Holdem table

K2 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise uses position to pressure the blinds without risking too much.

Holding 65o in the small blind against a button open to 2.5bb, with the big blind still to act behind me, puts me out of position with a weak offsuit hand. Folding is standard.

8-2 offsuit is far too weak to defend against the button open from the big blind.

In 3-handed play, J6o on the button is a reasonable steal hand against two blinds, so I'm opening to 2.5bb rather than limping or folding.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against an early 2.5bb raise with the big blind still behind.

7-4 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5-big-blind open.

9-high offsuit with a weak kicker is not worth entering from the button at this stack depth.

T7 suited is playable heads-up. Raising gives the big blind a chance to fold and builds a pot when called.

Getting 2:1 in position against a wide small-blind steal range, T5o has enough equity and playability to defend by calling.

I have a gutshot but no spade on a monotone flop. Checking avoids building the pot with a weak draw.

I have a gutshot to broadway plus a weak flush draw with the 5s. On this connected board, which hits the preflop raiser's range hard, a bet is unlikely to fold out better hands, so I'll check and take a free card.

I have only a gutshot to a king and no spade on a three-spade board. Checking keeps the pot small while preserving the chance to improve.

The opponent has checked twice, which suggests weakness. I have no showdown value, but I hold a king gutshot and a spade for a flush draw, so a two-thirds-pot semi-bluff in position can win the pot now and still has outs if called.

I have only a gutshot straight draw, and calling 400 into a 1,000-chip pot is too expensive for four outs with one card to come.

Six-deuce offsuit is too weak to open from the button, even three-handed, with no chips invested.

QTs is a strong hand in a blind-vs-blind spot after the button folded. Raising to 3x puts pressure on the big blind and gives me initiative, which beats limping.

Defend the big blind against the small blind's minimum raise with K9 offsuit; the price is excellent heads-up.

QTd missed an A32 two-tone flop and I'm out of position against the big blind, who has plenty of Ax and wheel hands in his calling range. I'll check with a plan to give up against a bet unless the turn improves me.

Check back with a weak king-high flush draw and little showdown value, preserving equity without inflating the pot versus the preflop raiser.

We only have a gutshot with no spade on a board where the third spade just arrived, and we are out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us realize our equity cheaply.

I have a king-high flush on a three-spade board. A moderate value bet can be called by aces, smaller flushes, and some draws while keeping worse hands involved.

The only draw is a gutshot with about 3 clean outs, and there are no spades on a four-flush board. That falls well short of the 30% equity needed to call, and bluff-raising is unconvincing here.

T5 offsuit is below a standard 3-handed button opening range at 100bb deep, and two players are still left to act behind, so folding is the disciplined play.

Complete from the small blind with suited-gap-like connected low cards? Actually 4d5c is offsuit but has reasonable heads-up equity and closes the action cheaply.

K6 offsuit is strong enough against a small-blind limp to raise for value and deny equity.

4-5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3.5bb raise from the big blind in this heads-up spot.

On the button, 7-5 offsuit is a reasonable short-handed steal candidate. A minimum raise risks little while applying pressure to the blinds.

A3 offsuit has enough equity to defend against a small button raise at this price, though it is not strong enough to build a large pot out of position.

Getting 5:1 on a call in the big blind with a suited hand in a multiway pot is clearly profitable; calling keeps the pot manageable.

Middle pair with a gutshot has some showdown value, but betting into two opponents from out of position is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

The open-ended straight draw with backdoor hearts is a good semi-bluff on a low board that favors my big-blind range over the button raiser's. A half-pot lead denies equity and can win the pot right away.

I have a gutshot to a seven-high straight plus an ace can complete a wheel, and the small flop sizing gives reasonable implied odds in position.

Middle pair, a gutshot to the wheel, and an ace overcard give me enough equity to call 300 into a 1,200-chip pot. Raising into two opponents would overplay this hand.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has some showdown value, but this multiway turn favors stronger made hands. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

We turned a 6-high straight, the second nuts, so we bet for value about two-thirds pot. This also charges draws and weaker made hands in a three-way pot.

I have the nut straight on this board. Raising extracts value from lower straights, sets, and strong pair-plus-draw holdings while retaining calls.

A pair of threes is too weak against a large turn raise in a multiway pot. Calling 3200 is unlikely to be profitable, especially with another player still in the hand.

We hold a 6-high straight; only 75 beats us, while sets, two pair and overpairs remain in the opponent's range. Shoving gets value from those hands and denies them a free river to improve.

We have a seven-high straight on this connected board and need only modest equity versus the shove. Most value hands and lower straights are behind us; only a five-eight holding beats us.