Q♠T♠ CO vs BB, river on K♦ 8♠ 4♥ 3♦ A♣, 70 bb
The spot
- You: CO
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: Q♠T♠
- Board: K♦ 8♠ 4♥ 3♦ A♣
- Effective stack: 70 bb
- Pot: 15.5 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 K♦8♠4♥3♦A♣: the river ace gives the board two broadway cards and no flush. Hero's Q♠T♠ missed everything — it is queen-high air with no pair, no draw left to hit. With zero showdown value it cannot win at a check, so it becomes a candidate to fire the small 40% bet as a cheap bluff that pressures the BB's many king-x and middling pairs that fear the ace. In position after a check, this thin bluff sizing is defensible: it risks little, folds out the bluff‑catchers, and lets hero's value bets stay balanced.
Key idea
A pure no-showdown hand can prefer a small bluff over a give-up when the river card scares the caller's range.
Common mistake
Overbetting queen-high air when a cheap 40% bluff achieves the same folds at far less risk.