I know this thread is about the seccond barrel but please let me explain why I think even the first barrel is a leak,

This is the way I see betting into unraise pots at the micros.

Lets say you 2 people limp preflop and you follow them in with position. Big blind checks. Flop comes 3 cards, you miss and it checks around to you. (This is a standard situation for RVP, at a tight table. I've seen 9 people to the flop lots of times on loose tables)

Now, if you are playing with people who have a good idea what they are doing then you might bet half the pot here trying to steal. If the opps have nothing they will fold, otherwise they will call or raise. Note that they are not getting pot odds for OESDs or flush draws.

In the situation we are talking about the pot is $0.40 and you are betting $0.20 into it with 3 people needed to fold. Everytime this play works you get $0.60, every time it doesn't you loose $0.30, (your limp and your 2xbb flop bet). So this play has to work 1 in 3 times to break even. Any more and I shows a profit, any less and its a leak.

So, you've bet your $0.20 and it goes back around to the guy in the big blind and hes thinking ' okay I have an ace, who knows an ace might come up next, meh... its only $0.20 who gives a shit I'll call', second guy folds and the third guy thinks the same thought process as the Big blind with his K8.

While this is happening your sitting there thinking 'WTF, that was a solid half pot bet, these guys must have sets or something'

This is what happens, IMO you wont get near to 1 in 3 successfull steals and therefore this play is a leak.

If you make your flop bet the pot the guys think 'meh... whats $0.40, RVP gave me this $10 for free anyway'. So that doesn't make the situation any better. In fact it makes it worse.

The only time you should pot steal at the micros is with <4 to the flop and you have your opps read as thinking players. You can make moves, just make sure its at the right person. If he called the first bluff/steal then he sure wont fold to the second one. (Unless a scare card hits, like he is chasing a K and the turn is an A).

The seccond barrel is for when you raise preflop (with AK, AQ) and you think, that your opponent is thinking, that you have AK and you continuation betted the flop. Not for the guy who is hoping his ace hits on the river.