Hold'em table

T3o is too weak and disconnected to open from the button even three-handed; folding avoids a dominated, hard-to-play hand.

Q5 offsuit is playable blind versus blind, and completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot. Limping keeps the pot small with a weak kicker while retaining reasonable equity against the big blind's wide range.

With a weak offsuit hand and no raise to face, check the option and see the flop without inflating the pot.

Middle pair has showdown value but is too weak to build a large pot out of position. Checking keeps weaker hands in and allows me to reassess against a bet.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker has some showdown value, but betting into a checked opponent risks building a pot with a marginal hand. Check and take the free card.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but the coordinated turn makes betting for value unattractive. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against stronger pairs or draws.

I have a set of fours and the opponent has checked twice, so a modest turn bet can get value from weaker hands while charging draws. A smaller sizing keeps worse hands in the pot.

The big blind can stab this checked-through pot with many unpaired hands and draws. With a pair and potential improvement to trips or two pair, calling 125 to contest a 450-chip pot is reasonable.

My pair of fives has some showdown value but is too weak to value bet. Checking avoids inflating the pot against better pairs or completed hearts while preserving wins against missed draws.

My pair of fours is weak on this river, and the turn call suggests the opponent can have a better pair. Checking behind avoids putting more chips in with little value or bluffing leverage.

Pocket queens are a premium hand three-handed. Opening to 2.5 big blinds builds a value pot while preserving room to play in position.

83 suited is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act and poor postflop position.

K6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding avoids a dominated spot out of position.

4-2 offsuit is far too weak to continue, even on the button; folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity.

Button folded, so this is blind versus blind with king-high and a decent kicker. A small raise pressures the big blind and builds the pot with a hand that plays reasonably heads-up.

43 offsuit is too weak to profitably defend against a 3-big-blind raise, despite having position. Its limited playability and lack of useful blockers also make a bluff three-bet unattractive.

J3o is too weak to open from the button even three-handed; folding avoids putting chips in with a poorly playable hand.

With the button folded, J5 suited is strong enough to open against the big blind. A 3bb raise creates fold equity while retaining reasonable playability when called.

9♥6♣ is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability against a sizeable small-blind raise. I fold rather than defend out of position.

95 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button without evidence that the blinds overfold. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor equity and limited postflop playability.

J4 offsuit is too weak for a value raise, but completing the small blind is inexpensive and keeps the pot manageable heads-up.

Nine-six offsuit is too weak to raise, and the small blind has only completed. Checking is free and keeps the pot small.

Top pair has value and benefits from protection against overcards and draws. A small half-pot bet can get called by worse hands without building an unnecessarily large pot with a weak kicker.

Nine-six offsuit completely missed 5-T-J with no pair or draw, so calling a flop bet is -EV.

On the button three-handed, 7♠4♠ is playable as an open-raise; a modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while retaining some postflop playability.

Pocket fives have enough equity versus a wide button open to call 200 into a 400 pot and see a flop.

J6 offsuit is too weak to defend against a raise and a caller. Its poor playability and domination risk outweigh the favorable pot odds.

Pocket fives on 2-8-T is a marginal made hand out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the button does.

A small continuation bet can fold out some unpaired hands, and my two spades provide a backdoor flush draw. The checked-to flop is a reasonable spot to apply pressure without risking much.

Pocket fives have showdown value against a small one-third-pot c-bet, and the price is too good to fold out of position. Raising would bloat the pot with a vulnerable underpair.

Pocket fives are an underpair to the king and ten, so I check the turn and realize my showdown value rather than bloating the pot.

I have a nine-out spade flush draw and the opponent checked, so a sizeable semi-bluff can win the pot now or build it when I improve.

Pocket fives are an underpair to the king and ten, and the button's preflop raise plus flop and turn bets represent a range that is well ahead. Calling 650 more is not justified.