dramatically increase your success rate with cbet bluffs. The key is to apply pressure at the right time when you believe they can find a fold given the factors of the hand.
Play your sessions this week with a focus on cbet bluffing the flop. Use the 8 strategies we’ve outlined here to steal more pots with confidence!
About The Author
