Hold'em table

J8 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, and raising lets me use position while applying pressure to the blinds.

ATo is strong enough to continue versus a 2.5bb button open, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position with the big blind still to act.

Holding 72o out of position against a raise and a call, this is an easy fold despite decent pot odds.

Ace-high with no pair or draw on 5-6-J is too weak to lead into the preflop raiser out of position. Checking is free and keeps the pot small while I see whether they bet.

I have top pair after the preflop raise, so a small bet can get value from weaker hands and charge draws without building a large pot with my weak kicker.

Ace-high with no pair or draw is too weak to continue out of position against a flop bet, even a small one. Folding avoids paying off a stronger range with little equity.

Jack-three offsuit is too weak to open or call for a full big blind in a three-handed pot, so folding avoids a clearly negative spot.

32o is the weakest starting hand in Hold'em and does not justify completing from out of position.

J4o is too weak of a holding to open even from the button 3-handed.

Complete the small blind with Q6 offsuit at a favorable price against the big blind; raising would inflate the pot with a weak hand out of position.

Button folded and the small blind limped, so I raise 65s to take the initiative heads-up and build the pot with a suited connector.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a sizable preflop raise; the dead blind already invested does not justify calling.

J8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

K3 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids dominated kickers and a difficult postflop spot.

Holding 96s in the big blind against a button open, we have sufficient pot odds (150 to call into 400) and postflop playability to defend.

Flopped two pair from the big blind; checking to the preflop raiser to let them continuation-bet on a draw-heavy board.

Bet small for value and protection with top pair, while keeping the pot manageable with a modest kicker.

I flopped two pair on a dynamic, draw-heavy board and want to protect against draws while getting value from weaker pairs.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against the check-raise, and the price is reasonable. Raising would isolate myself against stronger made hands while folding is too cautious.

The turn Jack pairs the board, counterfeiting my lower two pair down to Jacks and Nines with a six kicker. Checking is standard for pot control against the button's calling range.

I have trips and can get value from weaker Jx, 9x, and heart draws. A modest turn bet also avoids building an unnecessarily large pot with my weak kicker.

The board pairing the Jack downgrades our two pair to Jacks and Nines, but the bet size of 650 into 1950 gives us excellent pot odds (20%) to continue against bluffs and semi-bluffs.

My two pair was counterfeited on the turn and the river completes several straights and backdoor flushes, so checking to see a showdown or evaluate any river bet is standard.

My trips are strong, but the flop check-raise and turn call leave many better Jx hands and possible full houses or a completed straight. I’ll take the showdown rather than value-bet into that range.

J9o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative with position rather than flat-calling.

With zero rake and good playability, T8s easily justifies calling the button's standard open from the small blind.

J-5 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise and a caller, even with the price from the big blind.

Flopped two pair with an 8 and a decent kicker on a paired board; checking to the preflop aggressor out of position to control the pot and evaluate their action.

I have the preflop initiative and two overcards on a paired flop after a check. A small one-third-pot c-bet can fold out weak hands while keeping the pot manageable.

I have top pair with a decent kicker on a paired flop, getting 4 to 1 pot odds against a standard continuation bet.

I hold top two pair with an open-ended straight draw; checking allows me to control pot size and see what the preflop aggressor does on this connected board.

Jack-high with only straight outs on a paired board; opponent called the flop and checked the turn, so checking back controls the pot and realizes equity for free.

I have two pair with eights and sevens on a coordinated board; checking to realize showdown value is the most prudent play.

Jack-high has no pair or straight on this paired board, and the opponent's flop call means they often have showdown value, so checking avoids a bluff that is likely to be called.

Holding 83s on the button in a 3-handed game is below the threshold for a standard open.

I’m getting favorable pot odds to complete the small blind heads-up, despite the weak offsuit hand.

Button folded and the small blind only completed, so I raise A9o to take the initiative and deny a cheap flop.

9-5 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise, especially out of position.