[Article] The Threat - Initiative and C-betting

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PanoRaMa United States. May 08 2010 14:35. Posts 1655

Another article, this is for the June edition of my metagame column for Baller Magazine. Keep in mind my audience is mostly comprised of novice, live players. Once again thanks to Etter from TL for his proofreading and editing assistance.

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The Threat – Initiative and Continuation Betting

Over the past several years, poker at a competent level has developed into a consistently ag-gressive game. The mid stakes online games are comprised of incessant preflop raising, re-raising, con-tinuation betting, raising continuation bets – you get the idea. Most successful playing styles revolve around being more aggressive than passive. Aggression works – even blind, monkey aggression – be-cause it allows you to maintain the initiative in the hand. Initiative is an artificial privilege granted to the last player to put in a raise or a bet on the previous street, wherein most people who called out of position have the tendency to check to the bettor on the previous street. Initiative is artificial because there is no rule that says, “The player who only called preflop must check to the preflop raiser.” But before you dismiss the concept due to its artificiality, realize that most fundamental concepts of poker – hand strength and position – are just as artificial. If I have AA preflop and you have A-6 off-suit, there is no rule that says I must win the hand one way or another – I could make the worst hand postflop or be bluffed out. Likewise, having position over you doesn’t mean that I will always win the hand. The role that these concepts play in the grand scheme of poker is subjective. So while most players see a clear-cut need to understand hand strength and position, initiative forms the oft-ignored last leg of this essential trinity.

Consider that the chance to flop a pair is roughly 33%. Also, consider that when you have a hand like 7-6 suited, any pairs you flop will likely be middle or bottom pairs with bad kickers. Most players are familiar with this situation. They choose to call a late position preflop raise in the blinds with a speculative hand, and the flop either brings them absolutely nothing or a very weak pair on an intimidating flop. Not having any real options, they choose to check/fold against their opponent’s continuation bet. In this case, if we were the late position raiser, does it even matter what hand we have? If our opponent will be folding most of the times he doesn’t flop a pair or any decent draw, we might as well have 3-2 off-suit every single time they check/fold.
Of course, poker isn’t so black and white; there are other variables to consider, but the implied strength of having initiative, augmented with the power of position and/or a strong holding, makes for a combination that is very difficult to routinely outplay. Back to the 7-6 suited example: consider the option of re-raising instead. There are a few drawbacks to this play, but you’ve acquired the power of initiative for yourself when there wasn’t much going for your hand, as you were out of position with a speculative holding. The flop comes something you would normally have check/folded to, but because you have initiative, you elect
to continuation bet. With initiative, you force your opponent to make a hand, and when he doesn’t, the pot is all yours.

The influence of initiative is commonly used with great success through continuation betting. Like in the example above, it doesn’t matter if you’re out of position, in position, or what type of hand you have: you still have a very good opportunity to steal the pot with a continuation bet. When the opponent forfeits initiative to you and you continuation bet, you can still have all sorts of strong hands on any flop texture as far as what your preflop range allows. Your opponent, on the other hand, must now make a decision that will narrow his hand range by calling or raising. (Folding obviously narrows his hand range to nil.) From here, the basis of your strategy can be formed. “Do I want to bet again to charge his draws? Will I be following that up with a value bet on the river in most cases? Should I check turn to pot control, or to bluffcatch against a float? Should I bet again as a bluff? Should I just check/fold turn now that he’s called and I have nothing but 6-high?” You have many options available to you, a privilege your opponent lacks. His options tend to be, “I don’t have an amazing holding. If he bets again do I call or fold? What if I call and he bets river?” His range will likely be much more readable than yours. While you have the benefit of choosing the flow of the hand, your opponent is put into a reactionary stance, potentially opening him up to making mistakes.

Initiative is artificial, but so are your opponents’ fears and doubts. By maintaining initiative and aggression, you are imposing the threat of multiple continuation bets on your opponent. Often, I’ll have a weak pair on a dry board – for example, 55 out of position on K-7-3 rainbow against a loose, aggressive player. It’s a spot where I know my pair of fives might be ahead of my opponent’s range on the flop, but I’d have to fold the flop anyway due to the implied threat of him betting turn and river and putting me in a much tougher, more expensive spot. Similarly, one cannot blindly call against re-raises preflop, despite having position, due to the implied threat of the continuation bet that comes with the raiser’s initiative in the hand. By raising and calling against re-raises with speculative holdings I’ll be wasting a lot of money trying to hit flops. For every flop I miss, my opponent profits by bluffing me an inordinate amount of time. By raising then continuation betting a flop, you impose these threats and keep players in line, and merit a lot of folds. There simply isn’t much your opponent can do when you raise then continuation bet an Ace-high, dry flop if he doesn’t have much.

By now I’ve used the word “initiative” thirteen times throughout this article. I wish I could have found a way to fit it in another hundred times. It’s such a critical, understated, underutilized tool. Many people who rely on hitting flops continue to lose money and call it bad luck. In reality, they are not utilizing the concept of initiative in order to minimize chip loss when dealt a speculative holding. it’s those who utilize the concept of initiative well who make the most potential profit out of their worst holdings. But initiative still allows players to maintain the inevitable profit from their stronger holdings. Initiative forms the basis of aggressive play, which translates into a winning style when executed correctly.
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Feel free to leave any comments, criticisms, etc. I enjoy teaching pokers and writing is also something I've always wanted to be decent at. I still have a long ways to go in both so any help is appreciated.

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