K♣5♣ BTN vs BB, river on K♠ T♥ 7♠ 6♣ 2♠, 100 bb
The spot
- You: BTN
- Opponent: BB
- Your hand: K♣5♣
- Board: K♠ T♥ 7♠ 6♣ 2♠
- Effective stack: 100 bb
- Pot: 23.5 bb
Advanced node: capped range attack opportunity.
Best advanced line?
See the answer
Best play: Bet 40% pot
Why
River (K‑T‑7‑6‑2). Hero's K♣5♣ makes top pair of kings with a weak five kicker — a final made hand, no draws. The BB checked the whole way, capping at second pair / missed draws / weak Kx, so hero's top pair is ahead of most of that range but too thin and kicker-dominated to overbet. The 40-percent merged bet is correct thin value: it gets called by worse Kx, Tx and 7x while keeping the pot controlled against the few better kickers that beat the weak five.
Key idea
Top pair with a weak kicker on the river is a thin-value small bet, not an overbet — size down to get paid by the capped range's worse pairs.
Common mistake
Overbetting top-pair-weak-kicker as if it were the nuts — better Kx will raise/call and worse hands fold, turning value into a trap.