A♠Q♦ BTN vs BB, river on A♣ 8♦ 5♣ 5♥ 2♠, 55 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♠Q♦
- Board: A♣ 8♦ 5♣ 5♥ 2♠
- Effective stack: 55 bb
- Pot: 14 bb
River checks to hero after two-street sequence.
Best river decision in baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Bet 40% pot
Why
Final board A♣ 8♦ 5♣ 5♥ 2♠ has no flush (only two clubs) and pairs the five, so the nuts is a five or a full house; the BB's checked range is capped at top pair and weaker Ax/missed draws. With A♠Q♦ you hold aces and fives with a queen kicker — a real top-pair hand that beats every worse ace (AJ-A9, A-low) the BB calls with. Betting 40% extracts thin value from those dominated aces and pocket pairs while keeping the BB's bluff‑catchers in; an overbet only folds out everything you beat.
Key idea
On a paired, no-flush river, a strong top pair small-bets for thin value from worse pairs rather than overbetting.
Common mistake
Overbetting top pair as if it were the nuts, folding out every worse hand that would have paid a small bet.