Hold'em table

AJo on the button in 3-handed play is a strong opening hand, so I'm raising to 2.5bb for value and to take the initiative.

Suited 9-8 has good straight and flush potential against a wide button-opening range. With 100-big-blind stacks and no rake, calling the modest raise preserves its implied odds without inflating the pot out of position.

K9 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind for 150 more in a multiway pot, with no further preflop action to face.

Top pair plus an open-ended straight draw has strong equity, but checking out of position in a three-way pot keeps weaker hands involved and avoids inflating the pot against stronger made hands. I can comfortably continue against most ordinary bets.

Top pair with a strong kicker is worth betting for value and protection on this draw-heavy flop, especially after the small blind checked.

AJo has only overcards with no real draw on a connected 7-6-9 two-tone board. Facing a big-blind lead of 500 into 750 with the small blind still to act behind, folding is the disciplined play.

Top pair plus an open-ended straight draw has ample equity to call 500 into a 1,250 pot. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot against a potentially strong betting range.

I have the current nut straight. Leading for value targets sets, two pair, and diamond draws while denying a free river card on a board the flop aggressor may check back.

The turn lead is concerning on a four-to-a-straight board, but top pair with a king kicker can still beat weaker pairs and draws. Calling preserves those possibilities without building a large pot.

My nine-high straight can extract value from sets and two pair after the river bricks. Betting about 60% of the pot targets those hands while recognizing that T8 makes a higher straight.

Top pair is unlikely to beat a turn lead followed by a sizable river bet on this connected board. Many 8x hands made a straight on the turn, and 4x improved on the river.

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

A6 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind and take the initiative.

Pocket aces in the big blind facing a small blind open. A 3-bet to 10bb builds the pot in position with the best hand.

A6 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a 10bb three-bet, and calling risks difficult postflop decisions.

Nine-deuce suited is too weak to open profitably against two unknown blinds.

Pocket jacks are a strong hand in the small blind against only the big blind, so I'm raising for value. 3.5bb is a standard size out of position.

A4 suited is strong enough to defend against a small-blind opening range, especially with position postflop. Calling preserves its flush and straight potential without inflating the pot against stronger aces.

The K-high board favors my preflop raising range, so a small c-bet works. JJ gets value from worse pairs and draws, denies equity to overcards and heart draws, and keeps the pot manageable out of position.

The nut flush draw comfortably justifies calling 240 into a 940-chip pot, with position and potential additional value if a heart arrives. Calling keeps weaker hands in the opponent's range and avoids reopening the betting against stronger hands.

JJ is a medium-strength bluff-catcher on a K-high paired board after the flop c-bet was called, and it is likely behind any Kx. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me call reasonable bets from draws and bluffs.

Checking takes a free river with the nut-flush draw and preserves some ace-high showdown value. The paired turn can leave the opponent with hands that will not fold, so betting risks a check-raise without enough clear benefit.

Jacks full of fives is near the nuts and loses only to KK or 55. A solid value bet gets called by flushes, kings, and fives.

My ace-high flush is strong enough to raise for value against lower flushes and trips. Full houses are possible on the paired board, but the checked turn makes them less prominent in the opponent's range.

Jacks full is near the nuts here, losing only to KK or 55, which are unlikely given the BB just called preflop. A sizable re-raise extracts value from flushes and trip fives while still leaving them room to call.

Calling requires about 27% equity, and the nut flush can still beat lower flushes and bluffs. The paired board and strong river reraise make another raise unattractive because full houses are a substantial part of the opponent's range.

In 3-handed play, 75o is near the bottom of the button opening range, so folding is the standard play. Opening it against two players in the blinds would likely lose chips.

With the button folded, J7 suited is strong enough to open from the small blind. Raising to 3 big blinds pressures the big blind while retaining reasonable postflop playability when called.

Against a small-blind raise heads-up, 6-5 offsuit has enough playability and pot odds to defend the big blind.

Betting half-pot applies pressure with little showdown value while building a pot for our flush draw. As the preflop raiser, we can credibly represent strong king-high hands on this board.

Bottom pair has enough showdown value to call this small flop bet against a wide heads-up raising range. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot while preserving position.

With little showdown value but a heart flush draw, I can semi-bluff while representing strong kings. This sizing pressures weaker pairs and retains meaningful river equity when called.

I have a pair and a gutshot straight draw in position. Against a small-blind opener’s turn betting range, calling preserves my equity without building a large pot with a marginal hand.

The flush draw missed, but my hearts block some of the opponent's likely folding hands, making this a poor triple-barrel bluff. After two calls, their range contains enough kings and sixes that checking is preferable.

Trips are strong against the opponent’s likely king-pair and missed-draw range. A 1200-chip bet offers value while keeping calls from weaker hands plausible.

The flush draw missed, leaving only jack-high alongside the board pair. Calling has too little showdown value, and holding two hearts blocks likely missed-draw bluffs.

J8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional advantage if called.

6-2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A4s in the big blind against a 3-handed button open is a strong 3-bet candidate thanks to the ace blocker and good playability. Raising to 10bb works as a mix of value and semi-bluff and lets me take the initiative, though calling would also be fine.

J8 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large big-blind three-bet, even in position. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity realization and substantial domination risk.

K9 offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while preserving position.

83o in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position.

T9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defense against a button open, with connected cards and a price of 150 to contest a final pot of 550. Calling preserves its postflop potential without inflating the pot out of position.

I have an open-ended straight draw on a dry flop. Checking to the preflop raiser preserves my options to call or check-raise depending on their bet size without unnecessarily building the pot out of position.

A small continuation bet on this dry flop can fold out some of the big blind's unpaired hands while keeping the risk modest with king-high.

I have an open-ended straight draw with eight outs and need about 21% equity to call. The modest bet and potential implied odds make calling preferable to folding or inflating the pot out of position.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and the turn is a blank that does not justify leading into the preflop aggressor. Checking preserves the option to call a reasonably sized bet or take a free river.

The turn did not improve my king-high hand, and the flop caller is likely to continue with many made hands. Checking takes a free river card without committing more chips to a low-equity bluff.

My missed straight draw has little showdown value, while the paired river lets me credibly represent trips from my flop-calling range. A 650-chip bluff targets ace-high and weak pairs after the button checked back the turn.

King-high has limited showdown value against a river bet, and calling 650 requires too much equity against the likely mix of pairs and bluffs.