A♥J♥ CO vs BB, turn on J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠, 75 bb
The spot
- You: CO
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♥J♥
- Board: J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠
- Effective stack: 75 bb
- Pot: 8.5 bb
Hero arrives on turn with equity and blocker leverage.
What action realizes the most EV in solver baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Raise
Why
The Q♠ on J♣8♦5♠ is an overcard that helps Broadway hands and adds a backdoor flush, but BB's flop check-call range is still mostly one-pair and draws. Your A♥J♥ is now second pair (a pair of Jacks behind the Queen) with a gutshot to Broadway (any Ten makes A‑K‑Q‑J‑T) and the nut ace overcard, so you have showdown value plus extra outs. In position facing a turn bet, raising both protects/extracts thin value against worse Jacks and draws and applies pressure as a semi-bluff with your gutshot, getting better-but-marginal Q-x to fold while your Ten outs and ace back you up when called.
Key idea
Second pair with a gutshot and the ace overcard in position can raise the turn as a value/semi-bluff blend against a wide caller.
Common mistake
Passively calling and letting many worse hands and draws see a free river, surrendering both protection and fold equity.