Inside Straight Draws on flop - check behind or continuation bet?

[Triumph36]

I've been thinking about this more and more as I play more 5 max: since I've been raising it up with hands like KT, K9, QT, basically any two broadway cards, there are often flops where I have a gutshot and it's checked to me. More and more I've been checking behind, even heads up.

My reasoning is as follows: players love to get fancy if they flop two pair, and will min-check-raise if I bet: I am no longer getting odds to draw. If they have flopped a big hand and miss a check raise, I can take their whole stack or most of it if I hit on 4th street. If they've missed the flop entirely, I can take it down with a bet on 4th street, and with my draw and two big cards I am probably more likely to improve than they are.

Thoughts?

[meleader2]

that's a good idea but most of the time they don't have anything. a continuation bet is preferrable to fold them, and the times u get min-check-raised u know ur beat but will call on the gut to bust them. the amount of times they have a hand vs the amount of times they don't makes a continuation bet profitable over a large span of hands (assuming they're passive)

[The_Bends]

Continuation bets make a hell of a lot of money at SSNL. You'll pick up a lot of pots and get more action on your made hands. A GSSD is a perfect hand to bet with. SSNL players will give your hand no respect at all if you check on the flop which pretty much means if you check you have to hit your longshot draw to win.

[amoeba]

I've done the check behind before. It really depends on how much the opponent is going to fold. There are many who check raise you with 2nd pair here hoping to fold out your overcards.

this is very situational. the amount of your continuation bet is very important too. if you are betting full pot for a continuation bet, you basically have to have opponent fold twice to three times for every time he check raises you.

Also, lets say there is a 2flush on the flop. you continuation bet. he calls. blank turn blank river but you dont pair. now, do you bet the river? I've done that before putting villain on missed draw only to have him call me at the river with the top pair or second pair on the flop.

So, continuation bets are typically good idea but very situational. I think the higher up in limits you move, the always continuation bet becomes less good of an idea.

[tommo]

Making a continution bet or not is the question I guess.

I think the answer depends very strongly on your table image.

Loose aggressive:
If I play loose aggressive I'm going to check behind when I get a big draw. This makes my hand look weak and if I hit on the turn I can win a large pot. I will make a continuation bet with a weak draw like a gut str8 draw BUT I will fold if I get min raised (you don't have the odds).

Tight aggressive:
I will make a continuation bet on most pots draw or not. This is because my opponents will usually put me on tptk or an overpair

loose passive:
I play this style when there are a couple lags at the table. I'll check behind here and fold if I don't hit...the lags will pay me off if I do.

anyway, you get the idea. There isn't a clear "Always make the continuation bet" or "Never make the continuation bet". In some table scenarios its a terrible idea to make a continuation bet, in others, its an excellent idea.