J♠T♠ SB vs BTN, turn on K♦ 6♠ 2♥ T♣, 75 bb
The spot
- You: SB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: J♠T♠
- Board: K♦ 6♠ 2♥ T♣
- Effective stack: 75 bb
- Pot: 11.5 bb
Hero arrives on turn with equity and blocker leverage.
What action realizes the most EV in solver baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Call
Why
The T♣ turn on K♦6♠2♥ gives hero's J♠T♠ a pair of tens, only second pair behind the K, plus a gutshot to the Q for Broadway. From the SB out of position, the BTN holds the range and nut advantage on a K-high board, so check-raising bloats the pot as a clear underdog. Check-calling realizes equity cheaply: hero can improve to trips, two pair, or the straight, and bluff‑catch the BTN's missed broadways and barrels at a fair price.
Key idea
With a marginal pair plus a gutshot out of position on the bettor's-favored board, call to realize equity instead of raising into the range advantage.
Common mistake
Check-raising second pair with only a gutshot turns a fine bluff‑catcher into a dominated bluff against a K-x heavy range.