Hold'em table

Ace-five suited is a standard button open in three-handed play; raising to 2.5bb takes the initiative and builds the pot with a playable suited ace.

AKs is a premium hand that warrants a standard out-of-position 3-bet for value against a button open.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise and a substantial re-raise, especially with 900 chips to call.

A5s is dominated by a typical 10bb 3-bet range and does not have the equity or implied odds to continue for 750 more.

72 offsuit is the weakest starting hand in Texas Hold'em and not worth opening even from the button.

With a suited, connected-ish hand and only 50 more to call, completing the small blind is reasonable heads-up. I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position.

Pocket aces heads-up against the small blind who only completed. Raising to 400 builds the pot and charges a weak limp while keeping the hand playable.

8♦5♦ is a weak hand to continue with out of position against a sizable raise. The call price requires too much equity, so I fold.

J♥3♥ is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game; raising takes initiative and can win the blinds immediately.

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

85s is too weak to defend profitably out of position against a 2.5bb button raise.

Jack-ten offsuit is a standard button open in three-handed play; a 2.5bb raise builds the pot in position with a playable hand.

Holding 96o in the small blind facing a button open is an easy fold out of position.

J8 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a small button raise, and the price is favorable heads-up. I’ll avoid inflating the pot with a marginal hand out of position.

I have a pair plus an open-ended straight draw on a coordinated flop, so checking keeps the pot manageable and lets the preflop raiser act. I can continue against a bet with substantial equity.

I have top pair plus an open-ended straight draw on a connected board, and the big blind checked. A half-pot bet builds the pot and charges weaker hands and draws.

I have a pair plus an open-ended straight draw, giving me strong equity against the flop bet at these pot odds. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot without inflating it out of position.

I have a queen-high straight and should get value while charging spade draws. A moderate bet avoids overcommitting on a board where a higher straight or river flush is possible.

I have a queen-high straight, but three spades are out so a made flush has me drawing dead. Calling at this price keeps worse hands in without inflating the pot against a likely strong turn lead.

I have a strong queen-high straight and can get value from two pair or sets, though the completed spade draw makes a modest river bet prudent.

A3o on the button in 3-handed play is an open-raise candidate to steal the blinds and take position postflop.

Q6 suited has enough playability against a button min-raise to defend at these pot odds, though I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position.

54s is speculative but the price is only 100 into 500, so a call is justified despite being out of position multiway.

I have a vulnerable middle pair in a three-way pot with an ace on the board. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see how the others act.

I have no pair and no real draw on A-Q-8, so checking is best with two players still to act.

I have top pair with a weak kicker in a multiway pot; checking behind controls the pot size and allows me to play future streets profitably in position.

Top pair has a weak kicker on an ace-high board, and the three-way flop checked through. I’ll control the pot and take a free river card.

I have no pair and no real draw on Ah-8c-Qs-7d, so there is no value in betting into two opponents. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river for free.

I hold top pair with a weak kicker in position. Checking back controls the pot size and allows me to safely see the river with showdown value.

My queens are only second pair on an ace-high board, and after three-way checks on earlier streets there is little value in betting into likely ace-x or stronger queens. I’ll take the free showdown.

I have no pair, no draw, and no showdown value on this ace-queen board, but checking is free against two opponents. Bluffing a tiny pot into two players is unlikely to fold out better hands, so I take the free showdown.

I rivered two pair (Aces and Threes) after passive action on the flop and turn, so betting around half pot extracts thin value from one-pair holdings.

The button’s modest river stab after two checked streets can contain missed draws or weaker pairs, and my queen pair has enough showdown value to call at these pot odds. I’ll avoid raising since stronger queens and aces are plausible.

I have five-high with no pair or straight on a board that both opponents are willing to put money in on the river. Calling 350 into 1300 is a clear loss against any ace, queen, pair, or even king-high.

Q8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game, and a small raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

64 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button raise, especially out of position with the big blind still to act.

K2s has sufficient pot odds (getting 2.67:1) and playability to defend from the big blind against a standard button open.

Check to the preflop raiser out of position with bottom pair and a good kicker.

A small bet gets value and protection from weaker pairs and overcards while keeping the pot manageable with my modest second pair.

Seat 3 makes a small 1/3 pot c-bet on an ace-high dry board. We hold bottom pair with a king kicker, easily getting the required 19% pot odds to peel a turn card.

I picked up the second-nut flush draw to go with my bottom pair; checking to control the pot and realize my equity out of position is optimal.

I have a modest pair on a board that has become more threatening, and a turn bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I’ll take the free card and keep the pot controlled.

My bottom pair was counterfeited by the river paired Jack, leaving me with Kings up (pair of Jacks with Ace-King-eight). Checking is standard as I have decent showdown value against missed unpaired hands and cannot get called by worse.

My pair of eights has some showdown value, but the ace-high flop and call make a river bet unlikely to get called by worse often enough. I’ll take the free showdown.