Hold'em table

Holding A-To on the button 3-handed, raising to 2.5bb is a standard value open with strong high-card strength and position.

5-3 offsuit is too weak to continue facing a button raise from the small blind.

In the big blind against a wide button raise in 3-handed play, K6o only needs to call 150 into a 400 pot, well below its equity against the button's likely range. Folding is too tight, and 3-betting a weak dominated hand is riskier than seeing a flop.

I hold only king-high with a backdoor heart draw on this flop against the preflop raiser, so checking keeps the pot small and preserves a cheap chance to improve or win at showdown.

Check back with Ace-high and no heart draw on a wet flop to control pot size and realize showdown value in position.

I hold only ace-high with no draws, and a preflop raiser who checked back the flop still has too many aces and pocket pairs in range for a turn bluff to profit. Checking preserves chips and keeps showdown value against missed broadway hands.

Turned top pair with an Ace on board after checking flop; betting 375 into 550 for thin value and protection against draws.

I hold only K-high (the board ace doesn't help me), with no possible flush draw since just one card remains. Calling 375 into 925 with a hand that only beats a worse high-card bluff is unprofitable, so I fold.

Button open with suited connectors; a small raise builds the pot and takes initiative while keeping the price reasonable if called.

2-3 offsuit against a 2.5x raise is far too weak to defend; folding loses the least.

Holding AQo in the big blind against a button open 3-handed is a clear 3-bet for value.

87s does not have enough equity against a large 10bb 3-bet to justify calling 7.5bb more, and a 4-bet bluff risks too many chips. Folding preserves the stack for better spots.

On the button in a 3-handed game, K2o is near the bottom of a stealing range, but the two blinds must often fold, making a 3x open profitable despite the weak kicker. I avoid a call since K2o flops poorly and dominated kickers bleed chips postflop.

With zero rake and 100bb effective stacks, calling from the small blind with a pocket pair has sufficient implied odds to set-mine against the button's open.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button raise and a small-blind call. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, unconnected hand.

Check our underpair on a connected flop to control the pot out of position.

K-high with no pair or draw on a T-J-6 two-tone board that favors the SB cold-caller's range (pairs, T-x, J-x, spade draws), so bluffing into range disadvantage is unprofitable; I check back and give up unless a king comes.

Pocket fours have marginal showdown value on a paired, coordinated board. Checking allows me to control the pot out of position.

We have two pair with tens and fours, which has some showdown value against unpaired hands like unimproved ace-highs that checked through the flop and turn.

Holding 53s on the button in 3-handed play is just below standard opening range; folding is standard and avoids marginal spots.

AKo is a premium hand heads-up versus the big blind after the button folded, so I raise to 3bb for value rather than just completing.

A5s has decent playability with a wheel-ace blocker; calling 200 vs a min-raise-size open keeps the pot small with position postflop.

Top pair with the ace kicker on a dry K-9-7 flop is strong enough to bet for value against the big blind's calling range. A half-pot bet of 300 builds the pot while keeping worse kings and draws in.

K4o is too weak and poorly connected to open from the button; folding avoids dominated spots and difficult postflop play.

Heads-up after the button folds, A8 suited is well ahead of the BB's range; raising builds the pot with a strong hand and takes initiative.

KQo has great equity and positional advantage against an SB open in a blind-versus-blind confrontation, making a call profitable.

I raised preflop and flopped top pair with A8 on 8d4s9h; betting ~2/3 pot builds the pot while charging draws and weaker eights.

I only have two overcards with no direct draw on an 8-9-4 board facing a two-thirds pot c-bet, so folding is clearly profitable.

Nine-three offsuit on the button is far too weak to open even three-handed; it has little equity and poor playability against two blinds. Folding preserves 100bb for better spots.

KJ suited is a premium blind vs blind hand, raising to 3bb to build the pot and apply pressure.

K6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a 3bb small-blind raise; folding avoids a dominated, low-equity spot.