A♥Q♣ BB vs UTG, preflop, 60 bb
The spot
- You: BB
- Opponent: UTG
- Your hand: A♥Q♣
- Board: preflop, no board yet
- Effective stack: 60 bb
- Pot: 12 bb
Hero chooses between call, raise, and controlled passivity.
What action keeps the highest practical EV?
See the answer
Best play: Call
Why
BB defending AQo vs a UTG open. AQo is strong but dominated by UTG s tightest value (AA/KK/QQ/AK), so flatting from the big blind to close the action is preferred over 3-betting it face-up out of position. You realize equity, keep dominated A-x and K-x in, and avoid getting raised off a hand that plays fine postflop.
Key idea
Vs a tight early-position open, AQo is a flat from the BB, not an automatic 3‑bet: it is dominated by the value that calls a 3‑bet, so you defend it by calling and realizing equity.
Common mistake
Auto-3-betting AQo vs UTG. That folds out the weaker hands you beat and gets called or 4‑bet by hands that dominate you; out of position this is a leak, while flatting keeps your range uncapped and well-defended.