Hold'em table

K8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise steals the blinds often and plays fine in position.

Q5o is a very weak hand out of position against a button raise; folding avoids losing more chips with a hand that rarely flops well.

Q9o in the big blind getting 400-to-150 (about 2.7:1) against a button open that is likely wide in 3-handed play; calling is cheap and the hand has enough equity, while a 3-bet would bloat the pot with a marginal hand.

Middle pair (nines) with a queen kicker on a 7-J-9 board, heads-up and first to act. Betting about 64% of the pot for value and protection against straight and overcard draws makes sense, since the button's raising range is wide.

A gutshot to the ten plus a king overcard is getting decent pot odds (350 to win 1250) against a donk bet, and we have implied odds. Calling keeps the pot controlled.

I have middle pair (9s) on an A-high board with a straight draw possibility for others. The opponent called my flop bet and the Ace is a scare card, so I'll check to control the pot and get to showdown cheaply.

The ace is a good scare card for me as the preflop raiser. A semi-bluff with a gutshot (any ten) and K-high can fold out the Jx and 9x hands that led the flop and then checked the turn.

Middle pair of nines with a queen kicker on a 7-J-9-A board is a medium-strength bluff-catcher. The pot is 1950 and I must call 700, so I need about 26% equity, and calling is reasonable against a button range that includes bluffs and weaker made hands. Raising would only get called or re-raised by better hands.

Board 7h Jd 9c As Td: I hold Qd 9h, which gives a pair of nines plus a Q-J-T-9 straight (Q-high straight, since Q J T 9 and 8 is missing... actually Qd Jd Td 9c gives four to a straight but no 8 or K on board). Correction: I only have a pair of nines with a weak kicker, a marginal showdown hand, so I check to control the pot size and avoid betting into a likely stronger range.

I have a jack-high straight (7-8-9-T-J). Only Q8 and the few KQ combos left (my Ks blocks some of them) beat me, so I'm value betting about two-thirds of the pot into a passive check from the big blind.

I only have a pair of nines on a coordinated board with no 8 or K for the straight. The opponent has bet both the turn and the river, so their range is mostly value, and calling 1800 into 4450 needs about 29% equity, which I don't have.

9h2h is a very weak hand, especially first to act preflop; folding avoids losing chips.

T3 suited in the small blind getting 2.5 to 1 against only the big blind (button folded) is a cheap call with some suited and backdoor equity, and not worth raising as a bluff.

J3o is weak; take the free flop in the big blind against a small-blind limp rather than bloating the pot out of position.

Holding Td3d with only a backdoor flush draw on an Ace-high board, I have little equity and no strong reason to bet. Checking keeps the pot small while I see what the big blind does.

Limped pot, SB checked; a small stab on the ace-high dry board with a gutshot (J3 needs a 4 for 4-5-... no, 3-4-5 needs 2 and 4) and fold equity is cheap. A 1bb bet into 2bb takes it down often.

Td3d has only a backdoor flush draw on an Ah 5c 8s board and no pair. Calling 100 to win 400 gives roughly 25% pot odds, which is too thin for a hand with so little equity and no clear way to improve, so I fold.

T8 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed pot has decent playability, and calling 100 to win a 250 pot is a cheap price. A raise would be marginal, so I'll call.

Getting 5:1 after the button limped, 54o has enough playability to complete the small blind cheaply. Raising out of position with a weak hand isn't necessary.

I have 8c2h in the big blind with no raise ahead; checking lets me see a free flop with a weak hand and avoid building a pot out of position.

Bottom pair with a gutshot (any 3 makes a wheel) is a weak made hand out of position in a 3-way limped pot on an ace-high board, so I'll check and look for a cheap turn.

I have 8-high with no draw on an A-Q high board; checking is the only sensible option.

On the button after two checks, with a flush draw? No, 8h Td on 4d Qh Ad gives a backdoor-ish diamond draw (Td) plus a gutshot-free hand. A small stab for 150 into 300 can win the pot against two weak checking ranges and still has some equity if called.

