Hold'em table

J8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise pressures both blinds.

Q-2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Ace-king offsuit is strong enough to three-bet against a button open. Raising to 1050 applies pressure while accounting for being out of position.

J8o is too weak to continue against a large BB 3-bet. Calling 800 into 2150 out of position-neutral spots with a dominated offsuit hand is unprofitable.

Ace-king offsuit is a premium hand on the button, so I’m opening for value and to take initiative with a standard raise.

7-5 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QJo in the big blind facing a button 2.5x open is a clear defend with good pot odds (150 to win 400), and it plays well as a call.

Out of position with a gutshot plus a backdoor spade draw on a K-high board that favors the button raiser, so checking to the preflop aggressor is standard.

Bet 200 into 550 for value and protection with top pair/top kicker on a board with flush and straight draws. This keeps weaker kings and draws in while charging them to continue.

Getting about 3.75:1 against a small c-bet, I have two overcards to the 8, a backdoor spade draw with the Js, and backdoor straight potential. That's enough equity to continue by calling.

Queen-high with no pair and no real draw on a paired board; check and give up to significant pressure.

Bet 400 into the 950-chip pot for value with top pair/top kicker while charging spade draws. The paired six makes a modest sizing preferable to inflating the pot unnecessarily.

Queen-high with no pair and no real draw on K-8-6-6, facing a second barrel. A call has too little equity to be profitable.

Nine-five suited is a reasonable button open three-handed. A small raise uses position without committing much of the stack.

82s from the small blind against a button open is too weak to call out of position with the big blind still to act, and it is not a good 3-bet bluff candidate.

Calling 150 gets favorable pot odds against a button's wide opening range. 8♠3♠ is weak but suited enough to defend from the big blind.

I have a flush draw but no made hand, so I’ll check out of position and preserve the option to continue if the button bets.

A small bet protects bottom pair against overcards and draws while keeping the pot manageable when called.

Call the small bet with a strong flush draw; the pot odds are favorable, and raising risks getting re-raised while this draw has ample equity.

I have a flush draw but no made hand, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me realize my equity without risking a large raise.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, and the heart draw gives me a chance to improve. Checking keeps the pot manageable against the big blind's flop-calling range.

The river queen is a plausible scare card for my check-call range, and my hand has no showdown value. A modest bluff can fold out some of the opponent’s checked-back weaker pairs and missed draws.

I made a backdoor flush. The small river lead can come from trips or other hands that may call a modest value raise, though the paired board keeps the raise size restrained.

I have only 8-high with a missed flush draw and no meaningful showdown value. Calling the river raise would be a poor bluff-catch.

On the button three-handed, 54o is a reasonable steal hand. A small open to 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds, and the hand keeps some playability postflop.

4♥3♦ is a very weak offsuit hand from the small blind facing a button raise, with the big blind still to act. Calling would be unprofitable and a re-raise is not justified.

With no rake and a folded small blind, the pot odds make K2 offsuit a reasonable, if marginal, big-blind defend against a button raise. Calling avoids inflating the pot with a weak kicker.

Bottom pair is too weak to build a pot out of position. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to the button's action.

As the in-position preflop raiser I hold the range advantage, and 54o has almost no showdown value. A small one-third-pot c-bet can fold out the BB's weaker hands cheaply.

Bottom pair with a king kicker has enough equity to continue against a small flop bet, especially when the button can bet a wide range. Raising would turn a hand with showdown value into an unnecessary bluff.

I have a weak pair with an open-ended straight draw. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to a bet.

With 5-4 on a J-T-Q-2 board, I have no pair and no real draw. The big blind's flop-calling range connects heavily with this board, so a bluff has little fold equity; I'll take the free card and keep the pot small.

My two pair has showdown value, but an ace or nine makes a straight on this board. Checking avoids building a pot when worse hands may be reluctant to call.

Five-high has no showdown value, and villain has checked twice on a board where any ace or nine makes a straight. A bet of about 70% pot represents the ace and should fold out the one-pair hands that called the flop.

Kings and deuces are a strong bluff-catcher. An ace or nine makes a straight, but the price is reasonable against a button range that can also bet weaker hands or bluff.

K7 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed pot. A modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the investment controlled.

Nine-six offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

A3o in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open in 3-handed play is a clear defend at these pot odds (150 to win 400). Calling keeps the button's weaker hands in, and A3o can also serve as an occasional 3-bet bluff.

Top two pair on an ace-high board, where the preflop raiser will c-bet often. Checking lets him bet, and I plan to check-raise to build the pot and charge his draws.

A small continuation bet can pressure the big blind’s unpaired hands on this ace-high flop. The sizing keeps the risk low with my weak king-high hand and backdoor potential.

Top two pair on a draw-heavy A-5-3 board with diamonds. Check-raising builds the pot for value and charges flush and wheel draws against the button's small c-bet. ~600 does that without overcommitting.

King-high has no meaningful immediate draw on this flop, and the check-raise is a strong response. Calling 450 requires too much equity for a hand with only remote runner-runner possibilities.

A8 offsuit is a solid button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Three-handed, the button's opening range is wide. K3s is a reasonable 3-bet candidate from the small blind: it has a king blocker and playable suited equity, and 3-betting avoids a flat out of position with the big blind still to act.

K♦7♣ is a weak offsuit hand facing a sizable three-bet, with the button still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity and playability.

A8 offsuit is often dominated by a large three-bet range, and calling 750 chips risks difficult postflop decisions. Folding preserves chips for a stronger spot.