Hold'em table

8♣2♦ is a very weak offsuit hand, so I’ll fold rather than enter the pot from the button.

With T5 suited heads-up, completing the small blind costs only 50 chips. The hand is playable, but not strong enough to build a large pot out of position.

79o is too weak to raise, and checking is free in the big blind after the small blind completes and the button folds.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but betting into a heads-up limped pot on an ace-high board is unlikely to get much value. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I have middle pair on an ace-high board and the small blind checked, so a minimum half-pot bet takes the pot against weak hands and charges draws.

The small bet gives me a good price to continue with bottom pair against a wide big-blind range. I can reassess on the turn.

My weak pair has some showdown value, but betting would rarely get called by worse. Checking keeps the pot small.

I have a weak pair of nines and the opponent checked the turn after calling the flop. Checking controls the pot and avoids bloating it with a marginal hand.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but the river brings a third spade and an overcard. Checking avoids putting more chips in with a weak hand.

Pair of nines is too weak to value-bet on an ace-king board with a flush possible, and checking realizes showdown value for free after the opponent checked.

KTo is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise takes advantage of position without committing too much.

45 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to defend against the button’s raise, even with the pot odds.

J7 suited is playable from the button in three-handed play, so I open to 2.5bb rather than limp or fold.

8♣4♣ is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

7-3 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5-big-blind raise.

As the button in a three-handed game, 9♦7♦ is a playable suited hand and a small open raise can win the blinds or build a pot in position.

Nine-eight suited plays well in a multiway pot, and the price is reasonable with deep stacks. Calling keeps the pot manageable from the small blind.

A7o is too weak to continue facing a button raise and a small-blind call; folding avoids playing a dominated offsuit ace out of position.

Middle pair has showdown value, but betting into the preflop raiser on this board risks building a pot against stronger hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to their bet size.

I have a modest pair with a weak kicker on a queen-high, two-spade board. Checking behind preserves showdown value and avoids building the pot against stronger hands.

With third pair on an ace-high, three-spade board, I prefer to control the pot rather than lead into the preflop raiser.

With a weak middle pair on a three-spade board, I have some showdown value but little reason to build the pot. I’ll check behind and avoid bluffing into an ace-heavy turn.

My pair of nines has some showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands on this board. Checking keeps the pot small.

A pair of nines has reasonable showdown value after both players checked the flop and turn. Betting risks being called mainly by better hands, while checking preserves value against missed draws and weaker holdings.

Pocket fours are strong enough to open on the button, and a modest raise can win the blinds or play a pot in position.

T4o is too weak and poorly connected to continue out of position against a button open; folding saves chips.

The button’s open range is wide, and the price is favorable enough to defend the big blind heads-up despite the weak offsuit hand.

I have no made hand and only a weak runner-runner flush possibility, so checking avoids investing chips with little equity.

Pocket fours are weak on this coordinated flop, and a bet is unlikely to fold out many better hands or strong draws. Checking in position controls the pot.

I have no meaningful draw or made hand, and the checked-through flop makes a turn bluff unnecessary. Check and preserve the chance to reach showdown cheaply.

My small pair has little value to protect and few useful bluffing blockers. I’ll take the free card in position rather than build the pot.

I have no pair or useful draw, and the river bet would need to fold out too many hands to be profitable. I’ll take the free showdown rather than bluff into an opponent who may have checked a made hand.

Pocket fours have some showdown value against missed draws and unpaired hands. Betting is unlikely to fold out enough better hands to justify turning them into a bluff.

Pocket nines are a strong button hand, so I open to 3x rather than just call the big blind.

2♣4♥ is a very weak offsuit hand, and calling a sizable raise from the small blind would leave me out of position against two players. Fold rather than invest more.

J5 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a three-big-blind raise, so defending for another 200 chips is unlikely to be profitable.