Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to continue from the button facing a big blind; folding avoids investing more with a poor hand.

Pocket fives are a strong hand blind-vs-blind, so raising to 3bb from the small blind builds the pot and takes the initiative.

K6 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise, and I’ll have position after the flop.

Out of position with an underpair on a wet T-8-2 two-club board, the 55 has some showdown value but little to gain from betting. Checking controls the pot size.

K-high has some showdown value, and this flop gives me little reason to build a pot. I'll take the free turn card in position.

Pocket fives on a very wet 8-T-2-9 two-tone board are pure showdown value that can't stand a raise, and many turns kill it. Checking to control the pot is best; I can consider a small bluff-catch on the river.

After two checks, a turn bet can fold out unpaired hands. The 6c also gives me a flush draw if called.

On a very wet turn (8s Tc 2c 9c), 55 beats only pure air. The big blind's bet represents many pairs, straights and flush draws, and our 2 set outs don't justify calling 400 into 1000.

3-handed on the button, 97o is a standard open-raise to steal the blinds with decent playability in position.

A3 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids a difficult, often dominated pot.

The price is favorable heads-up, and 9♠3♠ has enough potential as a suited hand to defend the big blind rather than fold.

I have only a weak backdoor flush draw and no meaningful made hand on this ace-high flop, so I’ll check rather than build the pot.

On an ace-high board we have middle pair with a backdoor draw, in position against a BB who checked. A small c-bet gets value and protection from worse hands and denies equity to overcards.

This hand has no pair and only remote backdoor draws, so calling the small bet is unlikely to realize enough equity out of position.

On the button in a three-handed game, I can open a fairly wide range. A small raise gives this marginal hand a chance to win the blinds while retaining position if called.

A5 offsuit is weak out of position, and calling invites the big blind into a potentially multiway pot. Folding avoids investing more with a hand that has poor playability.

J8s in the big blind against a button 2.25x open: I'm getting 125 to win 375, so an easy defend by calling. It plays well postflop, and a 3-bet isn't needed.

Trips on a paired board out of position against the preflop raiser; checking lets the button c-bet his wide range, and I can check-raise or call to build the pot.

A small continuation bet can fold out some of the big blind’s unpaired hands while risking little on this paired flop.

Trips with a decent kicker on a board with a flush draw; check-raising builds the pot and charges diamond draws and overcards while I'm well ahead of a wide c-betting range.

With only six-high and no immediate draw, calling the flop check-raise is unlikely to be profitable.

AJo is strong on the button in a three-handed game, so I’m opening for value and initiative with a standard 2.5× raise.

54o out of the small blind facing a 2.5x button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a clear fold. Calling out of position with a weak offsuit hand loses chips.

QTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button min-sized raise, but not strong enough to build a large pot out of position.

Top two pair is strong on this flop. Betting builds the pot against weaker pairs and draws while denying them a free card.

Call the 400: ace-high has useful showdown potential, and the gutshot to Broadway gives additional equity at a reasonable price. Raising risks building a pot against a strong flop bet without a made hand.

Two pair is still ahead of many one-pair hands and draws. Betting charges those hands while keeping the pot manageable on a turn that also completes some straights.

I have the current nut straight with A-J on K-Q-T, so I’m raising for value while leaving room for weaker straights and strong made hands to continue.

Top and bottom pair is strong enough to continue against a turn raise, but the king completes several straights and improves other hands. Calling keeps bluffs and draws in without inflating the pot against a stronger hand.

Two pair has showdown value, but the turn raise represents straights and stronger made hands. Checking avoids a thin value bet into that range.

I have the Broadway straight, the strongest possible hand on this board. A roughly half-pot value bet can get calls from two pair or sets without risking an unnecessarily large bet against a likely chop.

Top-and-third two pair is a bluff-catcher against the turn raise, but the river bet offers sufficient pot odds to call against missed draws and weaker value hands. Raising would mostly get called by better hands.

Three-handed, the button can open wide, and T6o is a marginal but playable steal. A small raise to 2.5bb pressures both blinds.

Pocket nines are strong against a button opening range. A three-bet from the small blind builds value and pressures the opener while discouraging the big blind from entering cheaply.

A8 offsuit is too weak to continue against a sizable 3-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

T6o is too weak to call a 4x 3-bet from the small blind, even with position; folding saves chips.

Q9 suited is a profitable button open three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise builds the pot while preserving positional advantage.

T7 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo in the big blind facing a 2.5bb button open is a clear defend: I'm getting good pot odds (150 to win 400). It plays well as a call and is mostly a flat rather than a 3-bet.

Top pair with a weak kicker out of position against the button's opening range; checking controls the pot and lets the raiser keep betting with worse hands and bluffs, and I can check-call.

As the preflop raiser, a small continuation bet can fold out some of the big blind's unpaired hands. My queen and backdoor draws provide some equity if called.

Top pair with a weak kicker against a small c-bet from the button, getting great odds (180 into 730). Calling keeps the pot controlled and keeps his bluffs in.

Top pair with a decent kicker plus a gutshot to a nine. Leading for about 60% pot gets value from Jx, 8x and draws, and denies equity after the button's small flop c-bet.

The turn bet gives poor odds to chase a gutshot, and pairing a queen or nine may still leave me behind. A bluff raise is unlikely to make enough stronger hands fold.