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Hero ($60) is SB/B with Ac 6d

Villain ($193.60)

Preflop: Hero raises to $6, Villain calls

Flop: 6c 7c 5c (pot $12)

Villain checks, Hero checks

Monotone flops are another good chance to pick up information about an opponent. How tight or passive are they in the face of a very scary board? Here, I have picked up middle pair – usually a strong hand (approximately equivalent to flopping top pair with a reasonable kicker in a full ring game). However, I check behind for two reasons. First, if he has no clubs, he probably won’t bet and my pair may well be good enough to win this raised pot at showdown; and second, a flopped flush would probably check here, hoping to pick off a continuation bet. Indeed, if he does hold a flush, a check is right not only because it saves me a bet, but also because if a fourth club comes, he will almost certainly have to pay off my nut flush.



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I disagree with most of this analysis. First of all, author demonstrates paranoia concerning a possible opponent flopped flush. Throughout various hand analyses he discusses flush draws as if they're a very likely part of opponents' holdings, but they're just not.

In this hand, the author has flopped a pair + nut flush draw, in position, vs. a passive foe. First of call, author needs to recognize that this is a very good holding. This is a hand where it is important to get money in, because hero has huge equity vs just about any holding and yet doesn't want a cheap overcard to fall off and pair his opponent. Hero has a shot at stacking opponent if opponent has a big club and chases it. In sum, hero needs to bet here pretty much 100% of the time, and can gauge from opponent's actions on turn or river whether his pair is any good.

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An awareness of a possible flush should not be considered paranoia.
A flop check into the preflop raiser is a tactical action not a passive action. In studies on well over 70% of prf raises the raiser makes a continuation bet. A check is transferring first-to-act back to the raiser. That check gives no information.
It is true that betting the flop gives the author the best chance of winning the pot. But isn't the object of the game to win chips?
Most of the hands Ac6d dominates isn't very dangerous. Since any club makes the author's hand a flush, there are only four overcards to fear instead of the usual six.
Here the author is hoping to win a big pot with both players making flushes. He has a better chance of stacking his opponent when he checks the flop as opponent will be more willing to defend with a small club.