Hold'em table

On the button in a three-handed pot, 9♣6♠ is playable as an opening raise; the minimum raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

Fold T6s from the small blind facing a button open, as it plays poorly out of position with the big blind still left to act.

K7o is too weak to defend the big blind against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.

Q3o is too weak of an offsuit hand to open profitably even from the button in 3-handed play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind with AJo, a clear value open. Raising to 300 builds the pot and denies the BB a cheap flop.

2♣4♥ is a very weak offsuit hand against a 3x small-blind raise, and calling out of position is not worthwhile.

84o is too weak to open even from the button in a three-handed pot; folding avoids putting chips in with a hand that has poor equity and little playability.

With the button folded, T5 offsuit is playable from the small blind against the big blind. Calling 50 offers favorable pot odds without inflating the pot with a weak hand.

We hold 76 offsuit in the big blind facing a small blind limp, making a free check to see the flop optimal.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has some showdown value, but the king and two-spade flop make betting vulnerable to stronger hands and raises. I’ll check and keep the pot manageable.

I have an open-ended straight draw in position in a limped blind-versus-blind pot, so taking a free card to realize equity is preferred over bluffing.

I have a weak middle pair on a connected, flush-draw board, and betting risks building the pot against stronger hands. I’ll take the free card and preserve showdown value.

I have seven-high with a gutshot straight draw on a coordinated board; checking behind to see a free river is standard.

With a weak kicker and no bet to call, I’ll take the showdown rather than risk a thin river value bet.

We have zero showdown value with 7-high on this broadway-heavy board. A bluff sizing of 150 into 200 can credibly fold out weak pairs and unpaired high cards.

I have a pair of tens and only need to win 30% of the time. The river bet can include missed spade draws after the flop and turn checked through, so I’ll bluff-catch.

With a weak suited hand on the button, calling the extra 100 chips keeps the pot small while preserving positional advantage.

Getting 5:1 immediate pot odds with an ace in the small blind against a button limp makes calling very profitable.

2-4 offsuit is too weak to raise, and checking is free as the big blind after limps.

In a multiway limped pot out of position with Ace-high and no direct draw, checking is standard.

I have no pair, draw, or showdown value on a paired board, and checking is free against two opponents.

I have no pair or immediate draw, and betting into two opponents on a paired board is unlikely to be profitable. I’ll take the free card.

Holding Ace-high out of position in a three-way pot with no direct draw, taking a free card by checking is standard.

I have no pair, draw, or blockers on a paired board, so checking is free and better than bluffing into two opponents.

I have only nine-high, but an open-ended straight draw gives me useful river equity. With both opponents checking twice on a paired board, I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into two players.

We hold trip tens with an Ace kicker, but any player with a 7, 8, pocket pair, or straight has us beat. Checking to see a cheap showdown is optimal.

I have 2-4 with no pair or draw on a triple-ten board, so there is no value in betting. Checking is free and avoids bluffing into two opponents.

The board gives everyone three tens, and my 9-high kicker is only a modest improvement over the board. After both opponents checked the river, I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk a bet against a better kicker.

Nine-six suited is a marginal two-gapper on the button in 3-max play; folding avoids playing an awkward postflop hand out of flow against blind defenses.

64o is too weak to continue out of position against the big blind after the button folds. Folding avoids a low-equity spot with poor postflop playability.

A8s is a clear button open in three-handed play; a 2.5bb raise builds the pot with initiative rather than limping.

56 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. I fold rather than invest more out of position.

Getting 2.7 to 1 pot odds closing the action against a button open, J9o has sufficient equity to defend.

Flopped an open-ended straight draw from out of position, checking to the preflop aggressor to see their action.

Top pair with ace kicker on a dry flop; a half-pot bet gets value from worse pairs and floats while keeping the pot controlled.

We flopped an open-ended straight draw with two overcards to the lower board cards, getting good pot odds to call a half-pot continuation bet.

I turned top pair along with an open-ended straight draw; checking out of position to control the pot and let the flop aggressor continue.

I have only a pair of eights with an ace kicker on a board with two overcards, and the opponent has called both streets. Checking controls the pot and lets me realize showdown value without bloating it against a stronger range.

The river completes a four-to-a-straight board (8-9-T-J), so two pair has decent showdown value against missed hands but cannot comfortably bet for value. Checking to see a showdown.

Pair of eights has some showdown value on this connected board, but it is too weak to value bet and too likely to be called by better hands to bluff. Checking realizes the hand cheaply.