Hold'em table

Nine-four offsuit is too weak to open from the button, even three-handed.

With a weak offsuit hand, completing the small blind is a reasonable low-cost way to see the flop heads-up.

JTs is well ahead of a small-blind limping range, and I'll have position postflop, so raising to 4x for value and initiative beats checking.

9♦7♥ is a weak offsuit hand facing a substantial preflop raise, so calling out of position is not worthwhile.

On the button three-handed, 8-7 offsuit is a reasonable open. A modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

J6o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position.

T7 suited has enough playability to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with 150 to call into a 400-chip pot.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a monotone flop is worth continuing cautiously, but betting out of position risks building a large pot against stronger hands.

With a weak middle pair and no heart on a monotone flop, betting risks getting called or raised by stronger hands. I’ll take the free card and keep the pot small.

I have a weak pair and no heart on a four-heart board. Checking controls the pot and avoids betting into a possible flush.

My pair of sevens has some showdown value, but on a four-heart board a bet is unlikely to get called by worse. I’ll take the free river.

With no heart, I can only play the board’s flush. Betting risks losing chips to any heart, so I’ll check.

The board already supplies a king-high flush, so without a heart I can at best split against another non-heart hand. A heart in the opponent’s hand beats the board, and their checks do not give me enough reason to risk a bluff.

J9o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise pressures the blinds.

4-2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A♠3♣ is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and the 150-chip call offers favorable pot odds. I’ll avoid bloating the pot with a weak offsuit ace.

I have only ace-high with no diamond and no made hand, so I check rather than bluff into a coordinated flop when checking is free.

We flopped the king-high straight, but on a monotone board without a diamond. Betting about 73% of the pot gets value from two-pair, set, and draw hands and makes single-diamond draws pay to continue.

I have only a gutshot to Broadway and no diamond, so I lack the equity to call this sizable bet on a monotone board.

K7 suited is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5 big blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

An offsuit 5-6 is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 150 to win 400 (27% equity needed) against a wide button steal; J4o offsite is a marginal defend but the price justifies calling in the big blind.

Weak middle pair with a poor kicker, out of position on a board that favors the button's raising range, so checking to control the pot is best. I can decide against a bet afterward.

Top pair is likely ahead of the big blind’s calling range. A 300-chip bet gets value from weaker pairs and draws while charging them to continue.

Middle pair against a small c-bet gets good pot odds (about 26% equity needed). My hand beats plenty of the button's bluffs and draws, so calling beats folding or raising.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on an ace-high, two-flush board. The button's range connects well here, so I check for pot control and showdown value.

The ace is a bad turn card for my weak king, and betting risks getting called by better hands. Checking controls the pot while keeping weaker hands and draws in.

Third pair has some showdown value against a range that checked back the turn. Betting would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse, so I'm checking.

Second pair has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands on this board.

9♣2♠ is a very weak offsuit hand, and calling 100 chips from the button is not worthwhile.

Q7o is a standard SB-vs-BB open in a blind-vs-blind spot. A 3bb raise applies pressure and takes initiative.

T3 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise, especially with position after the flop.

This dry T-3-2 board favors the preflop raiser's range, so a small c-bet of a third of the pot pressures BB's many misses cheaply. Queen-high also has some overcard equity.

Top and bottom two pair is strong on this flop. Raising builds the pot against overpairs and top-pair hands while charging straight draws.

Queen-high with no draw on 2-T-3, facing a check-raise to 4x our small c-bet; our equity is too poor to continue even at 600 into 1600.

A7o on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds.

Nine-deuce suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Calling 150 into a 400-chip pot gives a favorable price to defend the big blind with 6-5 offsuit against a button open. Raising would be unnecessary with a hand that plays poorly when called.

I have no made hand, but the 4-7 board with 5-6 gives an open-ended straight draw. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity.

Middle pair with an ace kicker on a dry K-high board, in position against a BB check; a small c-bet gets value and protection from worse hands and overcards. It also folds out some better equity.

I have an open-ended straight draw with eight outs and am getting a favorable price against this small bet. Calling keeps the pot manageable while allowing me to improve on the turn.

I have an eight-out straight draw but no made hand, so I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot with a check-raise.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has showdown value against a BB who called the flop; the T turn improves many of their calling hands, so checking back for pot control and a free river is best.

I have only six-high and will rarely win at showdown. A 500-chip river bluff puts pressure on the opponent’s missed draws and weaker pairs after the turn checked through.

A7 makes two pair (tens and sevens) with an ace kicker. Villain's half-pot bet means I need only about 26% equity, and I beat weaker sevens, missed draws and bluffs, so calling is better than folding.