Betting is something which most of the Holdem players fail to understand. It’s just not about throwing in chips into the pot. The timing of the bet and the amount too plays a crucial role in the stakes that you win. This is one of the most important aspect of the game.

Due to a lot of focus on betting by professional players, betting has received much more attention in recent past and beginners are starting to take the concepts of betting more seriously.

Especially the concept of continuation bet. Continuation bet has become very popular in the recent times and it has emerged from the belief that Holdem rewards selective aggression. This does not mean that an aggressive player wins the pot always but it does mean that you can win the pot if you know when to play aggressively and continuation bet is one method through which you can make your play aggressive.

It’s very true that no-Limit Holdem rewards selective aggression and if you do take the lead then you need to take control of the hand as long as possible. To take the lead refers to being the first one to bet and continuation bet is used to strengthen your position.

Alerting you opponents by giving out little information will help you in dictate the action and will help you know your hand position. If you are raised pre-flop then you can be pretty sure that your hands are not the best and you can try to form a strong one.

Continuation bet is used to maintain control of the hand and is often put out on flop. This action shows other players the strength of your hand as regardless of whether you hit the flop or not you will place the continuation bet. A continuation be is more often sufficient to take down the pot as most people miss the flops.

A few things to keep in mind while going in for a continuation bet are:

If four or five people have called the pre-flop and if you miss the flop, going for a continuation bet is a risky option as the the chances of anyone of the player getting a better hand is high. If a flop comes dangerously close, you might want to skip the continuation bet or you might want to keep the bet small.

One of the most common errors made while placing continuation bet is that many players think that continuation bet has to be placed every time the flop is missed. Also checking whenever you hit is a bad idea. Also, if your pre-flop bet was with a pair its highly possible that your opponents will soon catch up.

The key is to make sure to diversify your game and make the continuation bet both when you hit as well as when you miss the flop. Occasionally checking whether you hit or miss the flop is a good practice to follow.