PokerToast · study tools for mixed-game poker
Heads-up limit Hold'em after the flop: bet, check-raise, continuation-bet or bluff?
After the flop the big blind acts first. The questions people ask are the classic ones: bet out or check-raise with top pair, continuation-bet with nothing when the raise was called, and whether to bluff a river after two calls. These pages use the pot sizes of the usual lines (4 small bets on the flop after a raise and a call) and the solver's hand groups.
The spots, in one table
| Spot | Solver's main play (how often) | Worth (EV estimate, small bets) | Common advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heads-up limit Hold'em: top pair in the big blind on the flop. Bet or check-raise? | Check (73.7%) | +4.73 | partly agrees |
| Heads-up limit Hold'em: continuation-bet A-5 on a 9-6-2 flop? | Check (87.2%) | +1.48 | disagrees |
| Heads-up limit Hold'em: bluff the river with Ace high after two calls? | Check (92.3%) | +1.50 | no source |
Heads-up limit Hold'em; "how often" is the solver's strategy, "worth" is measured from this decision on (fold = 0). Each spot page has the full table, the why and the method.
What the numbers add up to
Across the 3 single-decision spots here, the solver's main play checks in 3.
A published answer was found for 2 of them; heads-up, the solver agrees with it in 0, partly agrees in 1 and disagrees in 1.
Where the solver disagrees with the common advice, the measured values are within 0.10 small bets of each other, so none of those disagreements is a costly mistake either way.
Closest calls (two plays worth about the same, so either is fine): Heads-up limit Hold'em: top pair in the big blind on the flop. Bet or check-raise (check or bet); Heads-up limit Hold'em: continuation-bet A-5 on a 9-6-2 flop (check or bet); Heads-up limit Hold'em: bluff the river with Ace high after two calls (check or bet).
The spots
- In heads-up limit Hold'em, I called a button raise with K-10 in the big blind and flopped top pair (K-7-2). Bet out or check to raise?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Hold'em solver checks with K-10 on a K-7-2 flop in the big blind, first to act 74% of the time, and bets 26%. - In heads-up limit Hold'em, I raised A-5 on the button, the big blind called and checked a 9-6-2 flop. Continuation-bet or check?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Hold'em solver checks with A-5 on a 9-6-2 flop after the big blind checks 87% of the time, and bets 13%. - In heads-up limit Hold'em, I raised A-5 on the button, bet the 9-6-2 flop and the K turn, and the big blind called both. On the 3 river they check. Bluff or check?
Heads-up, PokerToast's limit Hold'em solver checks with A-5 on a 9-6-2-K-3 board after the big blind checks the river 92% of the time.
Numbers from PokerToast's heads-up limit Hold'em solver, version H-9047710-20261007012447, looked up when this page was built (2026-10-22). Heads-up only; hand groups, not exact cards; EVs are measured estimates against an opponent who plays like the solver.