Hold'em table

On the button with a suited-gap-equivalent broadway hand, I open-raise to apply pressure and play in position.

K9 offsuit has enough strength to contest a button open, and the king provides a useful blocker. Raising from the small blind also avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

52 suited is too weak to continue facing an open and a 3-bet, and I'd be out of position with the opener still left to act behind me.

J9 offsuit is too weak to continue profitably versus a sizable small-blind 3-bet, especially out of position after the flop.

Pocket fours are worth opening on the button three-handed. A modest raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable with a small pair.

Small pocket pair against a wide button open with deep stacks; calling for set value and a good price is reasonable, rather than bloating the pot out of position.

The price is excellent closing the action with a connected hand, so defending is profitable despite being out of position postflop.

Small pair out of position on a paired board with two callers behind; checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity against the button raiser.

With only 9-high on a paired, two-spade board in a multiway pot, checking preserves equity and avoids bluffing into the preflop raiser.

I have a full house and want value from flush draws, pocket pairs, and hands containing a five. A 400-chip bet builds the pot without forcing out too many weaker hands.

The button's c-bet after two checks is likely wide, and 33 on a paired low board beats a fair amount of air. We need only about 27% equity to call, so calling is reasonable, while raising would only get called by better hands.

Our 9-high has no made hand and only negligible backdoor potential on this paired, two-spade board facing a bet and a call.

Pocket threes on a paired 4-5-5-Q board have some showdown value but are vulnerable to overcards, so checking to the button keeps the pot small. I'll decide after seeing whether the button continues betting.

I have a full house and can bet for value against 5x, queens, and draws. This sizing builds the pot while keeping weaker hands in.

Our 33 only plays as the board pair plus a small pair, and it loses to every pocket pair 66+, any queen and any five. Against a second, larger barrel on a Q turn that is mostly value, 30% pot odds aren't enough, especially facing a likely river bet.

J4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in a 3-handed game with deep stacks, even though the button opens wide; it sits at the bottom of the range. Folding is the low-variance, near-neutral choice.

Complete the small blind with A8 offsuit heads-up against the big blind, retaining positional disadvantage but sufficient equity for the price.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to raise against a small-blind limp and take the initiative heads-up.

A8 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind versus a 4bb big-blind raise, especially out of position.

On the button with a suitedness-independent connected hand, I open-raise to apply pressure and retain initiative three-handed.

The button can open a wide range, and my ace blocks some strong hands. A three-bet pressures that range and avoids playing a weak offsuit ace out of position in a multiway pot.

In a 3-handed game, 99 is well ahead of a wide small-blind 3-betting range. A call keeps us in a multiway pot at a decent price with good set-mining value, without bloating the pot against the stronger part of their range.

87 offsuit performs poorly against a small-blind 3-bet and a big-blind cold call, especially with this sizing. Folding preserves chips rather than defending a dominated, low-equity hand multiway.

A-high has little immediate equity on this connected flop, and the big blind's cold-calling range is relatively strong. Checking avoids a low-equity bluff.

Our 99 is vulnerable on K-Q-8 against a strong 3-bet range that hits this board hard. Checking back controls the pot and keeps some showdown value, and we have a backdoor flush draw.

After the flop checked through, a delayed turn bet can pressure pocket pairs and missed draws. The ace of clubs blocks some strong continuing hands.

99 is below two overcards on K-Q-8, facing a turn bet from a 3-bettor whose range is dominated by Kx, Qx, and overpairs, with little improvement possible. Calling 1350 needs about 28% equity, and a likely river bet makes the call worse, so folding is best.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise uses position without committing too much.

T5 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position in the small blind against a button open with the big blind still to act.

K9 offsuit has sufficient heads-up equity and playability to defend the big blind versus a button min-raise. Calling keeps the pot manageable while retaining weaker hands in the opener's range.

K-high has little immediate showdown value on an ace-paired flop, and checking preserves flexibility against the preflop raiser.

This dry ace-high board favors my preflop raising range. A small bet can win the pot against unpaired hands without risking much.

K-high has little showdown value on this paired ace-high board and insufficient equity to continue versus the flop bet.

K9s on the button 3-handed is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

K3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still behind.

Six-deuce offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button raise, even with the dead small blind.