In poker tournaments, postflop play demands accuracy in both sizing and range construction, especially in a 20bb MTT pot. Hero holds Q♠6♠ on a Q♥9♦5♣ board, facing a balanced, high-frequency betting strategy from the button.

Hand setup:

• Stacks: 20bb effective
• Positions: CO vs BTN
• Action: CO raises to 2bb, BTN calls
• Flop: Q♥9♦5♣ (Pot 6.5bb)
• Turn: 2♠ (Pot 9.7bb)
• River: 4♠ (Pot 21.3bb)

Flop: Q♥9♦5♣

This is a dynamic board that connects more closely with the button’s calling range. Solver outputs show the cutoff checking 87% of the time, betting only 13% across small and medium sizes.

The button bets 54% of the time, mainly using a 1.6bb sizing to pressure a range that contains many overcards. Q♠6♠ is an automatic call here with top pair weak kicker that performs well against thin value bets and high-card bluffs.

Solver shows that raising has minimal EV benefit. By calling, Hero protects weaker Qx hands and keeps the button’s bluffs and second-best pairs active for later streets.

Turn: 2♠

The 2♠ is a blank that leaves equities mostly unchanged. Solver continues checking almost always (99%) from the cutoff, keeping the range wide and difficult to exploit.

The button bets 5.8bb roughly 65% of the time, polarizing between strong top pairs and weaker semi-bluffs. Hero’s Q♠6♠ fits well as a call, maintaining range strength while avoiding over-defending with dominated kickers.

Solver prefers not to raise with one-pair type poker hands at this stack depth. Calling keeps the pot controlled while ensuring Hero’s checking range retains enough strength for future defense.

River: 4♠

The river is another low blank, completing no draws and leaving the board texture unchanged. Solver has the cutoff checking 100% of the time, while the button bets large, 10.6bb, at a 72% frequency to apply maximum pressure.

Against this sizing, solver has Hero defending roughly two-thirds of the time. All top-pair, even Q♠6♠, ranks high enough to qualify as a pure call.

The call satisfies minimum defense frequency while maintaining a balanced range. Folding too many top pairs would make Hero’s river defense overly weak and allow the button to profitably over-bluff.

Key Takeaways

• Flop: Frequent checking from the out-of-position player on dynamic textures. Small bets should be met with patient defense.
• Turn: Blank turns don’t demand aggression. Maintaining range strength through selective calls preserves balance and pot control.
• River: On dry rivers, solver logic emphasizes disciplined defense. Calls should be driven by range, not absolute hand strength.

At 20bb depth, GTO play is cautious but resolute. The solver emphasizes patience, controlled defense, and the discipline to call down with correctly structured top pairs.