Q♥T♥ BB vs SB, preflop, 95 bb
The spot
- You: BB
- Opponent: SB
- Your hand: Q♥T♥
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 95 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
Hero holds Q‑T suited (Q♥T♥) in the BB facing an SB open, so this is a defense node: flat or 3‑bet. Closing the action with the best pot odds at the table, flatting QTs lets you realize its straight, flush, and two-Broadway equity cheaply in a single-raised pot against a wide SB range. It is a clear continue, and calling captures that realization without bloating the pot out of position is unnecessary since BB plays IP only here only if SB checks; the price simply makes the flat profitable.
Key idea
Speculative suited Broadways defend wide in BB vs SB by flatting: the unbeatable pot odds and closed action let you see flops cheaply and realize straight and flush equity.
Common mistake
Folding QTs to a single SB raise despite the best price in poker, or overvaluing a 3‑bet when a flat realizes equity more cheaply.