A♣5♣ CO vs BTN, flop on T♠ 7♠ 7♦, 70 bb

Best play: Check

Why

T♠7♠7♦ is a paired, fairly low board where neither player has many strong made hands, and the in-position BTN holds the betting initiative; the CO is out of position. Your A♣5♣ is ace-high — no pair, no flush draw (you hold no spades), no straight draw — essentially a bluff‑catcher/give-up with two overcards to the ten. From OOP the right play is to check: you keep the pot small, deny the BTN a free pot only when you choose to bluff‑catch later, and avoid bloating a pot with a hand that has thin showdown value and no protection need.

Key idea

Out of position with ace-high and no draw on a paired board, checking to control the pot beats building one with a hand that has no protection need.

Common mistake

Turning A5s into a 'semi-bluff raise' on T77 when you have no equity to draw to — it is a pure give-up/bluff‑catch from OOP.