Hold'em table

On the button with a playable offsuit connector, I will open-raise to apply pressure and take initiative with position.

T5o is a very weak unsuited hand out of position facing an open raise; an easy fold.

Pocket threes has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button open, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

With an underpair on an ace-high flop, I prefer to check out of position rather than build the pot.

I have only 8-high with no pair or draw on an ace-high flop, and the big blind checked. Checking behind controls the pot and avoids bluffing into a caller who may have an ace.

My small pair has little value on this high-card, three-heart board, and a bet is unlikely to fold out strong hands. Checking avoids building a pot out of position.

Our hand is 8-high with no real draw on a board that likely connects with the caller's range. Checking back in position gets a free river and avoids bluffing into a range that can call.

Pocket threes have little showdown value on this board. After the opponent checked back both the flop and turn, a river bluff can fold out better weak pairs and missed draws.

I have only 8-high on a coordinated A-K-T-9 board and face a river bet, so there is no realistic chance my hand is best. Folding avoids paying off a made pair or better.

JTo is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play.

Nine-six offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act.

Closing the action with 3.5:1 pot odds, K5o is weak but cheap enough to defend against a button open.

I have only king-high on a paired, coordinated board and am out of position against the preflop raiser, so checking to control the pot and see the turn is best.

Flopped trips with a gutshot on a draw-heavy board; betting one-third pot for value against Queens and draws.

Villain's small flop bet offers 5:1 on a call, and Ks5d retains overcard plus backdoor flush/straight equity. Calling is profitable and avoids bloating the pot with a marginal hand out of position.

I have K-high with only a gutshot to Broadway on a paired, coordinated board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free river before deciding whether to continue.

With trips and a ten kicker on a coordinated turn that completes KT straights and brings overcards, checking back controls the pot and allows us to evaluate river action in position.

With K-high and only a pair of jacks on board, I have marginal showdown value but no value in betting; checking controls the pot and avoids being raised by stronger Ax/Qx/Jx hands.

We hold three of a kind with the best possible board kickers on an ace-high paired board, and can target value from weaker queens or floated aces.

I have only king-high on a paired, ace-high board and face a river bet, so calling 350 would be unprofitable without a pair or draw.

On the button with deep stacks and no rake, a small open gives this connected hand a chance to win the blinds or play in position.

A7o has enough equity against a button min-raise in a 3-handed game, and calling keeps the pot manageable while avoiding a marginal 3-bet out of position.

K2o realizes equity poorly out of position in a multiway pot despite getting 5-to-1 direct pot odds.

I have ace-high with no pair on a draw-heavy flop and am out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me evaluate the button's action before committing more chips.

A small bet protects my vulnerable bottom pair against overcards while keeping the pot manageable.

Ace-high with no pair or draw on a coordinated flop is too weak to continue against the button's flop bet, especially out of position.

On the button in a 3-handed game, Q8s is a reasonable open-raise to apply pressure on the blinds and take initiative with position.

With zero rake and J9 suited, calling the button open from the small blind offers good pot odds and playability.

T2 offsuit plays poorly in a multiway raised pot and has substantial reverse implied odds, so I fold rather than call the extra 150 chips.

We missed the flop out of position on an ace-king board that heavily favors the button's range, so checking is standard.

With Q-high and no pair on an A-K-x flop, checking behind in position takes a free card and avoids bluffing into a range that likely connected with the board.

Turned third pair with Jd9d on an A-K-x-x board after flop checked through; checking to control the pot and evaluate on the river.

Seat 2 has checked flop and turn on an A-high board; my preflop raise and position let me represent a strong hand, so I'll take a stab at the pot.

I hold third pair with no significant redraws out of position on an ace-king board facing a two-thirds pot bet. With plenty of better hands in my range to defend, this is a clear fold.

Q7o is slightly too weak to open from the button 100bb deep in 3-handed play.

Q7 offsuit is strong enough to open heads-up against the big blind. A modest raise can win the blinds or build a pot when called.

9-5 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a small-blind raise, even with the pot odds, so folding avoids playing a dominated hand.

K5 suited is strong enough to open from the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Q8s has enough equity to defend from the small blind against a button raise, and calling keeps the pot controlled while BB may still come along.

Getting 4:1 immediate pot odds closing the action in the big blind with a suited ace makes this an easy call.

We have a weak hand with no pair and no draw, out of position in a multiway pot. Checking and taking a free card is best.

I hold bottom pair with an ace kicker on a dry K-9-3 board; checking to the preflop aggressor on the button is standard.

Top pair is likely ahead on this dry flop. A moderate bet gets value from weaker pairs while limiting exposure with a weak kicker.

Qd8d has no pair and no meaningful draw on K93, facing a 400 bet into 1150 with two opponents still in the hand. Folding is the best choice.

We have bottom pair with top kicker against a button c-bet. Getting better than 3.5-to-1 pot odds, folding our best third-pair combos would be an overfold.

We have two pair with 9s and 3s on a paired board out of position; checking to control the pot size is standard.

Top pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but a turn bet is likely to get called by better kings or a nine. Checking in position controls the pot and keeps weaker hands in.

I have two pair, Nines and Threes with a King kicker. Checking allows me to realize my showdown value against missed bluffs and check-behind hands without getting called only by better.

With a weak kicker, my king loses to most other kings, and a river bet is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands. Checking takes the available showdown value.