At a glance
- On the HUD
- DCB
- Formula
turn bets / times they raised preflop, checked the flop through and had no bet in front on the turn- Typical range
30–60%
- Where it shows
- Badge, turn: the preflop raiser who checked the flop through.
- Trust it after
- 12 chances. Below that the number is faded; reads need 12 chances and a number at least one standard error outside the typical range.
What it measures
The delayed c-bet is the preflop raiser’s second chance to take the lead. They raised preflop, checked the flop instead of c-betting, nobody else bet the flop either, and now they act on the turn with no bet in front. DCB is how often they bet there.
The spot shows up two ways. In position: the raiser checks back the flop, the caller checks the turn, the raiser bets. Out of position: the raiser checks the flop, the caller checks behind, and the raiser leads the turn. Both count.
Don’t confuse it with its neighbors. A c-bet is the raiser betting the flop, and a double barrel is a turn bet after that flop bet. A probe bet is the other side of this spot: the caller leading the turn out of position after the raiser checked back. When the caller probes, the raiser gets no DCB chance that hand; their answer goes into fold to probe instead.
How it’s calculated
DCB = turn bets ÷ delayed c-bet chances.
- A chance: they were the preflop raiser (the last player to raise preflop, so the 3-bettor in a 3-bet pot), checked the flop as their first action with no bet in front, nobody bet the flop, and their first turn action came with no bet in front.
- It counts: when that first turn action is a bet.
- Not a chance: limped pots (there’s no preflop raiser), any flop where someone bet, and any turn where someone bet before the raiser acted. That last one is a probe, scored on the probe pages.
- The turn only counts when at least two players could still bet on it.
The HUD keeps one version of DCB, with no splits by position, pot type or number of players, so the tooltip always shows the overall number.
Example: Theo raised preflop and the flop checked through 22 times. In 4 of those hands the caller led the turn, so they aren’t chances. Of the other 18, Theo bet the turn 12 times: 12 ÷ 18 = 67%, above the typical range, so the number turns gold.
Why it matters
A flop check from the preflop raiser is a fork in the road. Some players check flops they plan to bet later: medium pairs that want one street of value, overcards that may pick up a draw, traps. Others check because they gave up. DCB tells you which kind of check you’re looking at.
That changes two of your decisions. Out of position after the raiser checked back, it tells you whether to lead the turn yourself or check to them: against a frequent delayed c-bettor, checking and letting them bet often beats probing. And when the bet comes, it tells you how wide their range is. A player who bets 65% of turns after checking the flop can’t have a strong hand that often; one who does it 25% of the time usually has something.
Read it next to their flop c-bet. If they c-bet almost every flop, the few flops they check are weak and the DCB sample is tiny. If they c-bet rarely, their checks hold strong hands too, so their delayed bets carry more value. In loose PokerNow games where flop c-bets get called a lot (a low fold to c-bet around the table), some raisers check back marginal flops and bet the turn instead, so this spot can come up more than you’d expect.
Too low, about right, too high
Too low: under 30%
What it says
They check the flop and keep checking. Most of their flop checks are give-ups or pot control with showdown value: second pair, weak top pair, ace-high. When they do bet the turn after checking the flop, the range is narrow and strong: a slowplayed set, a hand that improved on the turn. Passive players and nits who c-bet only when they hit often land here, and so do players who check back to “see a free card”.
How to exploit it
Their flop check is weakness, so make them pay for it.
- Out of position, probe the turn with a wide range: they fold their give-ups and only call with showdown value. Small sizes work: a 33% pot probe needs only 24.8% folds to profit as a pure bluff.
- In position, after they checked the flop out of position and you checked behind, bet when they check the turn again. That second check is weaker still.
- When they do bet the turn, fold your marginal hands. Calling down with second pair against slowplays and improved hands loses.
- Don’t bluff-raise their delayed bets. At this frequency they’re mostly value.
