Q♠T♠ BTN vs BB, river on J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠, 60 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: Q♠T♠
- Board: J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠
- Effective stack: 60 bb
- Pot: 18.5 bb
This river node requires thin value and bluff‑catch discipline.
Choose the highest-EV river action.
See the answer
Best play: Check
Why
Final board J 7 4 T 3 (J♠ 7♣ 4♦ T♦ 3♠), no completed flush and no straight. Holding Q♠ T♠ you have only second pair, a pair of tens with a queen kicker; the jack is top pair on the board. This is a medium showdown hand: worse pairs (sevens, fours, busted broadways) fold to a bet while every Jx and better continues, so you cannot get value, and you have too much showdown equity to bluff. Check to realize your showdown value and bluff‑catch.
Key idea
Showdown control: a medium pair that only worse hands fold to and only better hands call belongs in your checking range.
Common mistake
Value-betting second pair that only folds out worse and only gets called by better.