Hold'em table

With a small pair on the button in a three-handed game, opening for a modest raise is profitable and puts pressure on the blinds.

Q9s is playable 3-handed against a 2.5x open; calling keeps the pot small with a speculative hand rather than bloating it out of position.

Closing the action in the big blind, calling 150 into 600 offers good pot odds for T8o despite being out of position postflop.

Two pair (queens up) on AQJ; betting for value and protection against K-T draws.

With T8 I have only a double gutshot for 8 outs, insufficient equity against a 500 lead into the preflop raiser on an A-Q-J board with another player behind.

An underpair to this A-Q-J flop has very little equity against a sizable lead, with no meaningful draw. Fold rather than invest more chips hoping to catch a bluff.

Td3c offsuit is a weak hand out of position against two players; folding is clearly best.

Heads-up against the big blind after the button folded, 9-6 offsuit has enough equity versus a wide range for the cheap 50-chip completion getting good pot odds.

JTo is playable but not strong enough to build a pot out of position against the small blind's limp. Check and see a flop without investing more.

With nine-high on a paired dry flop heads-up, checking preserves chips and lets me evaluate; a bluff would be called by better kickers, pairs, and overpairs too often.

A small flop bet can win the pot against the limper’s missed hands, and my two overcards give me some backup equity if called. The paired, dry board makes a modest size sufficient.

With 9-high and no pair or real draw on a paired 2-2-3 board, calling a half-pot bet lacks the equity and implied odds to continue.

A3 suited on the button in 3-handed play is a strong opening hand, well ahead of blind ranges. Raising to 2.5bb applies pressure and builds a pot in position.

K-2 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

8s4c is a weak hand facing a 2.5x raise out of position; folding is clearly best.

A♦Q♦ is a premium hand on the button in a three-handed game. Raise to 300 to take the initiative and build the pot against the blinds.

Q8s is playable against a 3bb open with position and a suited hand; calling keeps the pot small and preserves fold equity.

J7 offsuit is too weak and poorly playable out of position against a button raise and small blind call, despite the small additional call.

Q8 on a dry low board is marginal; checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating against the preflop raiser with a weak middle-pair-type hand.

Make a small continuation bet after the flop check. My two overcards and backdoor diamond draw give me useful equity, and this sizing can deny equity without risking much.

Q8-high on a dry low board against a preflop raiser who barreled the flop is a clear fold; I have no pair, no draw, and little fold equity worth chasing.

6c4c offsuit is a weak hand out of position; folding preflop is standard.

Ace-queen suited is a premium hand heads-up against the big blind after the button folded, so I raise for value and to build the pot in position postflop.

7♣5♥ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a 3bb raise out of position is not worthwhile.

J-T offsuit is a strong button open in 3-handed play, well ahead of the blinds' ranges. Raising to 2.5bb applies pressure and builds a pot in position.

K5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially out of position with the big blind still to act.

2h5s is a very weak hand facing a 2.5x raise; calling 150 more with no equity edge is losing play.