Hold'em table

Raise the button with suited-looking ace-high potential; A4 offsuit is still ahead of many blind defenses and benefits from initiative.

75o from the small blind facing a 3x button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position.

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 3x button raise.

K6o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a raise to 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds.

Offsuit 5-4 plays poorly out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act.

J5 offsuit has sufficient heads-up equity and pot odds to defend the big blind against a button 2.5x open, though it will be played cautiously out of position.

Checking preserves our weak showdown value and avoids building a pot with jack-high on a paired board.

I have a gutshot to a straight but little showdown value. A turn stab can fold out unpaired overcards and capitalize on the checked flop.

Pair of sixes with a king kicker beats the draws and bluffs in a turn lead, and 350 into 900 only needs about 28% equity. Calling keeps the pot controlled.

A substantial river bet credibly represents a ten or an eight and can fold out the opponent's unpaired overcards and missed heart draws, which currently beat my jack-high kicker.

The board plays as TT88 and our king kicker beats many bluffs and weaker kickers. We only need about 28% equity to call 800 into 2850, which is a fine bluff-catch.

K4 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A small raise contests the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

AJo is a strong three-handed blind-versus-button holding. I am 3-betting for value and to apply pressure while out of position.

Holding 52s in the big blind against an open and a 3-bet, with the button still to act behind me, is a clear fold. Calling 800 more is too expensive for this hand.

K4 offsuit is too weak to continue against this large three-bet, even with position.

QTo is a reasonable button opening hand three-handed and benefits from applying pressure to the blinds.

QJo in the SB facing a button open in 3-handed play is a decent hand to 3-bet, which avoids playing out of position in a multiway pot with the BB still to act. A raise to 950 is a standard size.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to call a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

QTo offsuit is frequently dominated against a large small-blind 3-bet, and calling 7bb more is too loose even in position.

64o is too weak to open profitably even from the button in 3-handed play against two blinds at 100bb; a fold is standard.

A9 suited is strong heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 300 builds value and puts pressure on a wide defending range.

A7 offsuit has sufficient heads-up equity against a small-blind opening range, and calling keeps the pot manageable in position.

With ace-high, no club, and only backdoor draws on this connected flop, I prefer to check rather than build the pot out of position.

Villain's flop check after raising preflop often caps or misses this board. A small positional stab can win the pot immediately while risking relatively little.

The small flop bet gives me a reasonable price to continue with ace-high against a range that can include bluffs and draws. I'll call rather than raise with no immediate draw.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but this paired turn gives me little reason to build the pot out of position.

With only ace-high on a paired board, checking preserves showdown value against missed draws and weaker unpaired hands. A turn bluff is unlikely to fold the opponent's king, queen, or eight.

My nines and eights have showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking lets me evaluate a river bet without building the pot against a king, queen, eight, or straight.

The turn check-through and river check leave opponent with many missed club and straight draws. A half-pot bluff can fold out those hands while risking a controlled amount.

My two pair beats missed draws and some weaker river bets. Calling 500 to contest a 1500-chip pot requires only 25% equity.

J3 suited is playable as a button open three-handed. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds and keeps the initiative in position.

Q9 offsuit is a marginal out-of-position defend against a button open with the big blind still behind, so folding avoids difficult dominated spots.

T4s has enough playability and equity to defend the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open when getting 150 into 550. A call is better than folding or turning it into a 3-bet.

T4 offsuit with a gutshot (need a 3) and no pair is weak out of position against the button's opening range. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me take a free card or fold to aggression.

Top pair is worth a small value and protection bet on a board with a heart draw. My weak kicker argues against building a large pot.

At 4.5:1 against a small range c-bet, the backdoor club flush, backdoor wheel draw and some ten-high showdown value justify a call.

The turn gave me a gutshot with no heart and no pair, so checking lets me see the river for free. The button's small flop c-bet suggests a wide range that may check back.

I have top pair with a weak kicker and no heart on a three-heart board. Checking keeps the pot manageable against flushes and stronger jacks.

Ten-high has almost no showdown value, and the fourth heart on the river gives a credible story for a bluff after my passive line. A roughly two-thirds pot bet should fold out one-pair and high-card hands that don't hold a heart.

A fourth heart arrived on the river, and I have no heart. My pair of jacks is unlikely to beat a bet after the big blind called the flop.