Hold'em table

K5 offsuit is playable from the button three-handed, and a small open raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Q4 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position.

A2 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button open at this price.

I have top pair with a weak kicker. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to the button's action.

I have a modest showdown hand with second pair and a weak kicker. Checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids value-owning myself on an ace-high, two-heart board.

After the preflop raiser checked back the flop, a small turn bet can get value from kings and heart draws while protecting my weak top pair.

The small turn bet gives favorable pot odds, and my pair of kings is strong enough to continue against bluffs and weaker pairs, though raising risks isolating me against an ace or better.

I have aces and sixes on the river. A modest value bet can get called by kings while limiting my loss when behind.

I have two pair, kings and sixes, with the board’s ace kicker; this chops against many Kx hands and beats bluffs. The river bet is small enough that calling is worthwhile despite the possibility of a 6 or full house.

A6o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds.

KJo is strong enough to contest a button open. A three-bet applies pressure and avoids inviting the big blind into a cheap multiway pot.

8♥5♠ is too weak to continue against a button raise and a small-blind 3-bet, especially with a substantial call required.

Getting about 2.9:1 in position against a wide three-handed SB 3-bet range, A6o has enough equity and playability to call rather than fold.

As the preflop three-bettor, I can credibly represent strong aces on this dry flop. A small bet pressures the button’s unpaired hands without risking much.

A6 makes top two pair on a dry A-6-4 board, which is well ahead of the 3-bettor's AK, AQ and AJ hands. Raising to 1800 builds the pot for value while those hands are still likely to continue.

The flop raise on a dry ace-high board leaves king-high with little chance to improve, and calling 1,200 is unlikely to be profitable.

T6 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two unknown opponents.

Q9 offsuit is strong enough to complete from the small blind heads-up, and calling keeps the pot small while preserving a wide range.

The SB limped in a blind-vs-blind spot and their range is capped, so a raise with 96o puts pressure on it while I hold position. Checking is also fine, but a modest raise to 350 takes the initiative.

Q9 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a sizable raise, and the call price is too high to continue profitably.

As the button in a three-handed game, 7-6 offsuit is a reasonable steal-raise with position and some straight potential. A modest raise pressures the blinds without overcommitting.

A2o from the small blind facing a button open to 2.5bb, with the big blind still behind, plays poorly out of position. Folding is standard; a 3-bet bluff is possible, but a fold is fine at this frequency.

Q9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a 2.5-big-blind button raise, especially with 150 chips to call into a 400-chip pot.

Out of position with Q-high on a paired, club-heavy flop, I prefer to check and see how the preflop raiser acts.

Bet small into the checked-to pot as a semi-bluff: the open-ended straight draw gives me solid equity, and the stab can fold out unpaired overcards.

The small flop bet gives me a reasonable price to continue with queen-high against a wide button range. I can reassess on the turn.

The queen improved my hand, but checking lets the preflop raiser continue betting weaker hands and bluffs without forcing them out.

The Q is a favorable scare card for my preflop-raising range, and my 7-high has little showdown value. A modest turn bet can pressure some 4x and pocket-pair hands while retaining river equity when called.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against this modest turn bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a large pot against an eight.

My queen gives me a reasonable showdown hand, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking also leaves room for missed draws to bluff.

I missed my straight and have no meaningful showdown value, but the opponent called both flop and turn bets, so a river bluff is unlikely to fold enough hands. Check and avoid putting more chips into the pot.

Q8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise applies pressure on both blinds.

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

Fold the weak offsuit 6-2 rather than defend out of position against the button raise.

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

T6 suited is too weak to call a sizable button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act and poor postflop position.

Getting about 3.7:1 in the big blind against a wide button open, 73s has enough playability to defend by calling.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on an ace-high board that favors the preflop raiser; checking to the button controls the pot and keeps my bluff-catching range intact.

As the preflop raiser, I have a range advantage on this ace-high flop. A small bet can win the pot now without committing much with king-high.

Middle pair plus a backdoor spade draw is getting 735:185 against a small c-bet (about 20% equity needed), so this is an easy call. Raising would mostly fold out the worse hands we beat.

We hold second pair on a paired-ace board with a backdoor spade draw. Checking keeps the pot small, lets us realize our equity, and still allows us to bluff-catch against a small bet.

King-high has some showdown value against missed draws, but little reason to build the pot after the flop call. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me reassess on the river.

A pair of sevens has showdown value, but the club flush completed on the river. Checking lets me realize that equity cheaply rather than getting raised or called only by better hands.

King-high is unlikely to win at showdown after the flop call. A river bet can fold out some weak pairs on the paired, three-club board.

Aces and sevens is a bluff-catcher that beats missed draws and underpairs, and the pot odds only require about 29% equity. After villain checked the turn, their range should contain enough bluffs to make a call profitable.