Hold'em table

On the button in 3-handed play, 76o is a reasonable steal hand. A 2.5x open pressures both blinds.

A7 offsuit has enough equity to defend the small blind against the button's modest raise, but calling keeps the pot manageable with the big blind still to act.

A8 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind at this price, but it is not strong enough to squeeze against both opponents.

With only ace-high and no meaningful draw on a paired flop, checking is preferable to betting into two opponents.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but this paired flop offers little reason to bet into two opponents. Checking keeps the pot small.

The flop is a dry paired board and it was checked to me in position. A small c-bet with third pair gets value from worse pairs and denies equity to the overcards and heart draws, while representing the king.

The small bet gives good pot odds, and ace-high retains some showdown value against a stab after the checks. I’ll call once and reassess on the turn.

Ace-high has no meaningful draw on this paired flop. Facing a bet and a call in a three-way pot, continuing is unlikely to be profitable.

With only ace-high on a paired board, I have little value to bet and no strong draw. I’ll check and see how the button acts.

Bottom pair has showdown value but can't get called by worse hands often, and betting folds out the weaker hands we beat. Checking back controls the pot and gives us a free river to improve.

With only ace-high on a paired, three-heart board, a river bet is unlikely to fold out better hands and risks value-owning myself. I’ll check and try to win against missed draws or weaker high-card hands.

A pair of sixes has some showdown value against busted straight draws and weaker pairs. The river completed the flush, so betting would mostly get called by better hands, and checking back realizes our equity.

J4 offsuit is weak, but completing on the button is inexpensive and preserves positional advantage without inflating the pot.

Completing the small blind costs just 50 chips into a 250-chip pot. J4 offsuit is too weak to raise, but the price makes seeing a flop worthwhile.

82o is weak, and checking gives a free flop in a limped pot. Raising as a bluff against two limpers has little fold equity.

With a weak bottom pair in a three-way pot, checking keeps the pot small and lets me assess the other players' actions.

8-high with only backdoor draws in a three-way limped pot, with the button still to act. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn.

I have only bottom pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated flop. Checking behind keeps the pot small and avoids being raised off marginal showdown value.

Top and bottom pair is strong in this checked-through pot, but the board has several draws. I’m betting for value and protection.

8-high with only a gutshot (needs a 5 for 5-6... actually no straight draw of note) and no pair facing a bet with a player still to act; folding is clearly best.

I have two pair with jacks and fours, a strong hand but one that can be vulnerable on this draw-heavy turn. Calling keeps bluffs and weaker jacks in while avoiding inflating the pot against a stronger hand.

The river pairs the nine and completes the club flush, making a value bet with my jack risky. Checking keeps weaker hands and missed diamond draws in the pot.

I have a modest two pair using the board and my jack, but the paired board and opponent’s turn bet make a river value bet unattractive. I’ll take the free showdown.

On the button, 8-6 offsuit is playable as a small open in a three-handed, rake-free game. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

95o in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It's too weak to call out of position and not a good 3-bet bluff candidate.

The button’s small raise gives the big blind favorable pot odds, and J5 offsuit has enough equity against a wide button opening range to defend by calling. I avoid reraising this weak, poorly playable hand out of position.

I have a weak bottom pair on a connected, two-club flop and can take a free card rather than build the pot out of position.

Top two pair is strong on this draw-heavy flop. Betting for value also charges flush and straight draws.

Bottom pair has reasonable showdown value and the price requires about 29% equity; folding is too tight against a button c-bet range that can include overcards and draws. Raising would isolate us against stronger hands and draws.

The turn completes several straight draws and a possible club flush, while my low pair has limited value. I’ll check and avoid building a pot without a stronger hand or draw.

The turn completes both flush and straight draws. Checking keeps the pot manageable with two pair and lets me reassess on the river.

With only a low pair on a connected, three-club board, a river bet is unlikely to get called by worse. I’ll take the showdown rather than risk turning my hand into a bluff.

Two pair can get value from weaker pairs after the turn and river check-throughs. A small bet limits the cost when the opponent has a straight or flush.

The small river bet requires only about 17% equity, and my pair can beat missed draws or a bluff. The coordinated board makes raising unattractive, but the pot odds justify a call.

KQs on the button is a strong open in 3-handed play; raise to 2.5bb for value and position.

K2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a 2.5x button raise, especially out of position with the big blind still to act.

Q5 offsuit is a marginal but playable big-blind defense against a button open, given the price and the dead small blind.

With bottom pair on a dry flop, I can check and keep the pot controlled against the preflop raiser.

The dry T-5-3 rainbow board favors my button opening range, and KQs has two overcards plus a backdoor draw. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot should get folds often while building the pot when I improve.Chat is off, so the table message is empty.

Bottom pair with a queen kicker has enough equity to continue against this small continuation bet on a dry flop.

My pair of fives has some showdown value but is too weak to bet for value on this turn. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

KQ-high has little fold equity against a BB range that called the flop and connects well with the 3-4-5 board, so I'll take the free card. The K or Q might still win at showdown.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but worse hands are unlikely to call a river bet. Checking avoids turning it into a bluff.

K-high is unlikely to win at showdown against a check-call range full of weak pairs. This connected river lets me credibly represent a 6 or a better pair, so a two-thirds pot bet can fold out small pairs and some tens.

Bottom pair is a weak bluff-catcher on this river. Facing a 600-chip bet, I expect too many better pairs and straights to call profitably.

On the button three-handed, pocket threes are a reasonable open-raise; a small sizing applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

T6 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QTo in the big blind against a 2.5x button open is getting good odds (150 to win 400), and it plays well enough to defend by calling rather than 3-betting.

Top pair with a weak kicker out of position against the preflop raiser: checking controls the pot and lets the button c-bet with worse hands and draws. I'll likely check-call.

With pocket threes on a queen-high two-heart board, I have little value in betting and can take a free card in position.

Top pair with a ten kicker, and the button checked behind on the flop, which caps their range. Betting about 64% pot gets value from worse queens, nines, draws and pairs while protecting against overcards and flush and straight draws.

My pocket threes are well behind likely value bets on this turn, with only two outs to improve to a set. The 350-chip call is not justified by the pot odds or the chance this is a bluff.

Four-deuce offsuit is too weak to profitably enter the pot from the button, even with position.

In a blind-versus-blind spot I'm getting 3:1 to complete. 73o has enough raw equity and playability to limp rather than fold, and folding would give up the pot cheaply.

The small blind completed and the button folded, so this is a heads-up blind pot. Q7 offsuit has enough equity against a wide limp range to raise for value and take initiative.

73o out of position against a big blind raise after my limp; the pot odds aren't enough given how weak the hand is, so fold.