K♦Q♦ BTN vs BB, flop on K♠ 7♦ 3♣, 95 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: K♦Q♦
- Board: K♠ 7♦ 3♣
- Effective stack: 95 bb
- Pot: 4 bb
Single-raised pot, hero is in position after raising preflop.
What sizing is best in baseline strategy?
See the answer
Best play: Bet 33% pot
Why
K♠7♦3♣ is a dry, disconnected rainbow board where the BTN preflop raiser owns the range and nut advantage over the BB. K♦Q♦ flops top pair with a strong second-best kicker (queen) — a clear value hand that wants to get money in versus the BB's many king-x and pair-plus-draw continues. Checking back surrenders a near-free value bet and protection on a board with almost no draws; betting small (33%) is the textbook line, getting called by weaker kings, pairs, and gutshots.
Key idea
Top pair with a good kicker on a dry board is a value bet for the IP preflop raiser, not a check-back.
Common mistake
Checking back KQ on K72 'to keep the pot small' wastes value and protection against a range full of worse kings and draws.