In chapter 9 of PLO From Scratch, Bugs focuses on continuation betting in singly raised pots and demonstrates how to apply his structured postflop planning model to real hands.
1. Integrating the Postflop Model
This chapter merges two goals:
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Developing a disciplined c-betting strategy
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Applying the four-factor postflop model in practice
Before making any flop decision, Bugs reiterates that we must assess:
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Number of opponents
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Position
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SPR (stack-to-pot ratio)
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Equity (based on cards + range assumptions)
By evaluating these factors first, players avoid common and expensive mistakes. Importantly, the structure of the pot often dictates what kind of hand strength is required—before even looking at the cards.
2. Why C-Betting Is Critical in PLO
C-betting decisions are among the most frequent and financially impactful in PLO. A strong flop strategy:
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Simplifies later streets
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Prevents bloated pots with weak hands
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Maximizes leverage in favorable spots
Common leaks include:
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Bluffing too often with poor fold equity
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C-betting marginal hands out of position
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Failing to plan for later streets
Good c-betting is not about aggression alone—it is about understanding how the hand will unfold.
3. A Language for Flop Texture
To make better decisions, Bugs adopts a structured way of describing boards inspired by Tom “LearnedFromTV” Chambers.
Flops are categorized along two axes:
Wet vs. Dry
How many draws are possible?
Heavy vs. Light
How well does the flop connect with typical player ranges?
From these, we infer:
Static vs. Dynamic
How likely is it that hand strength will shift on later streets?
Static Boards
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Few strong draws
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Made hands tend to stay strong
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Provide strong leverage for c-betting
These are ideal boards to apply pressure, especially heads-up.
Dynamic Boards
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Many strong draws
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Hand strength frequently shifts
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Difficult to represent consistent strength
On dynamic flops, players must continue more selectively and ensure their ranges contain both made hands and draws.
4. C-Betting in Singly Raised Pots (General Principles)
With 100BB stacks, singly raised pots typically create medium to high SPR (6–11).
This means:
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Multiple bets are required to stack off
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Nut potential becomes more important
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Position gains value
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Marginal hands become harder to play
Key implication:
Aggressive c-betting must include disciplined bet-folding with non-nut hands.
5. Heads-Up C-Betting in Singly Raised Pots
Heads-up, c-betting can be aggressive—especially against passive opponents.
Against Passive Opponents
You can:
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C-bet frequently
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Bet smaller on dry boards
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Bet-fold marginal hands
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Expect limited resistance
Passive players struggle to:
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Bluff effectively
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Maximize value
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Apply pressure
Dry, light flops are especially profitable for small, frequent c-bets.
Against Aggressive Opponents
Adjustments are necessary:
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Reduce automatic c-betting on dry boards
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Anticipate check-raise bluffs
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Occasionally fight back with re-bluffs
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Protect checking ranges with medium-strength hands
If you always c-bet dry boards with air, a competent opponent will attack that weakness.
Bugs emphasizes two counter-adjustments:
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C-bet less air
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Occasionally re-bluff when exploited
He demonstrates how selective 3-bet bluffing on the flop can discourage excessive check-raising.
Balance is essential: if you re-bluff, you must sometimes take that line with strong hands as well.
6. Wet/Heavy Boards Heads-Up
On coordinated flops:
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Equity becomes more important than fold equity
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Bluffing frequency should decrease
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Free cards become more valuable
Checking behind with medium-strength but nut-capable hands:
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Preserves equity
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Protects checking range
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Avoids bloated pots
The key insight:
Not every flop needs to be attacked.
7. Multiway C-Betting in Singly Raised Pots
Multiway pots require far more discipline.
New rule of thumb:
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Do not c-bet with very poor equity in multiway pots.
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Favor nutty value hands.
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Bluff sparingly and selectively.
In multiway pots:
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Fold equity decreases sharply
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Nut potential becomes critical
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Position matters even more
C-betting without meaningful equity often leads to expensive mistakes.
Out of Position, Multiway
With medium SPR and multiple opponents:
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Avoid building pots with non-nut hands
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Check marginal holdings
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Preserve stack depth
Even decent-looking hands (e.g., top pair + draw without nut outs) can become traps when out of position.
In Position with Draws
If fold equity is low and equity insufficient to stack off:
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Take free cards
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Avoid c-betting into multiple opponents
Bugs shows how patience on the flop can lead to excellent turn situations when equity improves.
8. Bet-Folding Marginal Made Hands
One recurring theme is the value of bet-folding marginal hands.
Example: top two pair on a dry board in a three-way pot.
Correct approach:
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Bet for value/protection
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Fold confidently to a raise
Why?
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Dry, static boards make strong hands obvious
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Raises often represent very strong ranges
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Continuing with limited outs is costly
Marginal made hands without improvement potential differ from draws:
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Draws benefit from seeing more cards
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Weak made hands deteriorate on later streets
Thus, bet-folding becomes a disciplined and profitable line.
9. Exploitative vs. Balanced Play
Bugs frequently references his “Good Poker” framework:
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Make explicit assumptions
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Choose the best line based on those assumptions
Against weaker players, exploitative strategies dominate.
Against stronger players, balance and range protection become more important.
Information gathering early in a session is valuable. Testing opponents’ tendencies can produce long-term profit.
10. Core Strategic Themes
From all examples, several consistent ideas emerge:
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Heads-up → more aggressive c-betting
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Multiway → tighten standards significantly
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High SPR → require stronger hands to build pots
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Out of position → avoid non-nut hands
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Dry/static boards → leverage advantage
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Wet/dynamic boards → proceed selectively
Final Thoughts
Chapter 9 transforms c-betting from a mechanical habit into a structured strategic decision. By applying the four-factor model—opponents, position, SPR, and equity—Bugs shows how continuation betting should adapt to board texture, opponent type, and pot structure.
The overarching lesson is discipline: not every missed flop requires a bluff, not every decent hand warrants aggression, and long-term profit comes from selecting the right battles rather than fighting all of them.
Part 11 continues this discussion by expanding into 3-bet and 4-bet pots, donk betting, playing against c-bets, and double-barreling strategies.