[naphand]

Betting the flop is a TOP mistake, and generates $$ for Defender. No doubt about it.

However, as a long-term strategy it is correct to bet this flop without knowledge of Defender's cards. This is why discussions like this are useful, how can a long-term profitable play (betting the flop after a PFR) be a TOP mistake? Well, it is but it shows the limitations of working to the TOP. The flop bet is only a TOP error in this instance (and hands like it), most of the time it is correct to bet.

PFR bets the flop hoping to pick up the pot, or just be called. PFR knows he will be raised some of the time, and also knows he can call the CR profitably with just overcards (as opposed to folding). The real issue is for Defender to read PFR and know how to get the most bets from PFR.