Hold'em table

A5 suited is a strong button open three-handed; raising applies pressure to the blinds while retaining postflop playability.

Premium hand Ac Kc in the small blind against a button open; 3-betting to 10bb for value and to take initiative OOP.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open and a small-blind three-bet to 10bb. Folding avoids putting 900 more chips in with a dominated, poorly connected hand.

A5 suited has useful equity and playability in position against a blind 3-bet, and the pot odds make calling preferable to folding. I’ll avoid a 4-bet bluff with a hand that can realize equity postflop.

Out of position on a wet Q-high board without a heart, checking AK high to control the pot size.

A small continuation bet can fold out some hands with equity while preserving pressure on weaker pairs. I also have ace-high showdown value and backdoor nut-flush and wheel possibilities if called.

Seat 1 makes a small 1/3 pot bet in position after we checked; getting 4:1 pot odds, we can profitably peel one street with AcKc against wide floating ranges.

I missed the turn with AcKc on a three-heart board, so checking to see what the opponent does is best.

The turn completes the heart flush draw, and my modest pair has little value betting into a caller. I’ll take the free river and keep the pot controlled.

We hold Ace-high with no heart blockers on a wet board. Checking allows us to see showdown cheaply against missed floats while avoiding committing chips into a potentially paired or flush range.

I have only a weak pair and am unlikely to get called by worse if I bet. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me reach showdown against missed draws or unpaired hands.

Holding 72 offsuit, which is the weakest starting hand in hold'em; an easy fold even from the button.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind and I am getting 3:1 to complete. 85s is weak but suited with some straight potential, so a cheap flop is better than folding the blind or bloating the pot out of position.

With pocket aces against a limper, I raise for value and to build the pot while isolating heads-up.

85 suited is too weak to continue out of position after the big blind raises to 4bb; folding the extra 300 is the higher-EV play.

J3s is a weak but suited button open in three-handed play; a small raise applies pressure and keeps me in position if called.

8-2 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a button raise, especially out of position and with the big blind still to act.

85s is too weak out of position against a 2.5x button open to profitably defend.

Jack-Ten offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed; raising applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the sizing modest.

96 offsuit is far too weak to defend out of position against a button open.

J8 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button open; calling 150 into 400 does not justify the dominated, poorly connected hand.

Opening on the button with an Ace in 3-handed play is standard to apply pressure and utilize position.

Q6 suited is too weak to continue out of position against a button open; dominated too often and poor reverse implied odds.

Calling 100 gives me favorable pot odds with a suited connector against a button min-raise. I’ll see the flop rather than inflate the pot with a marginal hand.

I have no made hand and only a weak backdoor draw, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the next card for free.

I have top pair with a weak kicker in position. Checking back controls the pot size and allows me to see turn cards without building a bloated pot.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, and the ace-high board favors the preflop raiser. I’ll check and avoid bluffing into a likely showdown hand.

I have top pair with a weak kicker after checking back the flop. Betting small on the turn targets value from second pairs, gutshots, and protects equity against drawing hands.

I have only a gutshot straight draw with four outs and no meaningful flush draw. The bet is too large relative to the chance of improving on the river.

Three-handed on the button, Q8o is a standard open rather than a limp; a 2.5bb raise takes the initiative with position.

6-4 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting attractive pot odds of 150 to win 400 with suited king-high against a wide button opening range. Defending is standard.

Check bottom pair out of position on an ace-high board to keep the pot small.

I have middle pair with a queen kicker on an ace-high board in position. Checking back keeps the pot small and realizes showdown value rather than betting into a range that continues mainly with better hands.

I picked up a king-high flush draw to go with bottom pair; checking allows me to realize my equity cheaply or call a reasonable turn bet.

I have a pair of eights with a queen kicker on an ace-jack board, so I have some showdown value but little reason to bet for value or as a bluff after two checks. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity on the river.

I have two pair (Jacks and Twos), which beats missed high-card air but loses to better pairs and any eight. A bet won't get called by worse, so checking is best.

I have jacks and eights, which has showdown value, but a bet mostly gets called by aces and jacks that beat me while folding out worse one-pair hands. Checking realizes the pot against a passive line.