Hold'em table

45 suited is a playable button hand in a three-handed game; a small open can win the blinds while keeping weaker hands in the range.

K2o from the small blind facing a 2.5x button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position and is dominated often.

J8 suited has enough playability to defend the big blind against a 2.5 big blind button raise, but it is not strong enough to require a three-bet.

On this dry paired flop, J-high has little equity and no strong draw. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

A small continuation bet can take down the pot on this paired board, and my hand has some backdoor straight and flush potential if called.

J-high has no immediate draw and no possible flush by the river. Calling out of position against the flop bet is unlikely to realize enough equity.

A9s on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise, so I'm going to 2.5bb.

T2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, and calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an unnecessary 3-bet.

Check with a vulnerable middle pair and let the preflop raiser act; betting risks building a pot against stronger Jx or a queen.

A9s with a gutshot (a ten makes Broadway), a backdoor flush draw and an overcard is a good c-bet on a board that favors the button's raising range. A small bet of about 36% pot applies pressure cheaply.

Jacks give me a reasonable pair with showdown value, and the small bet offers favorable pot odds. Calling keeps weaker bets and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessary raise.

I have a marginal pair with a weak kicker on a paired board, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me respond to the river action.

Ace-high has little fold equity against a flop-calling range that is heavy with pairs, and it has no real draw. Checking back takes a free river and keeps some showdown value.

I have a modest pair-and-pair hand with a weak kicker. After the flop bet and turn check, checking keeps worse hands in and avoids getting called or raised mainly by better hands.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed diamond and straight draws. A bet would rarely fold out the pairs that called the flop, so I'll check it down.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. Raising to 250 applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting about 27% pot odds in the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open, so 64o is a marginal but acceptable defend. I'm calling rather than 3-betting because this hand plays poorly as a bluff.

Middle pair with a gutshot on a monotone board, out of position against the preflop raiser; I'll check to control the pot and realize equity.

I have little showdown value but hold the J♦ as a flush draw. A small bet can fold out unpaired hands while keeping the cost of a semi-bluff low.

Getting 730:180, I have a pair of fours plus an open-ended straight draw (any 3 makes a straight, though the 3d puts a straight flush or flush on board). Calling is clearly profitable and keeps the pot controlled on this monotone board.

Four diamonds are on board and we hold no diamond, so our pair of fours with a gutshot is weak. Check and give up to meaningful pressure.

The Jd gives me a strong flush on the turn. I’ll bet for value against lower diamonds and other hands that may continue, without building an oversized pot against a higher flush.

On a four-diamond board, a pair of fours with no diamond is too weak to call a 550 bet into 1460. Our only real outs are the three non-diamond threes, and any diamond in villain's hand still beats the straight.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed; raising applies pressure to the blinds and takes initiative.

24s from the small blind facing a 2.5bb button open, with the big blind still to act, is too weak to call out of position. Folding is standard.

Pocket threes can profitably defend the big blind against a 2.5-big-blind button open, with a modest call and strong potential to win a large pot when I flop a set.

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

A small continuation bet can fold out hands that missed this dry flop, while K-high still has some improvement potential if called.

The small flop bet gives pocket threes a reasonable price to continue against a button range that can include unpaired hands. I'll reassess on the turn.

My underpair has little value on this turn, and betting into the preflop raiser is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. I’ll check and reassess if they bet.

I have top pair with a weak kicker and should make a modest value/protection bet into the 910-chip pot, charging draws while keeping worse hands in.

Pocket threes have little chance to improve and are behind most hands that bet both the flop and turn. Calling out of position would also leave a difficult river decision.

K7 suited on the button, first to act three-handed, is a clear opening hand. A standard 2.5x raise to 250 attacks the blinds.

A8 suited is strong enough to three-bet against a button open, and raising avoids inviting the big blind in cheaply.

QJo is a weak hand against a substantial 3-bet, especially with the button still to act and poor position postflop. The call price is too high to continue profitably.

K7s in position against a wide three-handed SB 3-bet has enough playability and equity to call at 35% pot odds. Four-betting would turn a decent hand into a bluff.

With ace-high, no club, and no immediate straight draw on a monotone flop, I prefer to check rather than build the pot out of position.

King-high with no clubs and no real draw on a monotone board. The 3-bettor's range is strong here and has many club combos, so a bet folds out little. I'll check back and keep some showdown value.

Ace-high with only a gutshot has little reason to build the pot on this coordinated turn. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see how the button acts.

The 3-bettor has checked twice, which signals weakness. K-high with a gutshot to the J makes a reasonable semi-bluff, and a bet can fold out better unpaired hands and weak pairs.

Ace-high with only a gutshot has too little reliable equity against the turn bet, and a raise has poor blockers for this club-heavy board.

Ace-seven offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

A small pocket pair performs reasonably well against a button’s wide opening range, and the deep stacks give it set-mining value. Calling is preferable to inflating the pot out of position, despite the big blind still being to act.

Suited ace in the big blind getting 150 to win 600 is an easy call for multiway playability. A squeeze has less fold equity with a caller already in, so I'll just call.

With a small underpair on a king-high, two-club flop in a three-way pot, betting has little value and risks being called or raised. Check and keep the pot small.

Ace-high with no draw on a K-J board is weak in a three-way pot, and the preflop raiser is still to act. Checking lets us realize equity cheaply and fold to heavy pressure.

Against two callers on a K-J-3 flop, ace-high has limited equity and little reason to bluff into both players. Checking preserves chips and lets me reassess on the turn.

With only a small pair below the board and no meaningful draw, betting into two opponents is unlikely to get better hands to fold. I’ll take the free card and keep the pot small.

Ace-high with no draw on a wet board facing two opponents. Bluffing is unlikely to fold out enough hands, so I check and keep some showdown value.

Ace-high has little chance to improve on this connected board, and a bluff is unlikely to get both opponents to fold. I’ll check and take the free river.

With a weak pair on a coordinated river in a three-way pot, checking preserves showdown value against missed overcards without risking a bluff into two opponents.

Ace-high has some showdown value in a three-way pot that was checked down. Bluffing into two opponents gets little fold equity, so I'll check and take the free showdown.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands in a three-way pot.