Delayed C‑bet: When to Bet the Turn After Checking the Flop
A delayed c‑bet is a turn bet from the preflop raiser after the flop checked through. In position, the opponent has now checked twice, which says something about their hand, and a turn bet can still win the pot right away. As a bluff it needs bet ÷ (pot + bet) folds. When called, Q♣J♣'s open-ender in the first spot keeps 29.5% to 31.8% against weaker pairs and ace-high: a queen or a jack also wins.
Queen-jack of clubs after a checked flop
On the button with Q♣J♣, the flop K♦ 6♠ 2♥ checked through. The turn is the T♣ and the big blind checks again. Check back, bet 40% or bet 110%?
See the answer
The T♣ gives Q♣J♣ an open-ended straight draw: 8 outs (any ace or nine). Its equity with the river to come:
| Big blind's hand | What it holds | Q♣J♣'s equity |
|---|---|---|
| 9♠8♠ | a gutshot, no pair | 84.1% |
| 6♥5♥ | pair of sixes | 31.8% |
| T♦9♦ | pair of tens | 29.5% |
| A♦2♦ | pair of twos | 29.5% |
| A♠5♠ | ace-high | 29.5% |
| K♥8♥ | top pair | 18.2% |
A bet can make the weaker pairs and ace-high fold now, and Q♣J♣ still has about 30% equity when one of them calls.
The folds a turn bet needs
| Turn bet | Folds needed as a bluff |
|---|---|
| 33% of the pot | 24.8% |
| 40% of the pot | 28.6% |
| 60% of the pot | 37.5% |
| 110% of the pot | 52.4% |
Ace-queen on 8‑7‑3‑2
On the button with A♣Q♥, you opened and the big blind called. The flop 8♠ 7♦ 3♥ checked through, the turn is the 2♣ and the big blind checks again. Check back, bet 33%, bet 60% or overbet the pot?
See the answer
A♣Q♥ has two overcards and no draw. Its equity with the river to come:
| Big blind's hand | What it holds | A♣Q♥'s equity |
|---|---|---|
| K♦J♦ | two high cards, no pair | 86.4% |
| A♦4♦ | ace-high with a gutshot | 84.1% |
| 6♠5♠ | open-ended straight draw | 68.2% |
| 7♥6♥ | pair of sevens | 13.6% |
| 9♥9♣ | overpair | 13.6% |
| T♠T♦ | overpair | 13.6% |
Against a pair, A♣Q♥ has at most 13.6%; against unpaired hands, it is far ahead. A small bet makes those unpaired hands fold or pay instead of drawing for free, and risks little when a pair calls.
Keep going
- The bet on the flop itself: the continuation bet.
- Betting the turn after a called flop bet: the double barrel.
- The threshold behind every bluff: how often a bluff must work.
- Dry boards, where a flop check is common: c‑bet on dry boards.
- One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.
- The flop check that comes first: checking back the flop.
- When the other player bets the turn first: the probe bet.
Sources
- Every equity is computed by exact enumeration of the remaining cards with the app's equity module, and outs are recounted from the cards; the thresholds come from bet ÷ (pot + bet), checked on October 11, 2026.
- The answers to the spots follow rules written by the app's author; they do not come from a solver.