Haven't played a lot lately since first I was hung over for 3 days and then got sick and I'm still getting better. Tomorrow i'll try to get back to grinding, but maybe today I'll write some thoughts about C-betting with different postflop situations and think about whether to C-Bet or not. I'll include some hand examples. I'm mostly talking about heads up situations after the flop with 100bb's.
1) You have a valuehand that has an equity edge over your opponents calling range and can stack off vs. his raising range or call his raise. This is an obvious C-Bet. Example. (If you have an almost invulnerable hand and block your opponents continuing hands, you should check back, but this doesn't happen very often.)
SB: $24.49 (49 bb)
BB: $17.37 (34.7 bb)
Hero (CO): $43 (86 bb)
BTN: $66.65 (133.3 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with J
2
A
Q
Hero raises to $1.75,
BTN folds, SB calls $1.50,
BB folds
Flop: ($4) Q
A
8
(2 players)
SB checks,
Hero C-Bets
--------
2) You have reasonable equity (maybe 40-60%) over your opponents calling range but do poorly vs. his raising range, and you have very little improvement potential. This situation is a Cbet (because denying your opponent equity is such a big factor in PLO) but an obvious bet-fold. Check-calling is not an option, since you have to fold almost all turns. Only if you have very good backdoors it's OK to consider checking back or check-calling OOP. Example.
SB: $47.78 (95.6 bb)
BB: $142.09 (284.2 bb)
Hero (CO): $117.05 (234.1 bb)
BTN: $50.76 (101.5 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with K
K
3
2
Hero raises to $1.50, BTN calls $1.50,
2 folds
Flop: ($3.75) T
3
6
(2 players)
Hero bets $3, BTN raises to $8.92,
Hero probably folds
--------
3) You have good equity (40-60%) vs. your opponents calling range and decent equity vs. his raising range, but not enough to stack off or call. You also improve on a lot of turns. Usually this means like a pair + open ender on a FD board, or for example second pair with a (non-nut) FD. This is a situation where stats are very useful: you should have both opponents
fold to C-Bet and
raise C-Bet available. Turn stab is useful too. If your opponent calls a lot but doesn't raise, then this comes a C-Bet (especially in position), however if your opponent raises a lot, then checking back or check-calling becomes attractive. If your opponent stabs the flop or turn OOP a lot, you should C-Bet more often with hands that can't call some turns, and check back or check-call more often with hands that can continue on most turns. Example.
SB: $53.43 (106.9 bb)
BB: $51.32 (102.6 bb)
Hero (CO): $50 (100 bb)
BTN: $59.08 (118.2 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with Q
9
K
7
Hero raises to $1.75, BTN calls $1.75,
2 folds
Flop: ($4.25) 7
5
J
(2 players)
Hero checks stats and checks pretty often
-------
4) You have a hand that has some equity (20-40%) over your opponents calling range but very little vs. his raising range, with some improvement potential. This is situation where betting has two merits: first, he usually has a lot of equity with his folding range and you deny that; and second, if you are in position, you get a free river and get to realize all of your equity. In situations like this the best play in position is usually to bet small (assuming your opponent doesn't raise you based on betsizing), but OOP these might be check-folds vs. sticky opponents and bet-folds vs. players who stab the flop a lot. Example.
SB: $29 (58 bb)
BB: $68.60 (137.2 bb)
MP: $75.25 (150.5 bb)
Hero (CO): $42.96 (85.9 bb)
BTN: $53.20 (106.4 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with Q
A
7
3
MP folds,
Hero raises to $1.75, 2 folds, BB calls $1.25
Flop: ($3.75) J
3
2
(2 players)
BB checks,
Hero bets small
-------
Then there are some spesific situations:
A) You don't have a hand but have a lot of fold equity. For example when you have 89TJ on 224r board you should C-Bet (unless your opponent has a very high pair heavy range).
B) Monotone boards: I've been C-Betting a lot (including no equity hands) or little depending mostly on my opponents
fold to Cbet stat.
C) Way ahead, way behind situations. Fox example AA on 228r. I have an equity edge over opponent's calling range, but I need little protection, and I might get bluffed. Checking AA is fine, JJ-KK are usually bets. Opponents
turn stab is useful here, as you might get a turn stab out of him with very low equity vs. your AA.
Ok.