A♠Q♦ SB vs BTN, river on Q♣ T♣ 7♥ 2♦ 2♣, 75 bb
The spot
- You: SB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: A♠Q♦
- Board: Q♣ T♣ 7♥ 2♦ 2♣
- Effective stack: 75 bb
- Pot: 17 bb
This river node requires thin value and bluff‑catch discipline.
Choose the highest-EV river action.
See the answer
Best play: Bet 40% pot
Why
Final board Q♣T♣7♥2♦2♣: the deuce pairs and a third club completes a flush, so BTN's range holds some clubs and the odd boat/Qx, but is mostly Tx, 7x and missed broadways. With A♠Q♦ hero has two pair, queens and deuces with the ace kicker — a strong made hand that beats every worse Qx and all missed draws, yet is not the nuts on a flush- and pair-completed board. Leading out of position for 40% is a thin value bet that gets called by worse top pair and busted club combos while keeping the pot manageable against the rare flush or boat.
Key idea
OOP with strong two pair on a scary board, a small lead extracts thin value while capping your downside against the few nutted hands.
Common mistake
Overbetting two pair on a three-flush, paired board and getting raised off the hand or stacked by a flush/boat.