A♣Q♣ SB vs BTN, turn on Q♠ 9♦ 4♣ 2♠, 90 bb
The spot
- You: SB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: A♣Q♣
- Board: Q♠ 9♦ 4♣ 2♠
- Effective stack: 90 bb
- Pot: 16 bb
Hero arrives on turn with equity and blocker leverage.
What action realizes the most EV in solver baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Check
Why
The 2♠ turn on Q♠9♦4♣ is a total blank that changes nothing: ranges are unchanged and the BTN keeps its nut advantage with sets and overpairs. With A♣Q♣ you have top pair top kicker, a strong but bluff‑catcher-grade made hand on a dry board. Out of position you check to the in-position aggressor: you keep your whole range protected, control the pot with a one-pair hand that does not want a three-street war, and set up a comfortable check-call against the BTN's bets and bluffs rather than bloating the pot OOP.
Key idea
OOP top pair on a blank turn checks to the IP aggressor for pot control and range protection, planning to check-call.
Common mistake
Leading or raising top pair OOP into the IP aggressor only folds out worse and gets value only from hands that beat you.