The Range Bet: 10 Spots to Continuation Bet 100% of the Time

Poker strategy changes a lot over time.

Before the poker boom, people generally played too passively. Then there was an over-correction by some players, who would continuation bet (c-bet) almost 100% on every flop. This is known by some as a “range c-bet” (shorthand for “c-betting with range”).

While c-betting 100% in every situation is going too far, there are still some spots in which this high frequency c-bet strategy is not only acceptable, but optimal.

In this article, I am going to share with you 10 spots in which you should leverage your range advantage by c-betting with every hand in your range. We’ll start with single raised pots, then move on to 3-bet pots.

Keep in mind these are all heads-up spots. Multiway pots are a different beast and rarely warrant a 100% c-bet strategy. Let’s begin!

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5 Spots to Range C-Bet in Single Raised Pots

Single raised pots are the most common type of pot that you will play (by a great deal).

For this reason, applying an optimal c-betting strategy can have a huge positive impact on your overall winnings.

Key note on sizing: For each of these spots, a small bet of roughly 1/3rd of the pot is the c-bet size you should use.

Spot #1 – Dry King-High Boards In Position

Example: You raise from the cutoff and the big blind calls. The flop comes K♥ 7♠ 2♦ and the big blind checks to you.

These boards favor the preflop raiser due to a higher distribution of top pair+ hands in his range.

When you add the fact that the preflop aggressor has an overpair (AA) and a top pair top kicker (AK) which the preflop caller cannot have, a very high-frequency c-bet is called for.

Spot #2 – Double Broadway Boards Out Of Position from the Small Blind

Example: You raise from the small blind and the big blind calls.The flop comes K♠ Q♥ 3♣.

Double broadway boards offer a great deal of interactivity for the small blind. For this reason, he has a huge amount of equity in the pot.

On top of that, the small blind also retains a nut advantage due to having more two-pairs, sets, and overpairs. After all, the big blind would likely 3-bet preflop with KK/QQ, and maybe even KQ.

Spot #3 – High Paired Boards In Position

Example: You raise from the hijack and the big blind calls. The flop comes Q♠ Q♣ A♣ and the big blind checks.

The high paired boards interact very well with the range of the preflop raiser because they have a higher concentration of trips than the defender.

This situation occurs because the defender will find himself either 3-betting a high percentage of those broadway hands or simply because the preflop raiser has a tight range to begin with. Thus, relatively speaking, he has more trips as a percentage of his whole range.

Spot #4 – High Paired Boards Out Of Position from the Small Blind

Example: You raise from the small blind and the big blind calls. The flop comes K♠ K♥ Q♣.

Very similar to the previous situation, the out of position preflop raiser has a higher concentration of trips and better.

On top of that, the defender has a lot of hands that have 0 interactivity with this board. For these two reasons, c-betting your entire range is the best course of action.

Spot #5 – A-high flops from the Small Blind

While not all A-high flops are created equal*, the pattern is clear, these boards are incredibly favorable for the Small Blind.

*A-7-6 vs A-9-3, for example. There’s a big difference in the number of two-pairs and sets available for each player on these two flops.

These boards are good better for the Small Blind because the Big Blind won’t have as many top pair + good kicker hands in his range (like AK/AQ/AJ) after calling preflop. Compare this to the Small Blind, who always has those big Ace-x hands.

Another difference is that on a lot of A-high flops, there will be a big gap in the pocket pairs above the middle pair that will be in Small Blind’s favor (77-KK). These hands are strong enough that they want to value-bet for a small size.

Furthermore, the bottom part of the range (hands that have no pair and no front door draws) is more substantial in Big Blind’s case.

These three factors combined make these boards very good for range betting for a small size.

5 Spots to Range C-Bet in 3-Bet Pots

Even though 3-bet pots are not as frequent as single raised pots, they are much bigger pots and thus their effect on your overall win-rate is sizable. Making mistakes in them will be much larger than their single raised counter-parts.

Key note on sizing: For each of these spots, a small bet of roughly 1/3rd of the pot is the c-bet size you should use.

Spot #1 – King-High Boards In Position

Example: The hijack raises and you 3-bet from the cutoff. The flop comes K♥ 8♠ 4♦ and the hijack checks to you.

Just like in single raised pots, these boards favor the preflop 3-bettor due to a higher distribution of top pairs and better hands in her range. When you add the fact that the player who is in position has an overpair and top pair top kicker which the defender cannot have, a very high-frequency c-bet is called for.

Spot #2 – Queen-High Boards In Position

Example: The cutoff raises and you 3-bet from the button. The flop comes Q♠ 6♠ 2♦ and the cutoff checks to you.

Even though the preflop 3-bettor doesn’t have a monopoly on top pair top kicker (like she does on K-high boards), she does have a higher proportion of them compared to the preflop caller.

The 3-bettor also has a couple of overpairs (AA/KK) and a set (QQ) which the preflop caller cannot have — a recipe for range c-betting.

Spot #3 – Triple Broadway Ace-High Boards In Position

Example: The cutoff raises and you 3-bet from the button. The flop comes A♠ Q♥ J♠ and the cutoff checks to you.

On these boards, the preflop 3-bettor has the biggest equity advantage that you can find in No Limit Hold’em on the flop (around 75% to 25%). She not only has this range advantage, but she also has a very large nut advantage, especially when playing from the button.

Why is the advantage greater if she 3-bet preflop from the button? Because her 3-betting range from that position includes many more offsuit broadways (like QJ) that the other player cannot profitably call with preflop versus the 3-bet.

B-betting very small with your whole range in these spots is the best strategy.

Spot #4 – Double Broadway Boards Out of Position

Example: The cutoff raises and you 3-bet from the small blind. The flop comes K♥ J♣ 2♠.

These boards interact heavily with the small blind 3-bettor’s range. She retains a large nut advantage due to having more two-pairs, sets, and overpairs. She also has more top pairs than the preflop caller. Sounds like a spot for a 100% c-bet frequency!

Spot #5 – High-Paired Boards Out of Position

Example: The button raises and you 3-bet from the small blind. The flop comes A♥ K♣ K♠

These boards give the out of position 3-bettor more combinations of trips than her opponent. Plus, she has more strong pocket pairs.

For these reasons, c-betting with the entire range for a small size is a good move in order to push the equity advantage.

Wrapping Up

There you go, 10 spots in which to abuse your range advantage. There are others out there — consider hunting for them on your own if you have access to a solver!

That’s all for today. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comment section down below.

Want to put your c-bet skills to the test? Take our “GTO” c-bet quiz now!

Till’ next time, good luck, grinders!