Hold'em table

Queen-trey offsuit is weak, but calling 100 on the button is cheap in a 3-handed game with good postflop position. I'll see a flop without committing much.

Button limped, I'm in the SB with 9h5h suited getting 5:1 to complete; cheap call to see a flop with a suited hand that can make flushes and straights, though I'll be out of position.

J5 offsuit is weak, but checking in the big blind gets a free flop in this limped pot. Raising would bloat the pot out of position with a marginal hand.

Flush draw with 9h5h on Ac Qh 4h in a 3-way limped pot; first to act out of position, checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the button does, with option to call or check-raise with my 9-outs.

J-high with a gutshot on an ace-high two-tone flop in a three-way limped pot, with the button still to act. Checking takes a free card rather than bluffing into two opponents.

I have top pair with a queen-high board kicker concern against the ace, and both opponents checked, so checking keeps the pot small and controls risk.

Turned a 9-high flush on a limped, checked-around pot; bet for value against aces, kings, two pair, and straight/flush draws since checking again gives free cards and little value.

Only a gutshot to a broadway straight with no heart and the button still to act; 30% pot odds against roughly 8% equity makes this a clear fold.

I have a pair of queens with an ace-high board kicker, and calling 225 into a 525 pot is a reasonable price against a turn bet, so I'll continue without raising.

I hold a king-high flush (9h5h with Qh Kh 4h); opponent's limp-check-call line looks like a pair or weaker flush draw that got there, so a 60% pot value bet targets Ax/two pair/smaller flushes while keeping it foldable if raised.

I hold a pair of queens facing a 450 river bet into a 1200 pot, so calling 450 needs about 27% equity and a queen-high pair beats many bluffs and weaker kings.

Q5 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb takes initiative with position against both blinds.

Three-handed, the button opens a wide range, and A9o plays poorly as a flat out of position from the small blind. A 3-bet to 11bb uses blocker value and fold equity.

Ace-ten offsuit gets the right price to call 1000 into a 1450 pot with a playable hand. Folding is too tight and a reraise risks a bloated pot out of position against two players.

Q5 suited is far too weak to continue facing a 3-bet and a cold call; folding loses only the 250 already invested.

Nut flush draw plus an overcard on a low board that favors my 3-bet range; a small c-bet gives fold equity while building the pot with strong equity.

I hold ace high with a heart flush draw, and calling 800 into a 3250 pot gives roughly 20% pot odds, which a draw with about 9 outs and an ace-high backup can justify against this aggressive opponent.

The 9h completes three hearts, so our top pair of nines is now only medium strength against a calling range full of overpairs, sets and made flushes. We hold the Ah, which gives us nut-flush outs, so checking controls the pot while keeping that equity.

I have only ace-high with no heart draw, since my cards are not hearts and the board has three hearts. Seat 3 has shown strength, so I check to control the pot rather than bluff into a likely stronger range.

Our pair of nines has some showdown value but cannot comfortably bet for value on a three-heart board with a ten overcard. The Ah blocks the nut flush, but betting would mostly get called by better hands, so checking is better.

I hold a pair of tens with an ace kicker, and seat 3 checked the river, so checking keeps the pot small and gets a free showdown.

K9o is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative and pressure the blinds.

Q8 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button open, and calling 200 more needs about a third equity that this hand is unlikely to have before the big blind acts.

9-6 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button open; folding to the 2.5x raise is standard even with decent pot odds.

Folded to me on the button, a small raise to 250 steals the blinds with a weak but playable Q-7 offsuit, and it's better than limping into a multi-way pot.

Q9 offsuit in the small blind facing a 2.5x button open is a marginal hand that plays poorly out of position; folding avoids a reverse-implied-odds spot.

Getting about 3.7:1 against a wide 3-handed button open, 64o has enough equity and playability to defend from the big blind.

6-4 offhand has no pair and no draw on Qc8c8d, and this board favors the preflop raiser. Check and give up to a c-bet unless the turn helps.

Top pair with a queen kicker-free hand is strong on this board, and a half-pot bet after a check extracts value while charging draws.

I have 6-high with no pair and no real draw on 8-8-Q, and I would be calling 300 into an 850 pot. A small c-bet from the button on this paired board will often be a full range bet, but my hand has almost no equity, so folding is cheapest.

K8o on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb to take initiative and often pick up the blinds.

95o from the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it's out of position and dominated too often.

Facing a 150-chip call into a 400-chip pot, I'm getting about 2.7-to-1, and Q-2 offsuit has reasonable equity against a button's wide opening range with no rake. Calling is a modest, defensible continue.

I have a pair of queens with an ace on the board, which is a medium-strength hand, and I can check for free here. Checking keeps the pot controlled while I see whether the preflop raiser bets.

Heads-up on the button as preflop raiser on A-Q-7 rainbow-ish board, BB checked; a small c-bet with K8 (backdoor equity, overcard to Q) folds out many hands that missed and takes the pot cheaply.

I have second pair (queens) against an ace-high board, and the 300 call is about 26% of the 850 pot, which is a reasonable price against a wide button betting range.

Pair of queens on an ace-high board with a weak kicker is a medium-strength hand, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against an aggressive opponent who has shown strength.

King-high with only a gutshot to Broadway; opponent called the flop on an A-Q board and the turn T improves much of their range, so a second barrel has poor fold equity. Take the free card and realize equity.

Holding a pair of queens on an ace-high board facing a flop raiser who went passive on the turn, I have showdown value but little reason to bet into a range that likely contains aces or better.

King-high has no showdown value after missing the gutshot; villain's triple-check after calling flop indicates a weak range (Qx, small pairs, missed draws), so a 60% pot bet needs under 40% folds to profit.

A pair of queens is likely behind an ace-high river bet after the button's preflop and flop aggression, and calling 700 into an 1850 pot needs roughly 27% equity, which this hand is unlikely to have.

Q7 suited on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

Facing a 200-chip call from the button with 9-2 offsuit, the hand is weak and out of position, so folding the small blind is the disciplined choice.

Q4s in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open with 150 to call into a 400 pot gives good pot odds (~27%); suited queen plays fine as a defend, and folding would be too tight against a wide button range.

Q4s with no clubs on a monotone 7c2c6c board gives me only queen-high and no draw; checking to the preflop raiser is standard, and I'll likely fold to a bet.

Top pair on a monotone board with no club. A small one-third pot bet gets value from weaker pairs and single-club draws and denies equity, while keeping the pot manageable if we run into a made flush.

Queen high with no club, no pair, and no draw on a monotone board facing a continuation bet; no equity to continue and a bluff-raise without a club blocker is too thin.