The Delayed C-Bet: Which Hands Check the Flop So They Can Bet the Turn
The flop check-back is a second betting range, not a surrender. Solver+ data on two flops shows which hands check back, which turn cards trigger the delayed c-bet, how big it is, and the six-question checklist for the turn.
Every player knows the c-bet. Fewer treat the flop check-back as a strategy rather than a shrug. When the button checks behind on the flop, it is not folding its interest in the pot. It is filing about a quarter of its range into a second betting range that fires on the turn, with sizes and hand selection that look nothing like a flop c-bet. Solver+ checks back 25 to 29% of its range on the two middling flops below, and on the right turn card it then bets more than half of that range. This is the delayed c-bet, and the interesting question is not whether to do it. It is which hands, on which cards, for how much. We covered the other seat in when the flop checks through, attack the turn. This is the button's answer when the big blind does not.
The spot for the whole article. 100bb cash, single raised pot. You checked back A♠K♠ on Q♥ 8♣ 6♦ (Solver+ checks it 80% of the time there). The A♣ turn gives you top pair, top kicker and the big blind checks again. Solver+ bets 99%: 37% of the time 4.4bb, 61% of the time a 7.4bb overbet. The check-back was never a surrender. It was the setup.
1The check-back is a range, not a surrender
Set-up: 100bb cash, the button opens to 2.5bb, the big blind calls, 5.5bb in the pot. The big blind checks. On a king-high or ace-high flop the button c-bets nearly everything, and the delayed c-bet barely exists. On middling flops the split changes. On Q♥ 8♣ 6♦ the button bets 25% pot with 34% of its range, 80% pot with 41%, and checks back 24.5%. On T♠ 6♦ 3♣ it bets small 31%, big 40%, and checks back 28.6%. So roughly one hand in four takes the delayed line, and it is the same three kinds of hand on both boards.
Ace-high that wants a free card
On Q-8-6: AK 80%, A9s 77%, ATs 57%, AJ 48%. On T-6-3: A8s 98%, A9s 97%, A7s 87%, AK 80%, AJ 73%, A2s 70%, plus K9s 59%, K2s 56%, Q2s 61%. These hands beat the big blind's air at showdown and improve on an ace, so they decline to bloat the pot on the flop.
Pocket pairs below top pair
On Q-8-6: 55 92%, 44 80%, 77 80%, 33 73%, 22 56%, JJ 50%. On T-6-3: 22 80%, 99 80%, 44 73%, 88 57%, 55 50%, 77 47%. A bet gets called by better and check-raised by draws; a check keeps the pot small with a hand that is usually ahead.
Weak made hands
Second pair (98o 81%, T8o 69% on Q-8-6; 76s 82%, 96s 79% on T-6-3), bottom pair with a suited kicker (63s 74%, 65s 65%, J6s 65%; 53s 88%, 43s 85%), and top pair with a bad kicker (Q2s 49%, Q4s 43%; JTo 40%, T8o 42%). Ahead now, but too thin to bet three streets and too weak to stand a raise.
Notice what is missing: the strongest hands. Sets, two pair and top pair with a good kicker bet the flop, mostly big. The check-back range is capped by construction. That is exactly why the big blind should lead the turn on cards that help it, and exactly why the button needs a second betting range for the cards that do not.
2The turn card decides
Below are the two flops with six turn cards each: an ace, a king, two connecting middle cards, a brick and a board-pairing card. The grid at the top of each tab is the flop check-back range itself. The table under it is what happens next.
Queen-high with two middling cards. The big blind's calling range connects with the 8 and the 6 more than the button's opening range does, which is why the flop check-back is a quarter of the range and why the delayed bet is polarized on most turns.
The button's flop check-back range, hand by hand. Blue checks back, orange bets the flop. Hover for the exact split.
