In a discussion at a swedish forum some of the midstakes players (10/20-50/100) argues that there is a need to not c-bet every flop HU as the preflopagressor, since the opponents could take advantage of this.

Is there a need to check flops as the preflopagressor in midstakes to gain some deception? And how do you balance that play?

Also how could you take advantage of the knowledge that you know that a player will c-bet the flop as the preflop agressor?

if your and the villain's ranges are such that the villain has a profitable bluff-c/r with any two cards, then you shouldn't be c-betting your whole range.

Disclaimer: the following might be misremembered

I think TheBryce talked about how not c-betting flops was a mathematical looser 'cause you'll make it profitable for villain to bet any turn (assuming you have position). He called it "orphaning pots"

If you check behind made hands to balance then it might be profitable.

i think you must have misunderstood him since he himself doesn't always continuation bet.

yeah, this was just off the top of my head.

also, even if the villain has a profitable bet on any turn with any two cards it doesn't mean your flop play was wrong. this is different from the case i outlined in my first post, where if the villain has a profitable c/r with any two cards that means you did something wrong.

Two TheBryce hands that I would like someone to explain:

Hand 1:
All folds to Bryce in SB who raises with AJo. BB is very loose and rather aggressive. BB calls. Flops comes 654 (2-colored). Bryce check/folds!

Hand 2:
All folds to SB who raises. Bryce 3-bets in BB with QTo. Flop comes 754 (2-colored). Bryce checks behind! (Turn comes 8 and Bryce checks behind again!)

i remember hand 1 in one of the videos. wanted to post it too.

i think both moves are incorrect. it looks like bryce has carried over some ideas from huhu to bvb.

I don't remember those hands, but I definitely remember having some wtf moments during his 6max videos.

It looks to me like he is expecting his opponents to play back at him a high % of the time on those types of flops. While it may be correct for his opponents to do that sometimes, I think the simple fact is that most 6max players will have a pair or semi-bluffing hand the vast majority of the time. If his opponents aren't going to play back with air/overs, then he is missing a profitable c-bet imo. Or perhaps he felt it would always take a turn bet to win UI, and that it wasn't worth the price.

Same thing goes with your comment rzk. Even though the opponent may have a profitable bluff with any 2, if they don't take advantage of it (most dont), then you should be c-betting 100%.

I think checking behind HU is OK to do sometimes. I do it myself a few times every session. It's hard to quantify when it's 'right', and maybe it never really is. Usually it's just a feel thing based on recent history and board texture and how I'm running or how I believe I'm perceived. Sometimes I do it to induce bluffs when I have Ace high or a moderate showdownable hand against a bad player and sometimes I do it with random stuff against aggro players who CR a lot.

The FE on this flop is 0. If bryce bets, BB will raise very often. On the turn Bryce will be in a tough spot very often with 6 dirty outs, a lot of outs for BB if he's behind and not enough equity to call down.

So bryce checks, he folds the flop because he has not enough outs to call and he can't call a bluff on the turn imo.

Again his FE is fold equity is close to 0, so he checks the flop. On the turn the 8 is a bad card. He's almost always behind. He showed a lot of weakness. So it is hard to fold a better hand maybe some k high, but he's vulnerable to a c/r 'bluff' or 'semi bluff' (with sometimes the best hand). So he takes the free card.

These hands are in the two last videos of bryce imo.

These explanations makes no sense.

Hand1. We have the best hand so why check/fold?And if villain is so damn hard to play against that we have to check/fold AJ on a ragged flop then we should leave the table.

Hand2. Why are we raising preflop if villain is proned to semibluff and we intend to lay down our hand that easy?

I´m sure that The Bryce has some good explanations but I don´t buy these ones.

yes, i agree of course. my comments pertain to an optimal strategy (or alternatively to an opponent who realizes that he has a profitable bluff).

i think your explanations reflect bryce's thinking pretty well, but that doesn't mean his plays are correct. plays like these are the reason why i'd much rather watch him play huhu than 6max.