Texas Holdem Radio

Poker Strategy Session #6

 By: Hal Coblentz- Semi-Professional Cash Game Player 20+ years

Mastering Continuation Betting (C-Bets)

One of the most powerful weapons in modern poker strategy is the continuation bet, commonly called a C-Bet.

If you raised before the flop and then bet again on the flop, you are making a continuation bet — continuing the story that you have the strongest hand.

Learning when to C-Bet, how much to bet, and when to give up separates average players from consistently winning players.

What Is a Continuation Bet?

A continuation bet occurs when:

1. You raise pre-flop
2. One or more players call
3. You bet again on the flop

The logic is simple:

You represented strength pre-flop.
The flop bet reinforces that story.

Most of the time your opponents miss the flop, meaning they fold a large percentage of hands.

Why C-Bets Work

Even strong starting hands only hit the flop about 1/3 of the time.

Example:

You raise with:

AK

Flop comes:

9♦ 4♣ 2♠

You likely missed — but so did your opponent.

Because you showed strength pre-flop, your opponent often assumes you have:

AA
KK
AK
AQ
or an overpair.

That pressure forces folds.

Good Boards to C-Bet

Certain flops strongly favor the pre-flop raiser.

Examples:

Dry Boards

A♣ 7♦ 2♠
K♦ 8♣ 3♥

These boards are hard for callers to connect with.

These are excellent spots to C-Bet nearly every time.

Dangerous Boards to Be Careful

Some flops hit the caller's range better.

Examples:

9♠ 8♠ 7♦
J♥ T♥ 9♣

These boards are:

• connected
  • draw heavy
  • dangerous for bluffs

In these situations, consider:

• checking
  • pot controlling
  • choosing smaller bets

Optimal C-Bet Sizing

A common mistake is betting too large.

Typical strong C-Bet sizes:

1/3 pot
or
1/2 pot

Smaller bets accomplish the same goal:

They apply pressure while risking fewer chips.

Remember:

Poker is about risk vs reward.

When to Give Up

Even the best players don't fire multiple barrels blindly.

Warning signs:

• multiple callers
  • coordinated boards
  • aggressive opponents

Sometimes the best play is simply:

Check and move on.

Saving chips is just as important as winning pots.

Quick Strategy Tips

✔ C-Bet more when heads-up
✔ C-Bet more on dry boards
✔ Use smaller bet sizes
✔ Avoid bluffing into multiple players
✔ Pay attention to opponent tendencies

Pro Insight

The best players are not just betting randomly.

They are constantly asking:

“Does this board favor my range or my opponent's range?”

Once you start thinking in terms of ranges instead of cards, your strategy will level up quickly.

Coming Next Session

Strategy Session #7

Playing Pocket Pairs Like a Pro

• When to set mine
  • When to fold small pairs
  • How to extract maximum value

Session #5 – 2026

 By: Hal Coblentz- Semi-Professional Cash Game Player 20+ years

In Session #4 was about continuation betting, Session 5 is where we separate the button-clickers from the thinkers.
This week I’m focusing on Turn & River decision-making — where most money is actually won (or punted).

A lot of players play the flop fine… and then completely lose the plot when the board changes or pressure ramps up. Let’s fix that.

Big Idea for Session 5

👉 Every turn and river decision must answer ONE question:

Am I betting for value, protection, or as a bluff — and what worse hands continue?

If you can’t answer that instantly, checking is often the better play.

1. Turn Play: The Truth Card

The turn is where ranges start to narrow and mistakes get expensive.

When to Fire the Turn

I double-barrel the turn when:

• The turn improves my perceived range (overcards, scare cards, range cards)
• I have equity + fold equity
• I’m still getting value from worse hands

Example – Cash Game

• You raise CO with A♠ K♠
• BB calls
• Flop: K♦ 7♣ 2♠ → you c-bet, BB calls
• Turn: Q♠

This is a beautiful turn.

• You pick up nut-flush equity
• You block strong Kx
• Worse hands (KJ, KT, 7x, flush draws) still continue

Bet again.

When to Slow Down

I check turns when:

• The turn smashes villain’s range
• I’m against sticky calling stations
• My hand has showdown value but hates a raise

Remember: checking doesn’t mean weakness — it often means control.

2. River Play: Value > Ego

Rivers are where players either print… or light money on fire.

Value Betting the River

Ask yourself:

• What worse hands realistically call?
• How thin is too thin against this opponent?

Example – Tournament Spot

• You raise with Q♠ Q♦
• Board runs: Q♣ 9♠ 6♠ 4♥ 2♦

You have top set.
If your opponent can call with:

• Overpairs? No.
• Two pair? Rare.
• Missed draws? No.

This is a small value bet or a check, not an ego shove.

Great players don’t size for how strong they feel — they size for how weak the caller is.

3. Bluffing Rivers (The Adult Version)

River bluffs should be:

• Credible
• Blocker-based
• Opponent-specific

I bluff rivers when:

• I block the nuts
• The story makes sense from preflop → river
• My opponent can actually fold

If you’re bluffing a calling station, that’s not strategy — that’s charity.

4. Bet Sizing: Stop Using One Size

Turn & river sizing matters more than flop sizing.