About right: 30–60%
What it says
A mix: they check some flops with hands that want to bet later and give up on others. Thoughtful players tend to land here. The flop check keeps their checking range from being all air, and the turn bet picks up value and new equity (overcards, fresh draws). Expect a turn range of medium-strength value, improved hands and semi-bluffs, with some give-ups mixed into the checks.
How to exploit it
Against a balanced number, the stat alone won’t hand you a big edge, so look at the turn card and their size. Delayed bets on turns that complete obvious draws or bring overcards are more often semi-bluffs or bluffs; bets on blanks lean toward value. Defend by price: against a 66% pot turn bet you need 28.4% equity to call, and folding more than 39.8% of your range (MDF 60.2%) lets their pure bluffs profit. Check their river fold vs bet too, before you call the turn planning to bluff the river.
Too high: over 60%
What it says
They bet almost every turn after checking the flop. That can’t all be value. The range includes air taking a second shot, pot-control hands turned into thin bets, and draws. Often it’s a player who checks back flops by habit and then fires whenever the turn is checked to them, or an aggressive player who reads any check as weakness. A high aggression factor usually confirms it.
How to exploit it
- Out of position, stop probing your medium hands. Check to them and call, or check-raise; their bet does the work for you.
- Check-raise the turn with strong hands and good draws. A range this wide can’t continue often against a raise.
- Call down lighter with bluff-catchers (top pair with a weak kicker, middle pair) when the river is a blank.
- When they raise preflop and check the flop to you in position, check back medium hands: they’ll often bet the turn into you, and you can call or raise then.
When it’s your own number
DCB has no read hint, so it won’t show as a read on your badge, but observant opponents can still use the number. If yours is high, they’ll check the turn to you and check-raise or call down lighter. If it’s low, they’ll probe you every time you check back the flop and fold whenever you do bet.
To check yours, read it with your fold to probe. A healthy pattern is to check back flops with hands that can either bet a good turn or call a probe, and to give up on the rest. If you’re over 60%, you’re likely betting turns with hands that want to check; under 30%, your check-backs are mostly surrender and opponents will notice.
Using it on the HUD
DCB shows on the turn, on the badge of the preflop raiser who checked the flop through, next to their fold to probe. That’s the moment it matters: you’re deciding whether to probe them or check and let them bet. Colors: gold over 60%, blue under 30%, faded with fewer than 12 chances. Hover or tap for the sample, such as “12 of 18 opportunities”. DCB has no read hint, so it colors but never turns into a read sentence, and there are no narrower versions.
The sample builds slowly, since a chance needs a preflop raise, a flop checked through and a turn with no bet in front. At 30% the error is ±13 points over 12 chances and ±10 over 20; at 50% it’s ±9 over 30. Treat it as a lean until it has 20 or more, and read it with their flop c-bet and AF.
Questions
What is a delayed c-bet in poker?
A delayed c-bet is a turn bet from the preflop raiser after they checked the flop and nobody else bet it. Instead of c-betting the flop, they wait a street and take the lead on the turn, either in position after the caller checks or out of position as the first to act.
What is a good delayed c-bet percentage?
The HUD’s typical range is 30–60%. Inside it, a player mixes turn bets with give-ups after checking the flop. Under 30% means their flop checks are mostly surrender, so probe them. Over 60% means they bet most turns after checking, so check to them and call or raise more often.
Delayed c-bet vs probe bet: what’s the difference?
Both happen on the turn after the flop checked through, but different players make them. The delayed c-bet comes from the preflop raiser. The probe comes from a player out of position to the raiser who leads before the raiser acts. If the probe comes first, the raiser has no delayed c-bet chance that hand.
Is a delayed c-bet usually a bluff?
It depends on how often the player makes it. A raiser with a DCB over 60% bets too many turns to be strong each time, so call and check-raise more. A raiser under 30% rarely bets after checking the flop, and when they do, it’s usually a strong hand that slowplayed or improved.