Hold'em table

87o is a standard button open in 3-handed play, since only the two blinds are left to act. A 2.5bb open wins the blinds often enough and keeps a playable hand in position.

T5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A small pair has enough equity to defend against a button raise at these pot odds. Calling keeps the pot manageable and preserves set-mining value.

With a small underpair on an ace-high flop and no strong draw, checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids bluffing into the preflop raiser’s range.

The A-high board favors my button opening range over the big blind's calling range, so a small c-bet should take the pot often. My 87o has little showdown value but has some backdoor straight equity.

Pocket threes have little showdown value on an ace-high, two-heart flop, and calling the raise would be difficult to justify without a useful draw.

JTo is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game, and a 2.5-big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds.

9♣6♦ is a weak offsuit hand facing a button raise, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more from the small blind in a poor spot.

In the big blind against a 2.5x button open, K5o is getting 150 to win 400 (about 27% equity needed), which makes it a clear defend. Calling is better than 3-betting with this hand.

K-high with a backdoor diamond draw is out of position on a board that favors the preflop raiser, so checking to the button is standard. I can decide how to continue if they c-bet.

Trips are strong on this draw-heavy board. A small bet can get value from queens and draws while keeping weaker hands in.

We are getting good odds (200 to win 950) against a small c-bet. King-high has some showdown value, plus a king overcard and backdoor diamond and straight potential, so we should defend rather than overfold.

I have only king-high with a gutshot to a Broadway straight, so I'll check and see what the button does rather than bluff into a range that is strong on this ace-queen-jack board.

Trip jacks are strong enough to value-bet against aces, queens, and draws. A 650-chip bet also charges hands that could improve on the river.

With K5 we have only a gutshot to Broadway, about 4 outs (roughly 9%), against a price that needs about 29% equity. The paired board also caps our implied odds and makes a bluff-raise unconvincing.

On the button three-handed, 5♠6♥ is a marginal but playable open with position. A minimum raise risks little while applying pressure to the blinds.

A7o is well ahead of a wide three-handed button min-raise range. A 3-bet to 8.5bb takes the initiative, can fold out the big blind and weaker button hands, and avoids playing a bloated multiway pot out of position.<br>

K2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a large small-blind three-bet, especially with the button still in the hand.

A 6-5 offsuit hand has poor equity against a strong small-blind 3-bet range, and calling 650 chips would be costly even in position.

Q8s on the button in 3-handed play is a clear opening hand, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds with a playable holding.

J9 suited plays well as a three-bet against a wide button opening range. Raising also pressures the big blind and avoids playing a small-blind call out of position.

T2 offsuit is far too weak to continue against a 3-bet to 9.5 big blinds, especially with another player still involved.

We are in position and 100bb deep, and it costs 700 to win a 2000-chip pot, which is 35% equity. Q8s is playable here for its flush and implied-odds value, so calling beats folding a marginal hand.

This ace-king flop favors my three-betting range. A small continuation bet can fold out weaker unpaired hands while keeping the cost of a bluff modest.

Q-high with only backdoor draws on an A-K board that heavily favors the small blind's 3-bet range. Even at 20% pot odds, calling is unprofitable because we can rarely improve to the best hand.

Q7 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Q7 offsuit is a weak, dominated hand from the small blind, and the big blind can still continue behind me. Avoid investing another 200 chips out of position.

Getting 400:150 odds from the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open, 95o has enough equity to defend by calling.

The flop gives us a gutshot straight draw (a Jack makes Q-J-T-9-8 missing the Q... actually any J gives 8-9-T-J needs Q or 7; we hold 9 with K-T-8, so a J or Q adds little), so we have weak equity out of position against the button's range. Checking to the preflop raiser is standard here.

I have little immediate equity on this board, and the big blind's calling range connects with it often. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a turn card.

This is a semi-bluff with an open-ended straight draw (a Q or 7 makes our straight) after the button checked back the flop, which caps their range. A bet can take the pot down now and still has good equity when called.

I have an open-ended straight draw, with a 9 or an ace completing a straight. Calling keeps the pot manageable and lets me use position on the river.

Rivered bottom pair has a little showdown value against missed club draws, but it rarely gets called by worse and is a weak bluff into a range that called the turn with pairs. Checking to showdown is best.

Queen-high has some showdown value against missed draws. After the opponent led the turn, a river bluff is unlikely to fold enough better hands to justify betting.

K♦5♦ is a playable suited hand on the button in a three-handed game, so I’ll open-raise while in position.

Against a wide 3-handed button open, Q8s plays well as a 3-bet from the small blind. It has fold equity plus decent playability, which beats flatting out of position with the big blind still to act.

A3 suited is too weak to cold-call this sizable three-bet, especially with the button still to act. A four-bet bluff would risk too much without a read.

K♦5♦ has some suited equity, but the small blind's large 3-bet makes continuing unprofitable. Fold rather than call or bluff-4-bet with a weak hand.