C-betting in cash games trouble

[Silent_Ac3s]

I play .10/.25 NL 6 handed tables for the majority of my online poker. I always play with position, raising wider ranges and usually following through with continuation bets on the right flop textures. When I continuation bet I make it the same play as if I actually hit the flop (above 3/4 pot sized bet), but for some reason the checker seems to plays back a very high percentage of the time. Do I need to accept when they do this often and move on, or am I simply using the c-bet too often? It feels as if these stakes have too many fish to fold hands on missed boards, but more than likely it is just me. Advice?

[gamer4life27]

It's a combination of both you (probably) c-betting too much in position and them being a fish. The lower limits you get, the more fishes there are. Even people with huge bankrolls go to these limits and play crazy because they can. If you had a bankroll of $10k, what is $1?

So when playing in limits lower than $100NL, you are going to find a lot of fishes. (Now I am not saying that people who play at these limits are fish. I am saying that the limits higher than $100NL are SO much more better players.)

When playing these limits, I find that playing tight/(passive/aggressive) is the best style. By (passive/aggressive) I mean that if you have a hand, bet it and bet it huge. If you don't, why lose more money to fishes? Why lose more money when betting when you know you are going to get called is a waste of money? If you are c-betting too much on the lower limits, then you will eventually be just giving up chips. And me as a poker player, I don't like the fact of giving up chips just because you have position all the time.

Now, granted every once in a while you will get that one table where you c-bet and they all fold when they don't have a hand, but more often times than not at these levels, that won't happen. So if the fishes start to notice you c-betting too often for you to have a hand every time, then they will start to chase you, call your bets with bottom pair when you have air, etc. So in the lower limits, try not to c-bet too often, but do it once in a while when you think it is approiate.

Here is a little experiment, check out the higher limit cash games. Do they c-bet as often as you do when given the opportunity? When I was watching them, I have noticed that they don't. Watch them, then slowly work your way down watching each level. See how they react to c-bets, how tight they are, etc. That is what I have found to be very profitable. Hope this helps.

[infinii]

If you are cbetting every single flop, it's very transparent and exploitable.

You need to check behind sometimes...whether you hit or not. You also need to consider the opponent and measure the flop texture. Some flops are good to bet at, some are not. Some opponents check/fold alot of flops, some float.

It all depends.

[RiverstarsVictim]

I think you hit the nail on the head, the stakes you're playing certainly have too many fish.

My BR at the moment only allows me to play NL10 although I am playing a little NL25 just to get some hands in. I've all but given up trying play late position unless I actually have a hand worth playing as I find the blinds are calling with ATC and if they catch anything they just wont let go. The only way to avoid this is to play higher limits or play on tables with known regs where you'll win many small pots but risk losing some big pots if you're not savvy.

[liladypokerpro]

As the guys have already hit the nail on the head, I will only add one little thing I heard a while back... "don't try to bluff a calling station... it's like putting a screen door on a submarine... it won't work" I laughed so hard when I heard it, but in all reality, it's very true advice...especially at the lower limits...lots of calling stations.

[C8H10N4O2]

So what you make up from not bluffing the calling stations, you can easily make up from just betting with the best hand. I don't know how many times I've lost a bluff to a person and saw that they called a 3 barrel bet with bottom pair... and just noted it and waited (sometimes what seemed like forever) until I had a really strong hand/the nuts and three barrel bet again with the river bet being all in, and still gotten called with bottom/middle pair. While it makes for boring poker, it's pretty mindless and easy if you are facing calling stations.

[Silent_Ac3s]

Thanks a lot for all of the tips! It really is helpful just to hear what other people think. Gamer, I was actually doing a little bit of that before, but just started watching more recently. I also picked out a couple regulars at my level that I know are profiting, and started observing their play while taking a couple hints here and there.

I want to purchase one of those programs that track the statistics of the people I am playing with, but do you think they are even necessary for just $25NL?

[RiverstarsVictim]

I want to purchase one of those programs that track the statistics of the people I am playing with, but do you think they are even necessary for just $25NL?

Depends how many tables you're playing and how observant you are. They are basic tools for multitablers. You'll be surprised how many people you actually play against and soon forget.

[C8H10N4O2]

I love my tracking software. One of the best investments with poker that I've made. It's nice to be able to review stuff, and basically have the ability to fully analyze my game. I also use my tracking software's note taking abilities instead of the pokersite's note's, just because I can put various symbols and stuff by people's names so I can get a quick glimpse of what kind of generalized player they are, then I can read my detailed notes about them. They definitely make multi-tabling easier, and they can really help improve your overall game.

I went against the popular Poker Tracker and got Hold'em Manager. I decided to get it for my "Poker Journey" so I purchased the small stakes version for cheaper than what PT costs. The cool thing, is as soon as I'm playing the stakes that are no longer "small stakes" it's like $30 to upgrade, which still ends up costing a few bucks less than PT. I don't know, it's a bit different, but I really like the program better anyway. If you go to the websites for these, you can get a 60 day limited free trial of PT, and a 14 day unlimited free trial of hold'em manager. They are definitely worth it to me.