K♠T♠ BTN vs BB, river on Q♣ T♣ 7♥ 2♦ 2♣, 85 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: K♠T♠
- Board: Q♣ T♣ 7♥ 2♦ 2♣
- Effective stack: 85 bb
- Pot: 23 bb
River checks to hero after two-street sequence.
Best river decision in baseline?
See the answer
Best play: Check
Why
River Q‑T‑7‑2‑2 with three clubs on board, hero is in position on the BTN versus the BB after the river checks through to him. Hero holds K‑T for two pair, tens and deuces, with a king kicker (no flush, hero is in spades). This is a thin showdown-value hand: it beats busted draws and worse tens but loses to the completed club flush, any queen, and trips, so checking back realizes its showdown value while a bet would mostly be called by better and folded out by worse.
Key idea
On the river, a marginal two pair that only beats bluffs and worse pairs is a bluff‑catcher: check it back to realize showdown value.
Common mistake
Betting a marginal made hand on a flush-completing river, getting called only by better and folding out everything you beat.