When someone makes a weak continuation bet you should generally expect your opponent to be weak. You really don’t need to read too much depth into their small bet – they’re simply trying to knock you off the pot for the cheapest amount possible.

I’m dealt J:-Q: on the big blind and call a pre-flop bet of 60 from a mid-position raiser, making the pot 140. There are no other callers. I check and the raiser bets a mere 40.

Their continuation bet is weak, I take it as such and decide to take my chances with a heavy raise. They fold and I pick up some easy chips.

The small bet from the raiser effectively said, ‘I don’t mind letting you see another card at a 4/1 price.’ It’s a pretty dangerous-looking flop, and if my opponent had raised with a big pair, why is he now letting me in for so cheap on such a draw-heavy board? I could call to hit a flush, straight, two-pair or maybe even chance a small pair for a set.

I simply said to myself, ‘Hold on, he’s either got a set of Tens, a huge draw or absolutely nothing and has missed the board completely.’ If you think he’s got nothing then you want to take him on there and then. If they’ve raised with A-10 or an overpair they’re going to protect their hand and will be charging you far more to draw. If he came back over the top I’d know that he had a genuine hand and I could drop it.