What the turn card does to the check-back range
The big blind acts first. "BB leads" is how often it bets into the checked-back range; the rest of the row describes what the button does when the big blind checks a second time.
| Turn | BB leads | BTN bets when checked to | Size mix (25 / 80 / 135% pot) | Who bets, who keeps checking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♣ | 18% | 35% | 6 / 15 / 14 | AK, AJ and AT made top pair and bet 80 to 99%, mostly big. Ace-rag top pair (A2 to A4, A7) checks. Bluffs: 43s 84%, 54s 80%, K2s 68%, and 22 turns itself into a bluff 77%. 55, 77, JJ and the Qx second pairs check. |
| K♦ | 40% | 34% | 9 / 14 / 11 | K8o and K6s (two pair) bet 100%; K2s, K3s bet small 59 to 61%. AK bets only 45%. A2 bluffs 51 to 67%; every other ace-high and every pocket pair checks. |
| T♠ | 25% | 33% | 8 / 16 / 9 | Q2s, Q4s (top pair, now facing straight draws) bet 57 to 76%; JJ 54%; T8s two pair 66%. Bluffs: K2s 71%, K3s 52%, 43s 50%. AK checks 87%; the pocket pairs check 100%. |
| 9♠ | 30% | 32% | 5 / 20 / 7 | JJ 96% and Q2s, Q4s 97 to 99% at 80% pot: top pair and the overpair protect against the new straight draws. Bluffs: A7s 67%, ATs 45%, A2o 43%. AK 0%, small pairs 0%. |
| 2♥ | 36% | 39% | 16 / 13 / 10 | 22 (set) and Q2s (two pair) bet 100%, big. J6s bets small 73%, T6s 47%, Q4s 51%. A3o bluffs 89%; AK, AJ, AT and A9 all check to keep their showdown value. |
| 6♠ | 36% | 51% | 40 / 3 / 7 | A range tax. Trips (63s, 64s, 65s, 76s, 96s, T6s) bet small 92 to 100%, 55 bets 75%, Q2s and Q4s 67 to 69%, A7s 97%. AK, AJ, AT, A9 still check. |
Ten-high and dry. The button checks back more here (28.6%) because so much of its range is ace-high with nothing, and the delayed bet swings from 30% on a king to 59% when the board pairs.
The button's flop check-back range, hand by hand. Blue checks back, orange bets the flop. Hover for the exact split.
What the turn card does to the check-back range
The big blind acts first. "BB leads" is how often it bets into the checked-back range; the rest of the row describes what the button does when the big blind checks a second time.
| Turn | BB leads | BTN bets when checked to | Size mix (25 / 80 / 135% pot) | Who bets, who keeps checking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A♥ | 8% | 39% | 12 / 21 / 6 | AQ, AK, AJ made top pair and bet 84 to 99% at 80% pot; A9 about 50%; A8, A7 15 to 26%; A5 down to A2 check 97%+. Bluffs: Q2s 99%, K2s 98%, J4s 98%, K4s 74%, 85s 54%. K9s, K8, KJ, KQ check 100%. |
| K♥ | 36% | 30% | 11 / 6 / 13 | KJ, KQ, K3s, K6s and AA bet 90 to 100%, almost all at the 135% overbet. Semi-bluffs Q9o 100% and J9o 67% take the same size. AK bets only 29%; AQ, AJ, A9, A8 check 100%. |
| 9♥ | 52% | 32% | 5 / 21 / 7 | K8 and K7s (gutshots) bet 99 to 100%, J8o (open-ender) 87%, J4s 80%, Q2s 70%, all at 80% pot. Every ace-high checks 80 to 100%. |
| 7♥ | 63% | 38% | 4 / 23 / 11 | BB leads this card most, so the delayed bet is rare. When checked to: 85s (open-ender) 96%, K9s (gutshot) 87%, 99 88%, 77 90%, T8o 99%, T7s 100%, A7 73 to 80%. Ace-high with no pair checks 100%. |
| 2♥ | 49% | 55% | 46 / 5 / 4 | A range tax. JT, T8, T7 (top pair) bet small 77 to 91%; 77 98%, 55 87%, 44 77%; 96s 80%; 53s 91%, 43s 72%, A2s 97%. AK 67%, AQ 80%, A5s 87% join it; A7, A8, A9 keep checking. |
| 6♥ | 44% | 59% | 54 / 3 / 3 | The biggest range tax of the twelve. Trips 92 to 100%, top pair 83 to 98%, 22, 44, 55 80 to 87%, AK, AQ, AJ 94 to 98%, K2s, Q2s, 85s 100%, all at 25% pot. A7, A8, A9 and K9s still check. |
3There are two delayed c-bets, and they are not the same bet
