Hold'em table

Holding 72 offsuit, the weakest starting hand, folding on the button is the standard and most EV-preserving play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. A5o is worth the extra 50 to see a flop rather than folding an ace.

Checking costs nothing and keeps the pot small with a weak hand, while preserving the chance to improve postflop.

Ace-high with no pair or draw has little value out of position, so I check rather than inflate a small pot.

I have a weak middle pair on a connected board, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against stronger hands.

Ace-high with no pair or draw on a paired board has little value as a bet; checking keeps the pot small and preserves a free river.

My pair of eights has some showdown value, but the weak kicker makes a value bet thin. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids being called or raised by better hands.

Board pair of kings with only an ace kicker loses to any paired card or better ace, so there is no value in betting this tiny pot. Checking realizes the free showdown.

I have a reasonable two-pair hand after the opponent checked through, so I’m making a small value bet that weaker pairs may call. I’ll fold to a raise.

Tiny river stab after a checked flop and turn; pot odds are 3:1 and ace-kicker over the board pair beats all unpaired bluffs and chops other aces.

34 offsuit is too weak to open even on the button; folding avoids investing chips with a low-equity, easily dominated hand.

K-Q offsuit is strong heads-up against the big blind. Raise to build the pot and take initiative rather than just completing the small blind.

Defending big blind in position against a small blind raise with suited ten-high.

I have the nut-flush draw and two overcards, so a small continuation bet applies pressure while keeping the price reasonable if called.

I have ten-high with no diamonds on a monotone Ace-high board, offering negligible equity against SB's continuation bet.

T-6 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, and calling would invite the blinds to see a flop with a dominated hand.

In a blind-vs-blind battle after the button folds, 86 suited is a great candidate to open-raise and take initiative.

KTo has enough equity and playability in position against a small-blind open after the button folded. Calling 200 into 400 keeps the pot manageable and realizes the hand better than folding or bloating it with a 3-bet.

C-betting 1/3 pot with a flush draw on an Ace-high board that favors our SB opening range.

King-ten has only a gutshot on A-Q-3 and is rarely ahead of a preflop raiser's c-bet. The price is not good enough to continue with four outs.

Holding pocket Kings on the button, open-raising to 2.5bb for value.

86o is too weak to call a button open out of position, and a 3-bet bluff is poorly placed with this hand. Folding is the highest-EV line.

The button’s raise is modest, and the pot odds make defending this connected hand from the big blind reasonable. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that can make useful straights and pairs.

I have no meaningful equity on this flop and am out of position, so checking avoids investing chips with a weak hand.

I hold an overpair of kings plus a gutshot on a dynamic flop. Betting around half pot extracts value from queens, jacks, and draws while charging flush draws.

I have only weak backdoor draws and no pair, so calling the flop bet would require too much equity.

T3o is too weak to call or raise from the button against two live blinds, so folding preserves chips.

A8 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind; raising to 300 builds value and takes initiative against the big blind.

94s is too weak to defend against a 3x raise from the small blind.

Q4 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable button open three-handed; raising pressures the blinds and gives me initiative.

Fold A8o from the small blind facing a button open, as it plays poorly out of position and is vulnerable to domination and squeezes.

A3 offsuit is too weak and easily dominated to continue against a button open after the small blind folds. Folding preserves the stack for better spots.