My Simple Framework

• Small bets (25–40%) → thin value, cheap bluffs
• Medium bets (50–70%) → strong value, pressure
• Big bets / overbets → polarized (nuts or air)

If you’re betting big without polarization, you’re begging to get paid wrong or snapped off.

Week 5 Homework

Before you click “bet” on the turn or river, force yourself to say:

1. What am I representing?
2. What hands call?
3. What hands fold?
4. Am I happy if I get raised?

If you don’t like the answers — check.

Final Thought

Flops are flashy.
Turns build pots.
Rivers decide winners.

Master turn and river play, and your win-rate jumps immediately — in cash games, tournaments, and especially live poker where players hate folding late.

Next week, I’ll dive into Week 6: Board Texture & Range Advantage — how to know who the board actually favors before you put a chip in the pot.

See you at the tables,
Hal ♠️

🎙️ Weekly Poker Strategy Coaching

Session #1 – 2026

Play Fewer Hands. Play Them Better

By: Hal Coblentz- Semi-Professional Cash Game Player 20+ years

Welcome to Session #1 of 2026 and the launch of my Weekly Poker Strategy Coaching Series here on Texas Hold’em Radio.

Each week, I’ll be sharing practical poker strategy—real-world concepts you can actually apply at the table. This isn’t about fancy solver talk or overcomplicating the game. It’s about thinking clearly, playing disciplined poker, and making better decisions consistently.

If you follow this series week after week, you’ll tighten up your fundamentals, eliminate common leaks, and start approaching the game with more confidence and purpose.

And we’re starting with the most important concept in poker—the one I see players ignore every single day.

🃏 Session #1 Strategy Session

Play Fewer Hands — Play Them Better

The biggest mistake I see from losing and breakeven players isn’t what they do after the flop.

It’s the hands they choose to play in the first place.. (I experienced this tonight as a matter of fact at Hustler Casino, Los Angeles )

Poker is not a game of constant action. It’s a game of patience, selection, and timing. Every hand you enter is an investment, and too many players invest in hands that simply don’t make money over time.

If you want to improve quickly, start here.

🔑 Position Is Everything

One of the first things I learned—and one of the last things many players truly respect—is position.

Your seat at the table should dictate how many hands you play.

Early Position (UTG / UTG+1)

When I’m first to act, I play tight and disciplined.

Hands I’m comfortable opening:

• AA–TT
• AK, AQ
• Occasionally AJs or KQs, depending on the table

If I’m unsure, I fold. Early position mistakes are costly and put you in tough spots for the rest of the hand.

Middle Position

From middle position, I can widen slightly—but control still matters.

Hands I’ll consider:

• 99–77
• AJ, ATs
• KQs, QJs
• Select suited connectors like 98s

I still avoid weak offsuit hands and “hope poker.”

Late Position (Button & Cutoff)

This is where I make a lot of my money.

Late position gives me:

• More information
• More stealing opportunities
• More control over pot size

Hands that are folds up front become profitable here because position gives you leverage.

🛑 I Don’t Limp

This is one habit I eliminated years ago—and my results improved immediately. Poker Pro Susie Asaacs who I met early in my poker life said something to me that always stuck. "If you can't raise, fold" is what she said. It really stuck with me and to this day if a hand isn’t good enough for me to raise, it usually isn’t good enough to play.

Limping:

• Invites multi-way pots
• Eliminates fold equity
• Forces you into guessing games post-flop

I raise with a plan—or I fold.

🧠 I Think in Ranges, Not Just Cards

I don’t ask myself:

“Do I have the best hand?”

I ask:

“How does my hand perform against my opponent’s range?”

Once you start thinking this way, poker becomes clearer and less emotional. You stop chasing hands and start making profitable decisions.

🃏 Hand Examples – How I Play These Spots

Cash Game Example #1 ($2/$3 NLH)

Position: UTG
Hand: K♠ J♦

My Play: ➜ Fold

Even though the hand looks decent, it’s dominated too often and puts me in bad spots out of position. This is an easy fold for me every time.

Cash Game Example #2 (Late Position)

Position: Button
Hand: A♣ 9♣
Action: Folds to me

My Play: ➜ Raise 2.5–3x

Now the same concept changes completely. I have position, fold equity, and strong draw potential. This is a profitable open for me.

Tournament Example #1 (Early Levels)

Blinds: 100 / 200
Stack: 40 BB
Position: UTG+1
Hand: 6♠ 6♦

My Play: ➜ Small raise or fold depending on the table

Early in tournaments, I don’t force action. Small pairs play best heads-up, and I’m focused on stack preservation—not gambling.

Tournament Example #2 (Mid Stages)

Blinds: 1,000 / 2,000
Stack: 22 BB
Position: Cutoff
Hand: Q♠ J♠

My Play: ➜ Open raise

This is a spot where pressure matters. I still have fold equity, position, and a hand that plays well post-flop. These are the spots where tournaments are actually won.

📊 Your Homework This Week

This strategy works whether you are playing live or online like many of our listeners. :

1. Pay attention to how many hands you play
2. Note your position when you enter pots
3. Be honest about hands you knew you shouldn’t have played

Awareness alone will improve your game.

🎯 Final Thought

Poker rewards patience, discipline, and clarity.

I don’t win by playing more hands.
I win by playing better hands, in better spots, for better reasons.

Next week, I’ll break down Continuation Betting—when I fire, when I slow down, and when I shut it down completely.