9♠9♦ SB vs BTN, river on A♣ 8♦ 5♣ 5♥ 2♠, 65 bb
The spot
- You: SB
- Opponent: BTN
- Your hand: 9♠9♦
- Board: A♣ 8♦ 5♣ 5♥ 2♠
- Effective stack: 65 bb
- Pot: 20 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
On A 8 5 5 2 the board is paired, and your 9♠9♦ is two pair, nines and fives (your pocket pair plus the board fives). Out of position as the SB you lead small (40% pot) as a thin-value bet: a Bet 40% gets called by worse pocket pairs and stubborn missed clubs, while a check forfeits that thin value. Keep it small because the Ace and any 5 in the BTN's range still beat you, so you do not want to bloat the pot.
Key idea
A paired final board turns your pocket pair into two pair. From OOP that can be a small thin-value lead against worse pairs, but size it down because stronger top-pair and trips still beat you.
Common mistake
Overbetting two pair like the nuts. Against a BTN who still holds every Ace and every 5, a big bet only gets called by hands that beat you and folds out the worse pairs you want value from.