9♠8♦ BTN vs BB, river on K♣ 8♥ 3♦ J♠ 6♣, 100 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: 9♠8♦
- Board: K♣ 8♥ 3♦ J♠ 6♣
- Effective stack: 100 bb
- Pot: 18 bb
HU SR pot. Flop K83 BB check-called BTN small c‑bet. Turn Js checked through. River 6c, BB checks again.
Best river line with second pair after the turn check-through?
See the answer
Best play: Bet 33% pot
Why
Principle: when the opponent check-calls the flop and then checks the turn and the river, their range holds many weaker pairs and missed draws. Applied to 98 on K83-J‑6: second pair beats 3x, 6x, 77, 55 and ace-high, which can call a small bet. So: bet 33% — a small size keeps those hands calling, while bigger bets get called mostly by the Kx that beat 98.
Key idea
When the turn goes check-check, villain's range is capped, so middle pair becomes a thin-value bet at a small size that keeps worse hands in.