The range tax. On a brick (the 2) or a board-pairing card (the 6), nobody's range changed and the big blind has now checked twice. Solver+ bets 39 to 59% of the check-back range for 25% of the pot, and the betting range is almost everything with a pair plus the strongest ace-highs: top pair with a bad kicker, trips, the pocket pairs, bottom pair, and AK and AQ on T-6-3. The big blind folds only 36 to 41% to it, which is the point. The bet is not trying to end the hand; it is charging a capped range a small price for a card it would otherwise see for free, with hands that are ahead often enough to want a call. It is the same logic as the small flop c-bet on a range-advantage board in the K-Q-5 deep dive, delayed one street.
The polar bet. On an overcard or a connecting card, the ranges move and the delayed bet becomes a proper barrel: 30 to 39% of the range, at 80% pot or a 135% overbet, and the betting range is two-sided. The value side is whatever the card made: AK, AJ and AT on the ace, KJ and KQ on the king, JJ and Qx on the nine that brings straight draws. The bluff side is chosen the same way river bluffs are chosen in which hands keep bluffing the river: hands with no showdown value and, where possible, a draw. K2s, Q2s and J4s on the ace. Q9o and J9o with gutshots on the king. K8, K7s and J8o on the nine. The big blind folds 54 to 61% to this size.
The tell that you are in the wrong family is the hand that checks in both. AK on Q-8-6 checks back the flop 80%, and then on a king, a ten, a nine or a deuce it checks the turn again 55 to 100% of the time. It only bets when the ace arrives. A7, A8 and A9 on T-6-3 do the same thing on every card except the ace. Ace-high with real showdown value is not a bluffing hand and not a value hand; it is a hand that wants to see a river cheaply, and the solver lets it. Meanwhile the ace-highs with the worst kickers (A2, A3) are the ones that bluff, because they have the least to protect. If that sounds familiar, it is the showdown-value test from the river post, and it applies on the turn too.
4Heuristics you can use at the table
1. Check back the flop with the three families, not with everything weak. Ace-high with a backdoor or a decent kicker, pocket pairs below the top card, and made hands too thin for three streets. Total air with no showdown value should usually just c-bet small on the flop, because the delayed line gives it nothing.
2. On the turn, ask whether the card changed anyone's range. A brick or a board pair changed nothing: bet small with everything that has a pair and the strongest ace-highs. An overcard or a connecting card changed something: bet big with what improved, bluff with what has nothing, and check the middle.
3. Ace-high with showdown value checks twice. AK, AQ, A9 and A8 check the flop and, unless an ace or a brick range-tax turn arrives, they check the turn as well. Do not turn a hand that beats their air into a bluff.
4. Ace-high with the worst kicker is your turn bluff. A2 and A3 bet the overcard turns 40 to 89% on these flops; A7 to A9 almost never do. Same ace, opposite job.
5. Top pair with a bad kicker joins the range tax, not the polar bet. Q2s and Q4s bet small on the brick and the pairing card and bet 80% pot only when a straight card arrives and the hand needs protection.
6. If the big blind leads more than half the time on a card, the delayed bet is a minority line there. On T-6-3 the big blind leads the 7 63% and the 9 52% of the time. Your plan on those cards is mostly "respond to a lead", not "fire when checked to".