Getting 4:1 on a small bet in a limped pot, bottom pair with a backdoor wheel draw has enough equity against a wide button stab to continue.

Holding 8c 2h with no pair and no draw on a Qh Ad 4d board, I face a bet and a call; my hand has almost zero equity and folding preserves my stack.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker on a three-flush, ace-high board; the hand has little showdown value and offers no good bluffing opportunity. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize what equity I have.

I have a flush draw with a gutshot-type backdoor, 8h Td on 4d Qh Ad 7d: Td gives a nut-ish diamond flush draw (Td with 3 diamonds on board). Seat_1 checked again, showing weakness, so a half-pot bet gets folds and still keeps equity when called.}

Bottom pair with no kicker on a three-diamond board with an ace and queen is very likely behind after the button's continued aggression, and it has only about five weak outs. The 3:1 price doesn't justify calling here, especially with more betting likely on the river.

J7 offsuit on the button 3-handed is a standard steal; a 2.5bb open applies pressure to both blinds.

KQo is a playable hand but out of position against a button raise; calling keeps the pot manageable and lets me see a flop without overcommitting.

A3o is a marginal hand, but I'm in the big blind getting 600 into 150 (4-to-1) with a closing action, so a call is correct. A 3-bet out of position with a weak ace isn't attractive.

I missed the flop with KQo, holding only overcards and no flush draw. Out of position against the preflop aggressor, I'll check to gather information and avoid building a pot with a weak hand.

Ace-high with a backdoor wheel draw on a connected 7-J-8 board in a three-way pot has little showdown value and poor equity against two opponents. Checking behind keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into an opponent who may have connected, while still allowing a cheap look at the turn.

Top two pair on a wet board in a 3-way pot after both players checked; bet about two-thirds pot for value and protection against straight and flush draws.

I have KQo with two overcards on a coordinated J87 board, out of position against a c-bet and with a player behind. My hand has little equity and calling risks further losses, so folding preserves my stack.

Ah3s has only ace-high on a 7-J-8 board with no real draw. Calling 500 into a 1250 pot needs about 29% equity, and the button's raise after two checks likely represents a real hand or a continuation bet. Folding is the safer choice.

Button with A8o has enough equity and position to raise for value and fold equity. A small raise to 2.5BB builds the pot while keeping the range wide.

7-9 offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind facing a button raise to 250 with the big blind still to act behind. Calling 200 more would be marginal at best, so I fold.

Getting 150 to win 400 (27% equity needed) with suited connector-ish hand vs a button open; calling is profitable.

85 of hearts with no draw on a monotone KQ4 club board that hits the button raiser's range hard, so check and plan to fold to a bet.

I only have Ace-high with a weak 8-high flush draw on a dangerous monotone board, so I check back to keep the pot small and see the turn.

Button checked back the monotone flop, so their range is capped. Our 8-high has almost no showdown value, so a small stab on the paired turn can fold out many weak hands.

I only have Ace-high with no draw and the board is coordinated with flush and straight possibilities. Folding is the safest option to preserve chips.

Q9o on the button in a 3-handed game is a marginal but playable hand with position. Calling 100 into a 250 pot is cheap and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

Getting 5:1 odds (50 to win 250) in a limped pot with a suited-connector-like hand; 43o has enough equity and straight potential to complete cheaply, though BB can still raise.

My hand is extremely weak; checking lets me see the flop for free without investing more.

An open-ended straight draw (any 2 or 7) is a good semi-bluff in a limped three-way pot. A two-thirds-pot bet can take it down now and builds the pot when I hit.

Holding 2h3d on Ac6s5s gives only a gutshot straight draw with poor pot odds (200 to win 700, needing 28.6% equity vs ~16% chance). Out of position and facing potential further aggression, folding preserves stack.

Queen-high with a backdoor-ish nothing on an A-6-5 two-spade board facing a bet into 500 is weak; a call needs 200 to win 700 but I have little equity and poor playability out of position... so folding is reasonable.