K♠J♠ HJ vs CO, preflop, 105 bb
The spot
- You: HJ
- Opponent: CO
- Your hand: K♠J♠
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 105 bb
- Pot: 5 bb
Villain opens and action is on hero preflop.
Which action keeps the best EV baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Call
Why
Villain opens and hero responds, so this is facing-an-open: 3‑bet, flat, or fold. K♠J♠ has the equity and playability to continue, and flatting in position keeps villain dominated Kx and Jx in their range while realizing equity cheaply across streets with a hand that flops top pairs and strong draws. Calling is a reasonable equity-realization line, though 3-betting is also defensible depending on the opener.
Key idea
In position facing an open, flatting strong suited broadways like KJs realizes equity well and keeps dominated holdings in; whether you flat or 3‑bet depends on the opener, but both are reasonable here.
Common mistake
Folding KJs to a single open (far too tight), or assuming you can call when first-in; here villain has opened, so flatting in position is a legitimate continue.