Hold'em table

Seven-three offsuit is one of the weakest hands in hold'em, and calling 100 to see a flop out of position is not profitable here.

52 offsuit is near the bottom of the starting-hand range and plays poorly out of position. With no evidence the big blind overfolds, surrendering the small blind is preferable to completing or bluff-raising.

K3 offsuit is a marginal button open, but position and a chance to win the blinds make a small raise worthwhile. This sizing keeps the risk modest against resistance.

K6 offsuit is weak out of position facing a raise with BB still to act; not worth continuing.

I'm getting about 3-to-1 on a 120-chip call into a 370 pot, and suited 9-7 has enough playability against a wide button opening range to justify it.

I have 9-high with no pair and only a weak backdoor draw, and checking is free, so I keep the pot small and avoid bloating it out of position.

This dry queen-high flop favors the preflop raiser, making a small continuation bet an efficient way to pressure the big blind's missed hands. King-high has limited showdown value and some backdoor straight potential if called.

I have only a gutshot straight draw with no pair, so calling 160 into a 650 pot needs more equity than I have against a flop bettor.

69o is a weak offsuit hand from the button facing a raise-sized call; folding preserves chips for better spots.

I'm getting about 3-to-1 on a 50-chip completion heads-up, and 3-8 offsuit has roughly 40% equity against a random hand, well above the roughly 25% needed, so calling is profitable.

With 4-3 offsuit, checking takes a free flop in position against the small blind without inflating the pot with a weak hand.

I have 8-high with no pair on an A-7-5 board, so I'll check to see the next card cheaply rather than bet a hand that is likely behind.

With eight straight-completing outs and a backdoor diamond draw, this is a strong semi-bluff after the small blind checks. Betting can fold out better high-card hands while building the pot when I improve.

I missed the flop completely with 8-3 offsuit, facing a 125 bet into 325 with only weak backdoor straight potential, so calling is not justified and folding is the disciplined play.

Ace-trey offsuit on the button is a marginal hand, but completing the small blind's price to 100 is cheap and keeps me in with position for a playable Ace-high board.

Completing costs only 50 into a 250 pot, giving 5-to-1 immediate odds. Despite being out of position, 97 offsuit has enough straight and two-pair potential to justify seeing a cheap flop.

I'm already in with JT offsuit as big blind, no raise needed; checking to see the flop cheaply.

Nine-high has little immediate equity on this paired, two-diamond flop. Checking out of position against two opponents avoids building a pot with a weak hand and preserves the option to improve for free.

Jd-Th missed this 6-4-6 board; no reason to bet with nothing, just check and see a free card.

I have only ace-high on a paired 6-6-4 board, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against two opponents who have already shown weakness by checking.

After the flop checked through, top pair is strong enough to bet for value and protection. A two-thirds-pot bet charges draws and can get called by weaker pairs.

No pair or draw with Jd Th on a 6-4-6-9 board; facing a bet with weak equity, folding is cheap and clear.

I have only ace-high on a paired-looking board with no pair, and facing a 200 turn raise with 500 in the pot, calling would need more equity than my hand has, so folding is correct.

Six-three offsuit is too weak to open profitably on the button without evidence that the blinds overfold. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor equity and playability.

T4o offsuit is weak heads-up vs BB with button folded; not worth completing out of position.

Q2 offsuit on the button is a weak hand not worth defending for 100 chips against two live players.

I'm getting 3-to-1 on a 50-chip call heads-up against the big blind, and 9-4 offsuit has reasonable equity against a random hand in a rake-free game, so calling is the better choice over folding.

J5 offsuit is too weak for a routine isolation raise against the small blind's limp. Checking realizes equity for free while retaining positional advantage postflop.

I missed the flop completely with 4c 9h, so I have no made hand to bet for value. Checking keeps the pot small and sees whether the big blind bets.

My jack has solid showdown value on this paired board, but betting gets limited value from weaker hands and risks building a pot against a king. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves weaker hands in the opponent’s range.

I have a pair of fours on a King-high board with no clear improvement, so I'll take the free card rather than bloat the pot.

After two checks from the small blind, a half-pot bet can get value from weaker pairs and draws while denying free equity to overcards. Our two pair is strong enough for a small value bet in this limped pot.

I have two pair, kings and fours, on a paired king board, which is strong enough to call a small turn bet and keep the pot manageable.

I hold a weak pair of fours on a paired king-high board and have no value bet, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into a likely stronger range.

Our two pair has showdown value, but the river completes flushes and straights while better jacks and kings also beat us. Checking avoids a thin value bet that is unlikely to be called often enough by worse hands.