K♣5♣ BB vs SB, river on K♠ T♥ 7♠ 6♣ 2♠, 60 bb
The spot
- You: BB
- Opponent: SB
- Your hand: K♣5♣
- Board: K♠ T♥ 7♠ 6♣ 2♠
- Effective stack: 60 bb
- Pot: 11.5 bb
Advanced node: capped range attack opportunity.
Best advanced line?
See the answer
Best play: Check
Why
River (K T 7 6 2). Hero pairs with the K-club for top pair, weakest kicker (the five); the board has three spades (K-spade 7-spade 2-spade) and hero holds none, so there is NO flush, just K5. Against the SB's capped range, top-pair-weak-kicker is a bluff‑catcher: it beats busted spade and straight draws but loses to KT/KJ/KQ, two pair, straights, and any spade flush. A check takes it to showdown to capture villain's bluffs; betting 120% only folds worse and is called by better, while a thin 40% gets raised off its value.
Key idea
Top pair with the worst kicker on a flush-completed river is a check-back bluff‑catcher, not a value bet: it can only get called by better and folds out the bluffs you wanted to beat.
Common mistake
Betting top pair 'for value' because it paired the king, ignoring that the kicker is the lowest in range and three spades are out, so worse hands fold and better hands continue.