Hold'em table

Pocket sevens on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand, so I raise to 3bb for value and to take position and initiative.

J♦T♠ is a playable hand against a button open, but calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot out of position with the big blind still to act.

K9 offsuit is marginal, but calling 200 into a 700 pot gives about 22% pot odds, which a three-way Kx-high hand can reasonably clear against a button raise and small blind call.

I have a modest pair of tens with only a gutshot to Broadway on a coordinated ace-high flop. With two opponents and no bet to call, checking keeps the pot controlled.

Holding K-high with no made hand on an A-Q-T flop, checking is free and keeps the pot small, since seat_2 has already checked to me.

Pocket sevens on a Q-T-A board is a weak showdown-value hand facing two opponents who both checked. Betting would mostly get called or raised by better hands, while checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card.

With a modest pair and a gutshot to Broadway, checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity after the flop checked through.

I have only King-high with no pair on a Q-T-A-2 board, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into two opponents.

Pocket sevens on a Q-T-A-2 board is a weak showdown-value hand. Both opponents have checked twice, so a bet would mostly get called by better hands or fold out worse ones. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

I have two pair, queens and tens, but an ace in an opponent’s hand makes a stronger two pair. With the river checked around so far, checking preserves showdown value without risking a bet into stronger hands.

I hold only King-high on a paired Q-T-A-2-Q board, which is too weak to bet for value, and a bluff into two opponents who checked is poor value. Checking keeps the pot small and takes the free showdown.

Board is Q T A 2 Q; 77 has showdown value only, and a bet would be called mostly by better hands, so check.

K5 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising puts pressure on the blinds and lets us take initiative in position.

K4 offsuit is a weak hand out of position facing a button raise and a 200-chip call, so folding avoids a losing marginal investment.

Getting 400 to 150 (about 2.7:1) in the big blind, heads-up against a button open. J5s has enough equity and playability to defend, so I call rather than 3-bet.

I have jack-high with a backdoor flush draw on a dry 7-3-2 board, and I'm out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking is the simplest choice and keeps the pot small.

This low, connected flop favors the big blind’s calling range. With only king-high and limited backdoor equity, I’ll take the free card and preserve showdown value.

Board 7h 3s 2c Ts; I hold Jh 5h, which is jack-high with a gutshot-ish draw to a wheel (needs A4 for a straight). The button checked back the flop, so their range is weak and capped. A small stab of about half the pot can take the pot now, and a 5 on the river gives me some outs if called.</br>

K-high has no meaningful draw on this board, and the turn bet offers insufficient odds to continue with likely few clean outs.

Jack-queen suited is a strong button hand against a single big blind limp-in, so raising to 300 builds the pot and takes the initiative.

T4 offsuit is weak out of position against a button raise with a big blind still to act behind me. Calling 250 more would be a marginal, losing play, so I fold.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button min-raise, and the pot odds are favorable. I’ll call rather than inflate the pot out of position.

Top two pair is strong, but the button’s preflop raise gives them incentive to bet; checking keeps their bluffs and weaker hands in while preserving the option to respond.

I have top pair with a queen kicker and a backdoor straight draw, and I was the preflop aggressor, so betting about 60% of the pot for value and protection is reasonable against a seat that just checked.

Top two pair is strong on this connected flop, and raising builds value against Jx while charging straight draws. A raise to 1300 is substantial without needlessly committing my deep stack.

A pair of jacks with a queen kicker is vulnerable to a large check-raise that likely comes from sets or two pair, and calling 900 into a 2350 pot needs roughly 28% equity that this hand doesn't reliably have.

Q8s on the button in a 3-handed game is a profitable open, and a small raise puts pressure on both blinds while keeping the pot manageable out of position postflop.

64 offsuit is too weak to defend against the button's raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

King-five offsuit is weak out of the big blind facing a 250 raise from the button with only 150 to call, so folding avoids a marginal, dominated position.

8♠4♣ is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability, and folding avoids investing from the button against two blinds.

Calling the 50-chip completion with 6-5 suited is a cheap way to see a flop heads-up against the big blind after the button folded. Raising with this weak hand isn't clearly profitable.

5d3d is a weak hand, so I take the free flop from the big blind rather than raise out of position against a limping small blind.

We hold a pair of sixes with a 4-5-6 gutshot potential on a 2-3-6 flop, and we can check for free, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it out of position.

I have a pair of threes plus a gutshot and backdoor flush draw on 2h 6d 3h. Seat 3 checked, which suggests weakness, so I'll bet small for value and protection while keeping the pot manageable.

I have top pair of sixes with a backdoor straight draw, which is strong enough to call the 150 bet against a single opponent's flop raise.

I have a pair of sixes with a backdoor-ish straight draw, which is a medium-strength hand, so I'll take a free card rather than bloat the pot out of position.

Middle pair of threes plus a draw to a straight on any 4. Villain checked the turn after calling the flop, so a bet of about 60% of the pot gets value from worse pairs and denies equity to overcards.

I have a pair of sixes plus a gutshot to a straight, and calling 300 into an 800 pot gives roughly 27% pot odds, which my equity should exceed against this line. I'll call rather than raise, since seat_1 has shown aggression on both prior streets.

I hold only a pair of sixes on a paired-ace board facing a player who has raised twice, so I have a weak-to-medium hand with no value bet worth risking. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see whether seat_1 bets.

I only have bottom pair of threes. The opponent called two bets, so they likely hold a better pair or an ace, and a bet would mostly be called by hands that beat me. Checking to showdown is the better line.

Seven-two offsuit is the weakest starting hand and I'm facing a call of 100 from the button, so folding avoids putting chips in with poor equity.

Q6 offsuit in the small blind heads-up against the big blind, getting 3-to-1 on a call of 50 into a 150 pot. Queen high has enough equity and the price is good, so a call is better than folding or bloating the pot out of position.

With a weak offsuit hand and no raise to face, take the free flop rather than build the pot.

I have a pair of sixes on a dry 7-2-6 flop, which is likely the best hand heads-up against a BB who checked preflop. A small bet gets value from worse pairs and draws and denies equity.

The small bet gives favorable pot odds, and my hand has a gutshot to a straight with a 4. I’ll call and reassess on the turn.

I have bottom pair (sixes) with a queen kicker on a 7-2-6-K board, so it is a marginal showdown-value hand. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against a opponent who called the flop bet.

The turn check from the flop bettor gives me an opportunity to represent a king on a favorable overcard. My hand has little showdown value, so I’ll make a modest bluff for half the pot.

I have a pair of sixes (middle pair) on a 7-2-6-K board. Calling 200 into a 600 pot needs only 25% equity, and a pair with a backdoor Q-high kicker should have that against a player who bet small on the turn, so I call.

Middle pair of sixes is a bluff-catcher. Seat_2 raised the turn, so a bet would mostly get called by better hands or fold out worse ones. Checking keeps showdown value cheap.

My pair of fives is too weak for a reliable value bet after the turn call; checking keeps the pot controlled and may still win against missed draws.