Hold'em table

Suited ace on the button in 3-handed play is a strong open; raising builds pot with position and initiative.

I hold J-2 offsuit, a weak hand that cannot justify calling a raise from the small blind. Folding preserves my stack against a strong range from the button.

Closing the action in the big blind, I only need to call 150 into a 400 pot with J9o, which has enough equity against a typical 3-handed button open to continue profitably.

With J-high on a paired Q-high flop and no current bet, checking controls the pot and avoids bloating against the preflop raiser.

As preflop raiser I have range advantage on the paired Q-4-4 board, and Ad6d has an ace overcard plus backdoor flush draw. A small c-bet can take the pot now and still retain equity when called.

I have only J-high on a paired board with no strong draw, and the button's flop bet into a small pot shows enough strength that continuing would be unprofitable.

I have Ace-high with no pair or suited connectors, and the blinds are already committed. Folding preflop avoids investing more chips into a weak hand.

With the button folded, I'm heads-up in the small blind with a suited J4. I only need to call 50 more to contest a pot where I have decent equity against a random big blind hand, so completing is profitable.

K6o is ahead of a small-blind limp range and I am in position heads-up, so raising builds value and takes initiative rather than checking.

J4s is too weak to continue against the big blind's raise, especially out of position with only two players left in the hand.

With a speculative hand on the button, raising puts pressure on the blinds and can take down the pot preflop, while also building a pot with position if called.

T4 offsuit is too weak to call a 3x button raise from the small blind out of position.

With 7c Ad, I have a weak offsuit hand. Seat 3 opened to 300 and seat 1 folded, so I'm facing a significant raise. Folding preserves my stack for better spots.

T9 offsuit is a strong button open in 3-handed play with good playability and steal equity against the blinds.

I hold 9s Ah, which is weak offsuit and dominated by the preflop raiser's range. Calling 200 more with only 50 already invested is not justified, so folding is the best play.

Closing the action with suited T7 against a button raise, I have enough equity and pot odds to defend rather than fold or bloat the pot with a marginal re-raise.

We have a weak hand with no pair and only backdoor draws, so checking to see a free card and avoid building a pot out of position.

Dry paired 2-2-6 board favors the preflop raiser and likely missed the big blind; a small continuation bet pressures overcards and weak hands with good fold equity.

I have only ten-high on a paired low board and face a flop raise from the preflop raiser, so continuing would be unprofitable without a pair or strong draw.

I have Jd 4s, a weak offsuit hand with no synergy. The pot odds don't justify calling 100 to see a flop with this garbage hand, so I'll fold to preserve my stack.

Button folded, leaving a heads-up blind battle. J5s has decent equity but is marginal out of position, so I complete cheaply to see a flop without bloating the pot.

Pocket tens are a strong value hand heads-up against a small-blind limp. Raising to 400 builds the pot and charges overcards rather than giving a free flop.

J5s is too weak to continue out of position against a 4bb preflop raise, even with the button folded. Folding avoids playing a dominated hand with poor implied odds.

With A4s on the button in a 3-handed game, raising is best to apply pressure and take initiative. A standard 3bb open should fold out weaker hands and avoid playing a marginal ace passively.

5-2 offsuit is one of the weakest hands and facing a 3bb button raise from the small blind, calling 250 chips is unprofitable out of position.

With Ace-high offsuit and a min-raise from the button, I'm folding to preserve my stack; the hand lacks the strength to continue against a likely strong range.