T♦9♦ BB vs BTN, turn on J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠, 65 bb
The spot
- You: BB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: T♦9♦
- Board: J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠
- Effective stack: 65 bb
- Pot: 8.5 bb
Villain range is partially capped after passive turn sequence.
Choose the strongest turn strategy.
See the answer
Best play: Raise
Why
On J♣8♦5♠ the Q♠ turn completes hero's straight: T♦9♦ fills 8‑9‑T‑J‑Q, the effective nuts on this runout. From the BB out of position, checking to the in-position BTN and then check-raising maximizes value because the BTN's two pair, sets, and Q-x continue, and capped bluffs pay off. There is no reason to slow-play the nut straight when stacks are deep and the BTN's range is wide and aggressive in position.
Key idea
When the turn completes the nut straight out of position, check‑raise the in-position bettor for maximum value rather than slow-playing.
Common mistake
Flatting the nut straight to 'trap' lets stacks stay shallow and leaves value on the table when the BTN would have stacked off to a check‑raise.