Hold'em table

Offsuit 67 from the button is too weak to call a full big blind or raise into two live players, so folding preserves the stack.

Heads-up against the big blind after the button folded, K3o is a playable hand. Completing costs only 50 more into a 150 pot, which is a good price.

62 offsuit is too weak to justify raising without evidence that the small blind overfolds. Checking sees a free flop and preserves positional advantage postflop.

Top pair on a Q-9-3 flop heads-up against a checked-through big blind; a small bet gets value from worse queens and draws.

Six-high with no pair, no straight draw, and only a weak backdoor flush draw is too weak to continue against a half-pot bet. There are much better hands available for calling or bluff-raising.

QQ is a premium hand on the button in a 3-handed game, so I raise to 3.5bb for value and to build the pot against two blinds.

86 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3.5bb button raise. Being out of position with the big blind still to act makes calling unprofitable.

T5o is too weak to continue out of position against a button open; folding avoids a dominated, low-equity spot.

JTo is a standard button open three-handed, with position and reasonable postflop playability. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

K6 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise to 2.5bb. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, low-equity hand.

KQo is a decent hand in the big blind against a button min-raise to 250 with the small blind folded. Calling 150 gets good pot odds (about 2.7 to 1) and avoids bloating the pot out of position with a dominated hand.

Heads-up on a 5c 9h 3h flop with two overcards (K and Q) and a backdoor heart draw, I'm out of position against a button who raised preflop. A small bet of about 36% pot gets value from worse hands, denies equity, and could win the pot outright since the board is dry and the button's range is wide. Checking would also be fine, but leading small is reasonable.)

The small lead offers roughly 21% pot odds, and I have two overcards plus backdoor straight and heart-flush possibilities. Calling in position preserves those opportunities without inflating the pot with a weak hand.

Board 5c 9h 3h 5s; I have king-high with overcards and a backdoor-ish hand. The button called a small flop bet and may hold a range of draws and weak pairs. A modest bet of about half the pot can fold out similar or worse hands, and a check keeps the pot small. I lean toward a small bet as a semi-bluff for fold equity.}

With only jack-high over the board pair and no flush or straight draw, I lack sufficient equity to call 500. The big blind's second barrel on a card favorable to their range also makes a bluff raise unattractive.

K4 suited is too weak to open first-in from the button against two live blinds; folding avoids dominated spots and a bloated pot.

2-7 offsuit is the worst starting hand. Folding loses only the 50-chip small blind, and playing out of position against the big blind is not worth the cost.

7h8s is a suited-less connector but on the button in a 3-handed pot it has good playability and the price is only 100 into 150, so calling is reasonable.

Completing costs only 50 into a 250-chip pot, giving Q9 offsuit sufficient value to continue against a button limp. Raising would inflate the pot out of position with a marginal hand.

Five-deuce offsuit is the worst starting hand, and the action is already closed to me for free. Checking realizes the option without putting more chips in out of position.

With only queen-high and a backdoor club draw, betting into two opponents from first position offers little value. Checking preserves chips and lets us reassess after their actions.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker has little value multiway on K-6-2; checking is free and avoids bloating the pot.

On the button after two checks, I have an open-ended straight draw (7-8 on 6-2-K) and a small bet is a reasonable semi-bluff that can take the pot now or build equity when called.

Queen-high with only a weak backdoor flush draw is not enough to continue against a half-pot bet, especially with another player still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity and no position.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker and no draw is not worth calling a flop bet out of position.

Pocket sixes are a clear button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds can win the blinds immediately while retaining positional advantage when called.

Qs9s has enough suited equity and playability against a standard button open to call 200 into a 400 pot rather than fold or inflate the pot out of position.

5d8h is weak offsuit and out of position in a three-way pot facing a raise and a call. Calling 150 to win 600 is roughly 4:1, but the hand plays poorly, so I'll fold.

Queen-high with no pair and no draw on an ace-high flop has little value against the preflop raiser, so I take the free check rather than bluff.

Pocket sixes retain some showdown value, but betting into this ace-high board is unlikely to fold out many better hands. Checking preserves the pot and takes a free chance to improve in position.

I have a made straight (8-9-T-J-Q) on the turn and want to bet for value against worse made hands and draws. A two-thirds pot bet of 400 builds the pot while remaining callable.

Pocket sixes have little showdown value on this board and only two outs to improve to a set, which may still lose. Facing a two-thirds-pot bet, neither calling nor bluff-raising is attractive without useful blockers or a stronger read.