A♠8♠ BTN vs BB, turn on A♣ 7♦ 3♥ 9♠, 50 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: A♠8♠
- Board: A♣ 7♦ 3♥ 9♠
- Effective stack: 50 bb
- Pot: 9 bb
Hero evaluates exploit leverage versus player-image assumptions.
Choose the strongest HU postflop strategy.
See the answer
Best play: Raise
Why
Single-raised HU pot, turn 9♠ on A♣7♦3♥ with the BB betting into you in position. A♠8♠ is top pair (aces) and on this dry, ace-high board you are well ahead of the BB's wide, bluff-heavy betting range, which is full of worse aces, pairs, and pure air. Raising for value and protection is correct: heads-up your value gets paid by a far wider range, the raise charges the many draws and floats the 9♠ just gave action to, and it builds the pot while you hold the range-topping made hand in position.
Key idea
Heads-up, top pair on a dry ace-high board raises for value+protection because villain pays off and barrels with a much wider range.
Common mistake
Just calling — flatting underprices villain's draws and bluffs and leaves heads-up value on the table.