A♥5♥ BTN vs BB, flop on J♠ 7♠ 4♣, 65 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♥5♥
- Board: J♠ 7♠ 4♣
- Effective stack: 65 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
J♠7♠4♣ is a fairly dry jack-high board with a two-spade flush draw present; as the BTN raiser you keep the range advantage, and small betting lets you continue your whole range cheaply. A♥5♥ is ace-high with no pair and no spade (so no flush draw of its own), but it holds two overcards to the jack and the ace as a clean overcard. The 33% bet is correct: it denies equity to the BB's weak made hands and gutshots, picks up folds on a board that mostly misses the BB, and keeps your betting range balanced and inexpensive.
Key idea
Small range bets on dry jack-high boards let you continue cheaply with overcard hands while keeping pressure on the BB.
Common mistake
Checking back ace-high with two overcards forfeits cheap fold equity on a board that heavily favors your range.