8♠7♠ SB vs BTN, turn on J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠, 75 bb
The spot
- You: SB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: 8♠7♠
- Board: J♣ 8♦ 5♠ Q♠
- Effective stack: 75 bb
- Pot: 16 bb
Villain range is partially capped after passive turn sequence.
Choose the strongest turn strategy.
See the answer
Best play: Call
Why
The Q♠ turn on J♣8♦5♠ brings a second spade and an overcard that favors the BTN's broadways, but you pick up a draw. With 8♠7♠ you have middle pair (a pair of eights) plus the nut-ish spade flush draw (any spade completes) — pair-plus-flush-draw, a hand with real equity but not strong enough to raise for value. Out of position you check-call the BTN's turn bet: you have a pair to fall back on, a flush draw with clean outs, and the right price to continue, so calling realizes your equity without bloating the pot against a range that has you beat with Qx/Jx.
Key idea
Pair plus a flush draw OOP usually plays as a check-call: enough equity to continue, not enough to raise for value.
Common mistake
Folding pair-plus-flush-draw OOP throws away a clear continue, while raising it bloats the pot as a marginal value/bluff hybrid.