Delayed C-Bet

Also known as: delayed continuation bet, delayed cbet

Checking the flop as the preflop aggressor, then betting the turn — a continuation bet one street late.

A delayed c-bet is when the preflop aggressor checks back the flop and then bets the turn. It's the counterpart to the probe bet: same checked-flop, but from the aggressor's seat instead of the caller's.

Why delay? Several reasons rooted in equity distribution:

• The flop is a poor c-bet texture — connected and low, where the caller's range is strong and a range bet would just get raised.
• You hold a marginal made hand (a weak pair or middling top pair) that wants pot control on the flop but can bet for thin value or protection once a card improves your position.
• You have a hand with backdoor equity that picks up a real draw on the turn, turning a flop check into a turn semi-bluff.

Delaying also balances your flop check-backs: if you only ever check air, observant opponents stab every turn. By delaying with value too, your turn-betting range after a flop check stays credible.

In position, the delayed c-bet is one of the highest-frequency turn actions after a checked flop. Out of position the equivalent is the probe.