5The turn checklist after a checked flop
- Did the big blind lead? If yes, this article does not apply; you are facing a bet from a range that has read your check-back correctly.
- Did the card change a range? Brick or board pair: no. Overcard, straight card, flush card: yes.
- No change: do I have a pair or a strong ace-high? Bet 25% pot. Everything else checks and takes the free river.
- Change: did the card make me top pair or better with a real kicker? Bet 80% pot, overbet with the strongest hands on a king or an ace.
- Change, and I still have nothing: is my showdown value zero? Zero (K2s, Q2s, 43s, the worst ace-rag): bluff at 80% pot. Some (AK, A9, K9s): check.
- Never bet 80% pot on a brick and never bet 25% pot on the ace. The size announces which family you are in, so use the size that matches.
6The mistakes this fixes
| What players do | What Solver+ does | The cost |
|---|---|---|
| Check back the flop with pure air "to give up cheaply" | Checks back showdown value and pot-control hands; c-bets most air small on the flop | A check-back range with no showdown value that gets led into and folds |
| Bet the turn with the whole check-back range because "they checked twice" | Bets 30 to 39% on cards that changed the ranges; only bricks and board pairs get the 50 to 59% range tax | Bluffing overcards with AK-type hands that were winning at showdown |
| Use one turn size for the delayed bet | 25% pot for the range tax, 80% or 135% for the polar bet; almost never in between | Charging the wrong price to a capped range on both kinds of card |
| Bet ace-high on the ace only when it makes top pair top kicker | AK, AJ and AT bet 80 to 99% but so do K2s and Q2s, as bluffs, while ace-rag top pair checks | A turn betting range that is all value and gets folded to |
| Treat a check-back as a green light to lead every turn | The big blind leads 8% on the ace and 63% on the connecting 7 (T-6-3): the card decides | Leading into the exact cards that hit the checked-back range |
Frequently asked questions
What is a delayed c-bet?
A delayed continuation bet is a bet on the turn by the preflop raiser after it checked back the flop and the opponent checked again. In the BTN vs BB single-raised pot at 100bb, Solver+ checks back 25 to 29% of its range on middling flops and then bets 30 to 59% of that range on the turn, depending on the card.
Which hands should check back the flop?
Three families: ace-high and king-high with showdown value (AK, A9s, A8s, K9s), pocket pairs below the top card (22 to 77 on a queen-high board), and thin made hands that do not want to play three streets (second pair, bottom pair with a suited kicker, top pair with a bad kicker). The strongest hands bet the flop, so the check-back range is capped by design.
How big should a delayed c-bet be?
It depends on the turn card. On a brick or a board-pairing card, 25% of the pot with about half the check-back range. On an overcard or a connecting card, 80% of the pot or a 135% overbet with a polarized range of hands that improved plus a few zero-showdown-value bluffs. The one size almost never used is a medium bet on a brick.
Should AK check back the flop and then bet every turn?
No. On Q-8-6, AK checks back 80% and then bets the turn 99% only on an ace. On a king, a ten, a nine or a deuce it checks 55 to 100% of the time, because it beats the big blind's air at showdown and betting it folds those hands out. The bluffs come from A2, A3, K2s and Q2s, which have nothing to protect.
The takeaway
A flop check-back is the first half of a two-street plan, and the second half is written by the turn card. Bricks and board pairs get a small bet with half the range: the tax you charge a capped opponent for a card they wanted for free. Overcards and connecting cards get a big, two-sided bet from the hands that improved and the hands that have nothing, while ace-high with showdown value checks again and waits for the river. Learn the three families that check back, learn the two sizes, and the delayed c-bet stops being something you do when you feel weak and becomes a range you built on purpose. Practise the turn decision after a checked flop in Postflop+, and pull the frequencies for your own turn cards from Solver+, which holds every runout on both of these boards.
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