Hold'em table

Opening the button with 8-6 suited is profitable three-handed; a 2.5bb raise applies pressure while retaining playability.

J2 suited is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind with the big blind still to act.

JJ is well ahead of a wide button opening range in 3-handed play, so a 3-bet to 10bb out of position builds the pot and denies equity to overcards.

8-6 offsuit performs poorly against a large 3-bet, especially out of position postflop. Folding avoids continuing with a dominated, weak holding.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button, and a 2.5-big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds without risking much of the stack.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open, especially with the big blind still left to act behind me.

Defend the big blind getting favorable pot odds with a playable K9 against a button min-raise.

This low disconnected flop favors neither my unpaired K-high hand nor a straightforward value bet. Checking preserves equity and lets the preflop raiser reveal strength.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this low, dry flop. Checking back keeps the pot small and lets me reassess on the turn.

Betting the turn applies pressure to a range that checked back the flop while retaining the king-high spade draw as backup equity.

Ace-high and a gutshot draw do not have enough equity to call the turn bet, and this hand is a poor candidate for a bluff raise.

Three-handed on the button with only the blinds behind, a wide opening range is profitable, and 96o is a marginal steal. A small 2.25bb open keeps it cheap when the blinds fight back.

Q9 suited is not strong enough to continue profitably from the small blind versus a button open with the big blind still behind.

The button can open a wide range, and the folded small blind adds dead money. Calling 125 offers a reasonable price to defend K2o.

I have a gutshot straight draw but no made hand on an ace-high monotone flop. Checking avoids building the pot out of position against the preflop raiser.

As the preflop raiser I have the range advantage on this ace-high monotone board, and the 9s gives me a flush draw plus blocker equity. A small one-third-pot c-bet takes it down often and still leaves me good equity when called.

The king-high flush draw and wheel gutshot give me strong equity when called. Raising the small flop bet also gives me a chance to win the pot immediately.

A check-raise on a monotone board often means a made flush or a strong hand. My 9-high one-card spade draw is often dominated or drawing dead, so the reverse implied odds make calling unprofitable.

Q4 offsuit is a weak button holding in this format and not worth entering against two blinds.

AQ suited is a strong heads-up starting hand. Raising to 350 builds the pot and puts pressure on the big blind.

Pocket fours in the big blind against a 3.5bb small-blind open: we're getting good odds (250 to win 700) and have position, so calling to set-mine and realize equity beats 3-betting.

A small continuation bet pressures the big blind's unpaired hands on this dry flop. Ace-queen has two overcards and a backdoor heart draw if called.

We flopped middle set on a dry rainbow board, so we raise for value and to build the pot against the SB's c-bet range, which includes overpairs and 9x.

Ace-high has only overcards and a backdoor flush draw on this flop. Facing a raise, calling out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

Q8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A small raise uses position while keeping the risk modest.

Small pair getting good pot odds (175 to win 375) against a wide 3-handed button open. With 100bb stacks, the implied odds for flopping a set justify calling rather than folding or bloating the pot out of position.

3-6 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against an open and a caller.

I flopped middle set on a wet, connected board that favors my calling range, so I'm leading for value and protection rather than risking a free card if the button checks back.

Q-high has little immediate equity against a sizable flop lead, and the backdoor flush draw is too weak to justify calling.

On the button in 3-handed play, 64 suited is a standard opening hand, so I raise to 2.5bb to steal the blinds and keep position.

QJs is a strong suited broadway hand; squeezing from the small blind applies pressure and captures dead money while retaining good playability.

Nine-five offsuit is too weak to defend against a large small-blind three-bet, especially with the button still in the hand.

Getting about 34% pot odds in position with deep stacks, so 64s has enough playability and implied odds to defend against a fairly wide small-blind 3-bet in a 3-handed game.

With two overcards but no made hand on this coordinated flop, checking out of position preserves flexibility and avoids bloating the pot against the preflop caller.

Middle pair plus a flush draw has strong equity even against an overpair. Betting in position after the check gets value and denies free cards, and I'm happy to get stacks in if raised.

With two overcards facing a small continuation bet in a sizeable heads-up pot, calling preserves our equity and keeps weaker hands in. Raising this low, coordinated board without a diamond would overrepresent our hand.

The turn gives us an open-ended straight draw on a board that pressures many one-pair holdings. Leading creates fold equity while retaining strong improvement equity when called.

With a pair plus a flush draw (about 9 clean-ish outs), calling 2000 into a 7500 pot needs roughly 27% equity. The 6300 left behind adds implied odds. Shoving would mostly just get called by overpairs and sets.

My Q-high has no showdown value. The ace is a strong scare card after my turn lead, so I use maximum pressure to fold out many one-pair and missed-draw holdings.

A pair of sixes loses to nearly all of a preflop 3-bettor's value range after the turn lead and river jam on the ace. Missed diamond bluffs don't make up enough of that range to justify calling 6300 at 31% pot odds.