A♥8♥ BB vs BTN, river on K♦ 8♠ 4♥ 3♦ A♣, 80 bb
The spot
- You: BB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: A♥8♥
- Board: K♦ 8♠ 4♥ 3♦ A♣
- Effective stack: 80 bb
- Pot: 15.5 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 K♦ 8♠ 4♥ 3♦ A♣: the river ace gives BTN its strongest combos (Ax, AK, sets), while Kx and missed gutters fill out the rest. With A♥ 8♥ you pair the ace on the river for top pair, weak kicker — a medium showdown hand that beats the BTN's bluffs and worse Kx but loses to every better ace. From the BB, checking takes a free showdown and induces bluffs from busted draws; leading only folds out worse and gets raised by better Ax.
Key idea
OOP with top pair weak kicker on a paired-up river, check to realize showdown rather than bet into a range that only continues with better.
Common mistake
Value-betting top pair weak kicker OOP, only folding out worse and getting called or raised by every better ace.