Hold'em table

JTo on the button three-handed is a clear open-raise; 2.5x applies pressure on the blinds.

Seat 1 opened to 250 with QdKd on the button. As the small blind with QhKh, I have a speculative hand that benefits from implied odds and position. Calling keeps my stack deeper for future hands and avoids bloating the pot with a marginal holding.

Defend the big blind with an ace against a small button raise, especially with the small blind already calling and favorable pot odds.

I have a strong top pair with a King kicker on a board that pairs the Jack, and checking allows me to control the pot size and potentially induce bluffs from the other players.

Betting the gutshot with ace-high creates fold equity against weaker unpaired holdings while retaining outs to a strong straight.

Middle pair plus a gutshot to the queen gets about 26% pot odds against a donk lead, which is enough to continue. Raising would only fold out worse hands and leave the small blind behind to act.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a board that completed a flush draw. Calling keeps my range flexible and avoids overcommitting with a marginal hand against a raise.

I have a backdoor flush draw and two overcards on a paired board, but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids building a big bluff catcher when I'm likely behind.

With the nut-heart draw but little made-hand value in a multiway pot, checking realizes equity cheaply and avoids running into strong kings, made flushes, or straights.

Middle pair with no flush draw on a three-heart board in a three-way pot; I have showdown value but would rarely get called by worse, so checking back controls the pot.

Board is paired with two fours and I hold KdQs, so I likely don't have the best hand. Checking avoids building a bigger pot and lets me control losses if called or bluffed.

Ace-high has some showdown value after the turn checked through, while a river bluff into two opponents is likely to be called by many pairs and hearts.

Second pair with a ten kicker on a paired three-flush board has some showdown value against two checked ranges. A bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse, so checking back is best.

I have a decent high-card hand (Ad Qh) and the big blind is only 100 chips. Calling keeps my stack intact while seeing a flop, which is better than folding this speculative hand.

J6 offsuit is a weak small-blind hand facing a limper with the big blind still to act; folding avoids playing a dominated multiway pot out of position.

QJs is well ahead of a button limper's range, so I'll iso-raise for value and initiative, though I'll be out of position postflop.

Calling 350 to see a flop with AdQh is reasonable; I have a strong Ace and can play the hand postflop. The pot odds are decent and I want to keep the opponent's range wide.

The ace-high board favors my preflop-raising range against a limp-caller, so a small c-bet of about a third of the pot can take it down. QJ with a backdoor flush draw and two overcards to the 8 and 7 has some equity if called.

Calling 310 on the flop with Ad Qh on 8c 7d Ah keeps me in the hand with a backdoor flush draw and overcards, while avoiding a big raise into a single aggressive opponent.

Second pair is behind the many Ax hands the button calls the flop with, but it still has showdown value. Checking controls the pot out of position, and I can call a reasonable bet against draws and bluffs.

Board is coordinated with a straight draw and two overcards; checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see the river without risking chips. I have showdown value with top pair weak kicker and want to avoid building a bigger pot against a possible strong hand.

We have second pair with showdown value, and the opponent's turn check-back suggests a medium-strength or weak range. Checking avoids getting raised by better aces while keeping the pot controlled.

The board is paired with an Ace and I hold top pair with a Queen kicker. Both players checked to me on the river, so there is no bet to call; checking allows me to see the showdown and win the pot without risking more chips.

8-high with a weak, disconnected offsuit hand is not worth entering from the button against two blinds.

Blind vs blind with a suited wheel hand is a reasonable raise or limp; raising to 3bb applies fold equity, and 52s has playability. Mixing in a raise here.

I hold AhKh, a strong suited hand, and the pot odds justify calling the 200 chip raise. Seat 3 has folded, so I'm heads-up against the small blind's continuation raise.

Bottom pair with backdoor wheel potential on a dry J-high board that favors the preflop raiser's range. A small one-third-pot c-bet gets value and protection while keeping the price low.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a dry flop, and calling keeps my hand hidden while avoiding bloating the pot with a weak opponent.

Bottom pair with no real draw on a turn that helps the caller's range. Checking keeps the pot small and allows a cheap showdown; barreling here gets little fold equity.

Board is paired with a Ten, and my Ah kicker is strong; checking preserves pot control and avoids building a big pot with a marginal top pair.

Bottom pair has some showdown value against missed draws, and checking lets those hands bluff. A bet would mainly get called by better pairs.

Board is paired with a Ten, giving me Ace-high; checking preserves my stack and avoids building a pot I'm likely losing to a Ten or better.

Three-handed on the button, J5o is a marginal but acceptable steal with only the blinds left to act. A small 2.5bb open risks little.

I hold 9s 4d, a weak hand that is unlikely to improve enough to justify calling a raise to 250. Folding preserves my stack against a strong range.

K6 offsuit has sufficient equity against a typical button opening range, and the big blind is getting favorable pot odds with no rake.

With a gutshot to a king-high straight and limited immediate showdown value on this coordinated board, checking preserves flexibility against the preflop raiser.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a connected Q-J-8 board that hits the big blind's calling range hard. Checking back controls the pot, keeps their bluffs in, and avoids getting raised off my showdown value.

A turn lead can credibly represent an 8, Qx, or Jx after the checked flop and pressures missed overcards and small pairs. K-high has some straight-draw equity via a ten.

Second pair facing a small turn bet, getting about 3.8 to 1. That is too strong to fold against the big blind's wide range of draws and bluffs, but not strong enough to raise.

My king gives me a strong kicker on the double-paired board, but a value bet is unlikely to be called by worse after the turn action. Checking realizes showdown value and avoids paying off stronger holdings.

We hold jacks full of eights, which beats almost everything except QJ, QQ, or the case jack with a better kicker. A value bet around two-thirds of the pot should get called by Jx, Qx, 8x, and pocket pairs.

K-high has no showdown value on this paired double-board, and the river bet is unlikely to be bluffing often enough to justify a call.

My hole cards are Jh2s, which is a very weak hand with little potential to improve. The pot odds do not justify calling 100 chips with this speculative holding, so folding is the most chip-efficient decision.

8-5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against the big blind at this stack depth.

On the button with A-Q offsuit, I raise for value and initiative against the blinds.

T6 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still left to act, is too weak to call or 3-bet profitably.

Seat 3 opened to 250 with a button raise and seat 1 folded. My 2s Kc is weak offsuit and unsuited, so folding is the correct play against a raise.