A♠Q♦ BTN vs BB, river on J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠, 70 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♠Q♦
- Board: J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠
- Effective stack: 70 bb
- Pot: 18.5 bb
River checks to hero after two-street sequence.
Best river decision in baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Bet 40% pot
Why
The final board J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠ has no flush and a missed straight texture; the BB's checked range is full of busted gutshots and weak pairs, while the value (J-x, T-x, sets) would often have led. Your A♠Q♦ missed completely — it is just ace-high with no pair, so it can never bet for value. A small 40% stab works as a low-risk blocker bluff: it folds out the BB's seven-high and ten-with-bad-kicker air that cannot call, and your ace-high retains the best showdown if called, making the cheap bet higher-EV than checking down.
Key idea
Ace-high with no pair can't value-bet, but a small blocker bet folds out worse air while keeping showdown equity.
Common mistake
Overbetting ace-high as a bluff when a cheap small bet achieves the same folds at far lower risk.