Hold'em table

A4o on the button is a reasonable open in 3-handed play; raising to 300 applies pressure and gives me position if called.

85 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3bb raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity realization out of position.

A5-high-ish hand Ah2c in the big blind getting 2.25:1 against a button min-ish 3x open; the ace plays well three-handed with only one opponent left, so calling is sound and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

Heads-up on a 7-5-7 flop with ace-high and a wheel-draw backdoor. Out of position against a button raiser, I'll check and keep the pot small. Ace-high has some showdown value.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but the paired low board favors the preflop caller's range. Checking behind controls the pot and lets me evaluate the turn in position.

Top pair with an ace kicker-ish (A-2 on 7-5-7-A) is likely best against a button range that checked back the flop. A small bet gets value from weaker aces and 6s or pocket pairs while limiting risk against a 7 or better.

I have two pair with aces and sevens but a weak kicker; calling controls the pot and avoids getting raised by trips or a better ace.

I hold aces full of sevens, which only quad sevens or quad aces (As) beat, so I bet for value. A bet of 900 into 1350 should get called by weaker aces, sevens and other medium hands.

I have a full house (aces full of sevens), losing only to quad sevens. Raising for value against a likely worse full house or trip sevens.

I hold aces full of sevens, which beats almost everything. Only quad sevens beats me, so I raise for value against an opponent who just raised.

I have aces full of sevens, a very strong hand. I'm raising all-in for value, expecting to be called by worse full houses or aces.

I hold aces full of sevens, which beats nearly everything. Only quads (As or 7c) beat it, so with 3850 to call into a 16200 pot, calling is clearly right.

Q3 suited is a reasonable button open three-handed, benefiting from position and flush potential. A small raise pressures the blinds while limiting the cost if they play back.

Q9 offsuit is weak out of position against a button open, with the big blind still to act behind me. Calling 175 more would put me in a poor spot, so I fold.

T3o is too weak to continue against a button raise, even getting 3:1 pot odds; folding preserves chips.

On the button in a 3-handed game, 6-5 offsuit is a marginal hand but playable. Calling 100 to win a 350 pot is a good price, so I'll limp in rather than fold or bloat the pot.

7-3 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind, even with a small discount, and the big blind can still raise behind me.

Q8 offsuit is too weak to raise routinely against a button limp while out of position. Checking takes a free flop without inflating the pot.

With queen-high and a gutshot straight draw, checking keeps the pot small out of position and preserves the chance to improve for free.

Heads-up on an ace-high flop after the big blind checked. I have only a gutshot draw (5-6 with 9-J-A is weak, actually just backdoor), but a small stab can win the pot often against a checking range that missed the board.

Queen-high with no direct straight or flush draw is too weak to continue against this bet. Out of position, the limited backdoor potential does not justify calling.

K5o is marginal, but on the button with only the blinds left to act, a raise can steal the pot or isolate with position. Folding is too tight and calling invites the small blind to complete cheaply.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

Getting 450 into 200 (about 2.25:1) in a 3-handed pot with a button opener who raises wide. Q6o is a marginal hand, but the price and position of being closed out of the action make a call reasonable; a 3-bet bluff is too costly.

I have the nut flush draw with a backdoor-less queen high on an Ac Tc 8c flop. Checking as the big blind out of position keeps the pot small against a button raiser and lets me see a turn card cheaply with strong equity.

I have only a weak flush draw and no pair on a monotone board; checking in position lets me see a free turn without bloating the pot against a range that can have a made flush or strong ace.

I have a Queen-high with a club flush draw only partially (6c, board has three clubs) and a gutshot to a Broadway straight (Q makes AKQT, needs J). Both players checked the flop, so the button's range looks capped and weak. A small stab of about 60% pot at 400 can take the pot, and I still have outs with the gutshot straight draw and the 6c blocker.

I have second pair on a monotone board, but the bet is small and I have position. Calling keeps the pot manageable and allows me to evaluate the river.

I have Q-high on a board of A K T 8 3 with three clubs on board, so I have no showdown value against a button who called a turn bet. Q-high rarely wins, and a bluff would only fold out hands I already beat or lose to hands that call. Checking is the safe choice.

Our pair of kings has showdown value but is not strong enough to value bet; checking avoids risking chips against better hands that would call and gives us a chance to win at showdown against missed draws.

A small button open uses position and a king blocker to contest the blinds cheaply. The minimum raise limits investment with a weak offsuit hand.

3d5c is a weak offsuit hand out of position, facing a button raise to 200 with the big blind still to act. Folding is better than calling 150 more.

Getting 3.5:1 in the big blind with a live king against a button open, so calling is profitable enough to see a flop. Raising would risk too much with a weak offsuit hand.

I missed the flop with king-high and am out of position against the preflop raiser, so I check to keep the pot small and see what develops.

King-high has limited showdown value, but this coordinated board gives the big blind plenty of continuing hands. With only a weak backdoor flush draw, checking preserves chips and lets us reassess the turn in position.

Marginal K-high with a gutshot on a coordinated board; checking controls the pot and avoids building a large pot out of position.

King-high has limited showdown value, but this coordinated turn gives the big blind plenty of pairs and draws that can call a bluff. With no meaningful draw or useful blockers, I prefer taking the free river.

I rivered a 9-high straight and the pot is unraised, so I will bet for value and charge any queen or missed draw.

King-high has little showdown value against this river bet, especially with both flushes and straights available. Holding only the lowest diamond provides no useful blocker for a bluff raise.

7-6 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against two players still to act, so folding to the 100 call is the disciplined choice, though a call from the button would be only marginally costly.

Button folded, so I only need 50 more into a 150 pot with 62s. I have enough equity versus the big blind's random hand to see a cheap flop, and raising would not fold out the priced-in big blind.

J4 offsuit is too weak for a routine isolation raise against the small blind's limp. Checking takes a free flop and preserves position without inflating the pot.

With 6d2d on 8h3s7s I have almost no equity and am out of position; checking keeps the pot small and lets me fold to a bet.

J-high with no direct draw or backdoor flush draw is a poor bluff candidate on this connected, two-spade board. Checking preserves chips and lets me reassess the turn in position.

Opponent checked preflop and flop, showing weakness; a small turn bet can fold out overcards and take the pot.

J-high has no meaningful draw and little showdown value against the turn bet. With no useful blockers to support a bluff raise, folding is preferable to investing more chips.