C-Bet Sizing Calculator

Inputs

Pot Size ($)

Board Texture

Your Range Advantage

Opponent Type

Number of Opponents

Standard C-Bet Sizes by Board Texture

Board Texture	Example	Size (% Pot)	Frequency
Dry	K-7-2 rainbow	25-33%	70-80%
Paired	T-T-3 rainbow	25-33%	70-80%
Semi-Wet	Q-J-5 two-tone	50-66%	55-65%
Wet / Dynamic	T-9-8 two-tone	66-100%	40-50%
Monotone	A-9-4 one suit	33-50%	25-35%

These are solver-informed baselines for single-raised pots. 3-bet pots typically use smaller sizes (25-40% pot) due to higher stack-to-pot ratios.

The Continuation Bet Explained

A continuation bet (c-bet) is a bet made on the flop by the player who raised preflop. Because the preflop raiser usually has the stronger range — especially on high-card boards — c-betting is a profitable default strategy. But blindly c-betting 100% of the time is a losing strategy against thinking opponents. Modern solver-based play is selective.

When to Skip the C-Bet

Multi-way pots: With three or more players, at least one is likely to have connected with the flop. C-bet far less often and only with real equity.
Boards that crush opponent's range: If the caller's range hits the board harder than yours (e.g., you open from the button and the BB defends, then the flop comes 6-5-4), checking is often better.
Against maniacs: Hyper-aggressive opponents punish c-bets with raises. Checking to induce bluffs can be higher EV than betting.
Deep stacked against calling stations: Fish do not fold, so c-betting as a pure bluff burns money. Size up with value, skip the bluffs.

Sizing Your C-Bets: Small vs. Large

Two valid sizing strategies exist: small & wide (25-33% pot with your entire range on dry boards) and large & polarized (66-100% pot with only strong hands and selected bluffs on wet boards). Small sizing lets you c-bet frequently for cheap information; large sizing charges draws and builds a bigger pot with value hands. Mixing both correctly is the mark of an advanced player.

Range Advantage Matters Most

Before c-betting, ask: whose range hits this flop harder? If you opened from early position and the flop comes A-K-4, your range is loaded with Ax and Kx combos — bet small with everything. If you opened from the cutoff and the flop comes 7-6-5, the BB caller's range connects better — check more often and give up your air. Range advantage trumps hand strength when sizing c-bets.

Note: This calculator provides heuristic-based recommendations. Optimal GTO frequencies depend on exact preflop action, position, and stack depth. Use this as a starting framework and adjust based on table reads.

The auto-pilot c-bet trap and how to escape it

For years, the standard advice was simple: raise preflop, c-bet the flop. Two-thirds pot, almost always, regardless of texture. This was the best advice available in 2008. It is now responsible for more lost money than almost any other habit at low and mid stakes. The reason is that everyone else read the same books, and now everyone is calling those c-bets light.

Modern c-bet strategy is not about what to bet. It is about whether to bet at all, then how much to bet conditional on the texture, your range, and the opponent. Three things, in that order. Most players skip the first question entirely and jump straight to "how much." They c-bet a low connected board with ace-king and look surprised when they get check-raised by a player who flopped two pair.

Board texture is the first variable that should change your sizing. A K-7-2 rainbow flop favors the preflop raiser massively. The big card hits your range hard, the rest are blanks, and there are no draws to charge. Bet small here — 25 to 33 percent pot. You do not need protection, and the small bet keeps your bluffs cheap while still extracting value from worse top pairs. On a J-T-9 two-tone flop, you have lost the range advantage. The caller has more two pair and straights than you do. If you bet at all, bet large to charge draws and to commit yourself, but more often, just check.

Opponent type is the second variable. Against a calling station who clicks "call" with any pair or draw, you want to bet larger when you have a hand and skip the bluffs entirely. Against a tight player who folds top pair to a half-pot bet, smaller sizings work because you are not trying to fold out anything strong — you are picking up the dead money from their air. Against a maniac, check-call or check-raise becomes more profitable than betting because you let them barrel into you with worse.

Multiway pots are where the auto-pilot c-bet completely breaks. With three or four players in the pot, someone has hit the flop. You can no longer fire blindly into a wall of opponents. Frequencies drop to roughly 30%, sizes go up when you do bet, and your bluffs need to have backup equity (overcards, gutshots, backdoor flush draws) to survive being called by one player and raised by another.

The calculator above takes those variables and gives you a starting point. It is not GTO. It is not perfect. But it forces you to think about texture, range advantage, and opponent type before you make the bet, which is the actual skill. A correct check is worth more than a perfectly sized incorrect bet. Once you internalize that, your c-bet frequency drops, your win rate goes up, and the players who used to check-raise you start checking back to you instead.