Hold'em table

Pocket deuces on the button in 3-handed play have good equity and position; raising builds pot for set value and can take the blinds.

With 6-5 offsuit in the small blind, calling a 2.5-big-blind raise would leave me out of position with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves chips for a better spot.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, with only 150 to call into a 400-chip pot. Calling preserves value against a wide opening range without inflating the pot out of position.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but this king-queen-high flop favors the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us evaluate their bet size before committing more chips.

As preflop raiser in position on K-Q-7 rainbow I have range advantage; a small c-bet can fold many of the big blind's unpaired and weak hands despite my low pair having little showdown value.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker is worth defending against a small button continuation bet, needing about 21% equity. Calling preserves our showdown value against bluffs without inflating the pot against stronger pairs.

Our pair of sevens has some showdown value, but leading is unlikely to get called by worse or fold out stronger pairs. Check to control the pot and reassess against the opponent’s sizing.

Pocket twos have minimal equity and little showdown value improvement from betting; checking in position takes a free river and avoids being called by the many K/Q pairs and draws that called the flop.

Our sevens have showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands or fold out better pairs. Checking preserves that value and lets missed draws bluff.

With pocket twos I have two pair on a paired King board and beat missed draws and Ace-high at showdown. Betting would only be called by better Q, K, 7, 4 or higher pairs, so checking preserves that showdown value.

Nine-eight offsuit is playable from the button three-handed. I’ll open for 2.5 big blinds to take advantage of position.

J7 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 2.5bb button raise from the small blind, with the big blind still to act. Its poor playability out of position makes folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a button raise, even for 150 more; folding preserves chips.

Q7 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A small raise pressures the blinds while limiting investment with a marginal hand that will have position postflop.

AQ suited is a premium hand 3-handed against a wide button open. 3-betting for value folds out the big blind and takes initiative despite being out of position.

T3 suited is too weak to continue against a large three-bet with the original raiser still in the hand.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to continue against the small blind's three-bet, even in position. Its poor playability and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or four-bet bluffing.

6-5 suited on the button in 3-handed play is well within raising range; opening puts pressure on the blinds and gives initiative postflop.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5-big-blind open with the big blind still to act.

Calling costs 150 to contest a final pot of 550, and the action closes preflop. T7 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable big-blind defense against a wide button opening range in this rake-free game.

With ten-high and a non-nut flush draw, checking to the preflop raiser keeps the pot controlled and preserves our options. Leading risks building a pot against stronger hands and higher spade draws.

In position after the big blind checked a monotone flop, a half-pot bet can fold many non-spade hands; I have a gutshot as backup if called.

Calling costs 275 to contest a final pot of 1,100, requiring 25% equity. The ten-high flush draw and overcard provide enough potential against a wide button continuation-bet range, though higher spades warrant caution on later streets.

I have an open-ended straight draw and a ten-high flush draw, but no made hand and some potentially dominated outs. Checking to the flop aggressor preserves the option to realize equity without exposing myself to a raise.

With an open-ended straight draw on a three-spade board after opponent called the flop, checking takes a free river card and avoids building a pot against a possible flush.

My ten-high has almost no showdown value, and the turn check leaves the button with many unpaired hands that can fold. Betting about two-thirds pot credibly represents trips or a flush, while the Ts removes some opposing flush combinations.

I only have the board pair of fours with a six kicker, which loses to any flush, trips, higher pocket pair, or even ace/king-high kickers playing the board. Calling 750 needs about 29% equity that I do not have against this river value-betting line.

J2 offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two players at 100 big blinds.

Completing costs only 50 chips with 150 already in the pot. The connected hand is playable heads-up, and limping keeps the pot small while out of position.

With 8-4 offsuit in the big blind and no cost to see a flop heads-up, checking preserves chips and realizes free equity.

With seven-high and only backdoor straight possibilities, this hand has little immediate equity. Checking keeps the pot small out of position without forcing a low-equity bluff against the big blind's wide range.

With bottom pair heads-up after the small blind limped and checked, a small bet protects against overcards and takes value from weaker pairs and draws.

Seven-high with only a backdoor straight draw is too weak to continue against a three-quarter-pot bet out of position. There are better hands to defend or use as check-raise bluffs.

QTo is a profitable button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while letting us play in position when called.

A6 suited has an ace blocker and good playability, and as small blind versus a wide button open a 3-bet captures fold equity better than calling out of position.

T9 offsuit is too weak to continue against a sizable small-blind three-bet, especially with the button still in the hand.

QTo is a marginal offsuit hand that is often dominated by the small blind’s three-betting range. Position and the relatively small sizing do not justify continuing without evidence of unusually loose three-betting.