C-Betting is over

[ssiman]

The gig is up. C-betting post flop ain't working online no mo.

As the poker world continues to evolve and the play is getting better and the "producers" are leaving the game, c-betting is about over. Fishy players, in this economy, don't seem to be depositing more cash into the poker economy so this realm is becoming even tougher to make money.

Bluffing is becoming very easy to spot now a days - I am even seeing bluffs when the texture of the board doesn't jive at all.

The irony is that while the "moves" like c-betting aren't really working so well so much anymore, the bluffing moves seems to be getting more and more obvious.

One thinkg is for certain, the next several years of online poker just will not be as it was from 2003-2007.

Online poker is experiencing a paradigm shift. Gotta "change it up" now more than ever.
IMHO

[BlindGuy]

Originally Posted by ssiman

The gig is up. C-betting post flop ain't working online no mo.

As the poker world continues to evolve and the play is getting better and the "producers" are leaving the game, c-betting is about over. Fishy players, in this economy, don't seem to be depositing more cash into the poker economy so this realm is becoming even tougher to make money.

Bluffing is becoming very easy to spot now a days - I am even seeing bluffs when the texture of the board doesn't jive at all.

The irony is that while the "moves" like c-betting aren't really working so well so much anymore, the bluffing moves seems to be getting more and more obvious.

One thinkg is for certain, the next several years of online poker just will not be as it was from 2003-2007.

Online poker is experiencing a paradigm shift. Gotta "change it up" now more than ever.
IMHO

You're right, if someone bets the flop...always fold. Spread the word.

Although it (the c-bet evaluation) may be true at times, this is way to broad of an assumtion to make.

Online poker took a turn with the (absurd) passing of the UIEGA in 2006, its been what it is since. Yes it was better before when it was easy to deposit and there were more sites to access. However, with fewer sites, there is a high concentration of bad players. Traffic is still rising, and the guarantees for tournaments on Stars and FTP have both increased several times since the passing of UIEGA. Just recently FTP and Stars have made increases and added lower buy-in high guarantees. (Stars has a $10 200k guar. and FTP a $22 100k Guar)

The game has certainly changed, and the players have evolved and become better with all the tools and training sites available (some are > others.) It is still a beatable and profitable game. Its not free money though, you HAVE to be willing to learn and put forth an effort to understand the game. No matter what you think you may know, you don't know enough. Keep an open mind to learning why things work. I'm doing things now that 3 months ago I would have never done, a year ago would have laughed at, and 3 years ago would have berated/made fun of.

[BigSlickJedi]

Would someone explain for a non-online player just exactly what is c-betting?

[RichardCronier]

Originally Posted by BigSlickJedi

Would someone explain for a non-online player just exactly what is c-betting?

A c-bet is a " continuation bet ". Without getting too involved, and Barry or Rob may want to elaborate further, the basic principle is to raise pre-flop and then you bet out after the flop even though the flop may not have helped you in anyway. Basically you are bluffing, but a skilled player who is watching the players and sees you raise and then c-bet will assume that you have a monster and fold. But what Barry and Rob are saying is that people are now doing this and they may have the nuts and you think they are bluffing and so you call or reraise to get them off the hand and now all your money is theirs.

[BigSlickJedi]

Ok, I know what a continuation bet is - just didn't know it was referred to as c-betting.

[BlindGuy]

Originally Posted by RichardCronier

A c-bet is a " continuation bet ". Without getting too involved, and Barry or Rob may want to elaborate further, the basic principle is to raise pre-flop and then you bet out after the flop even though the flop may not have helped you in anyway. Basically you are bluffing, but a skilled player who is watching the players and sees you raise and then c-bet will assume that you have a monster and fold. But what Barry and Rob are saying is that people are now doing this and they may have the nuts and you think they are bluffing and so you call or reraise to get them off the hand and now all your money is theirs.

not saying that

[justthedude]

One of the issues is that a lot of players don’t understand when a continuation bet works. A continuation bet is a high percentage bluff against one or maybe two callers, but is very low percentage against 3 or more callers. Ever since Harrington’s first book everyone thinks that they have to continuation bet every time they raise pre-flop.

[ssiman]

Well said JTD. I was just venting but I am seeing that this "move" i sone that is not as "profitable" as in years past.Just a thought/wanring and wondering if anyone is seeing it evolve as a pattern - and, you are once again correct, evulation is the single most important part of this evilly misterious game.

BTW, as an aside, I got my 13th straight flush EVER in a tourney this weekend up in Rabun County. I actually saw the flush before it hit me that is was a straight flush. Man, that rush is better than any drug and almost better than sex and pizza!