Hold'em table

With a suited connector on the button and deep stacks, calling the small blind is cheap and keeps position; I can fold to later aggression if the flop misses.

Despite the cheap completion, 9-2 offsuit has poor playability and equity realization from the small blind. With the big blind still able to raise, folding avoids investing more in a weak hand.

4-2 offsuit is the worst starting hand, so I take the free flop from the big blind instead of raising against the button's limp.

I have a gutshot wheel draw (4-2 on an A-8-3 board) with no made hand. The button called preflop, so he likely has an ace or a pair. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card.

With bottom pair and a weak kicker on an ace-high flop, checking behind controls the pot and avoids bloating it against a likely better hand. I can reevaluate on the turn if opponent bets.

I have a gutshot wheel draw (A-2-3-4 with an 8 on board needs a 5) and a possible nut straight draw; the button checked the flop, signaling weakness. A small probe bet could take the pot or build equity, risking little.</br>

Bottom pair with a weak kicker on an A-high board is unlikely to be best when the big blind bets the turn. With few clean outs and no redraw, folding avoids chasing a marginal hand.

83 suited is too weak for a standard button open with both blinds still to act. Without evidence that the blinds overfold, folding avoids investing in a hand with poor connectivity and weak showdown value.

In the small blind heads-up against the big blind, 7c Ts is a marginal hand, but calling 50 more to win a 200 pot gives a good price (about 3.0 to 1 in pot odds), so I will see a flop cheaply.

With AKs in the big blind and only the small blind limping in, I raise for value and to take control of the pot.

7c Ts is a weak offsuit hand, and calling 300 more out of position against a 4x raise from the big blind is not profitable, so I fold.

A6 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong enough hand to open. A raise to 3bb puts pressure on both blinds and gives me position.

With pocket tens in the small blind, I have a strong 3-betting hand against a button open and want to apply pressure while building the pot.

AQ offsuit is a strong four-bet candidate against a button open and small-blind three-bet in this short-handed configuration. Its blockers reduce premium holdings, and this sizing pressures both opponents without committing my entire stack.

A6o facing a raise and a 3-bet squeeze (to 2300) with another player's 900 in, calling 2000 more is poor value for a dominated weak ace; folding is best.

TT is strong enough to continue against a 4-bet in a 3-handed game, and the pot odds (1400 to win 3500) justify a call. Jamming risks isolating against higher pairs, so I'll see a flop in position relative to the raiser.

With TT as an overpair on a coordinated low flop, I prefer checking out of position to control the pot and induce bets from worse hands like AK, while avoiding getting raised off my equity by stronger overpairs.

Checking preserves equity with two overcards and a backdoor nut-flush draw against a strong four-bet calling range. Few better hands fold on this flop, and taking a free turn avoids an expensive check-raise.

The ace on the turn is a bad card for my TT, and the preflop 3-bettor can easily have AK/AQ or a higher pair. I'll check and keep the pot controlled rather than bet into a range that has me beaten or can raise.

Top pair with a queen kicker merits a modest value bet after two checks. This sizing can get calls from weaker pairs and draws without unnecessarily inflating the pot against AK or sets.

Villain's preflop 4-bet and turn bet on an ace-high board represent a range that has TT crushed, and I am not getting enough pot odds to continue as a bluff-catcher.

Raise to 3x with a small pair on the button to take initiative and potentially steal the blinds, while having position.

73 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb raise from the small blind, with poor playability out of position and the big blind still to act.

Getting 450+200 pot odds: calling 200 to win 450 (about 3.25-to-1 with 6.5% needed... roughly 31% equity needed) with 76o against a button open is reasonable, and I get a suited-connector-like hand in position disadvantage but cheap price. Folding gives up too much; 3-betting with a marginal hand is unnecessary. ,

I have 6-7 offsuit with only a gutshot draw (5 or 8 completes a straight) on a 4-9-K board, and I'm out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a turn cheaply.

I will make a small continuation bet in position to fold out overcards and weaker hands, while risking little on this K-high flop.

6-7 offsuit on a 4-9-K board has only a gutshot and no pair. Calling 300 into a 950 pot needs about 24% equity, and a gutshot with two overcards in the deck plus a button c-bet range falls short of that, so I fold.

Q8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with position and good postflop playability. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds without committing too much with a medium-strength hand.

5h4c is weak out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act behind. Calling 200 more is not worth it, so I fold.

53o is a weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise; calling 150 more has poor playability and reverse implied odds, so folding preserves chips.

7-2 suited is the weakest starting hand, and playing it out of position against two opponents is unprofitable, so I fold the button for free-ish and give up nothing already invested.

With pocket jacks in the small blind and the button folded, I have a strong heads-up hand against the big blind. Raising to 300 builds the pot for value and puts pressure on the big blind's wide defending range.

Calling costs 200 to contest a 600-chip pot, and suited 6-4 has enough playability to defend against a small-blind opening range. Position after the flop and 100bb starting stacks support realizing its equity.

I raised preflop and hold an overpair on a wet K-Q-6 board; betting 300 charges flush/straight draws and denies equity, while I can fold to a raise.

Bottom pair plus a flush draw has ample equity to call a half-pot bet, especially in position. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot against strong made hands or higher flush draws.

I have two pair (kings and jacks), but the board is paired with two kings and my opponent called my flop bet. Checking controls the pot, avoids getting raised by stronger hands like Kx or sets, and may induce bluffs from worse hands.

My pair of sixes has some showdown value, and checking takes a free river with the flush draw. Betting risks a check-raise while mostly folding hands I already beat.

I have a medium showdown hand (JJ) on a coordinated paired board; betting risks value-cutting against Kx/Qx and getting raised, while checking controls the pot and may induce a bluff from missed draws.

Our sixes have showdown value against missed draws and unpaired hands, but a value bet is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking also avoids turning a reasonable bluff-catcher into a bluff while blocking missed spade draws that could fold.