Hold'em table

Five-four suited plays well in position, so I’m opening the button for a modest raise.

K2 offsuit from the small blind is too weak to call a 2.5bb button open out of position, with the big blind still left to act behind me.

J8 suited is a playable big-blind defend against a button raise, and the call price is reasonable. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

J-high has little showdown value on a paired flop, and checking preserves the option to continue if the button checks behind.

A small continuation bet can fold out some unpaired hands on this dry, paired board. The backdoor heart and straight possibilities give 5♥4♥ some equity when called.

The small bet offers favorable pot odds, and J-high has two overcards plus backdoor diamond and straight possibilities. Calling keeps the pot manageable while retaining equity against unpaired hands.

I have only jack-high with no meaningful draw, and the paired board favors the preflop raiser. I’ll check and avoid building the pot without equity.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but betting risks getting called by better hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I have only J-high, so a modest river bluff can fold out some unpaired hands that currently beat me. The checked turn makes a large bet unnecessary; this sizing pressures high-card hands without risking too much.

My pair of fives beats missed draws, ace-high hands, and some weaker pairs. The small river bet gives me sufficient pot odds to call.

A9s on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable in position.

T2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J9 offsuit has enough playability to defend the big blind against a button raise at this price, but is not strong enough to value-raise.

With middle pair and a modest kicker, I prefer to check out of position and keep the pot manageable.

A9 with the ace, a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot (a ten gives us the nut straight) on a board that favors the button raiser. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot takes it down often and keeps our equity.

Middle pair is strong enough to continue against a small button continuation bet, but raising would often isolate me against stronger hands.

I have a medium-strength pair on a paired board and am out of position. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to the opponent's turn action.

Ace-high has some showdown value and no real draw; the BB's flop-calling range is full of pairs that won't fold, so I'll check back and take a free river.

Second pair has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by enough worse hands. Checking also leaves room for the opponent to bluff.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed straight draws like KT, T9 and 98, while a bluff would rarely fold out the Jx or pocket pairs that called the flop. Checking back is the better option.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Q5 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 400:150 odds in the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open, 64o has enough equity and playability to defend by calling.

Middle pair with a gutshot on a monotone board plays best as a check to the preflop raiser, keeping the pot controlled and letting us evaluate a c-bet.

I have a strong flush draw, but this monotone flop connects with the caller’s range. Checking behind takes a free card and avoids inflating the pot when I currently have no pair.

On a four-diamond board without a diamond, my weak pair plus straight draw has modest showdown value, and betting would mostly get called by flushes. Checking controls the pot size.

I have a strong jack-high flush and the checked-to action offers a value bet against lower diamonds and other made hands. A moderate size gets value without overcommitting against a higher diamond.

The small bet gets good pot odds, since I only need about 26% equity. Bottom pair plus a gutshot to the 3 can bluff-catch a button that checked back the flop and may be stabbing without a diamond.

With four diamonds on board and only a pair of fours with no diamond, my hand has showdown value only against air. Checking gives a free showdown if the opponent checks back.

My jack-high flush is strong on this four-diamond board, and a modest river bet can get value from lower diamond holdings after the turn call. A smaller sizing limits the cost if the opponent has a higher diamond.

On a four-diamond board our pair of fours only beats bluffs, but this small bet gives about 4:1 odds, so we need to win only about 20% of the time. Villain's small-bet line should contain enough air to make a bluff-catch profitable.

K8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while retaining position postflop.

42 suited from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind me, is too weak to call out of position; folding is standard.

Calling the small raise with a pocket pair keeps the pot manageable and gives me a chance to flop a set; folding would be too tight at this price.

With a small underpair on a Q-high flop, checking keeps the pot small and avoids betting into the preflop raiser’s stronger range.

On this dry, heads-up flop, a small continuation bet can fold out weaker hands and deny equity while risking relatively little.

The small flop bet gives favorable pot odds, and 33 can still be ahead of unpaired hands while retaining two outs to improve. Call and reassess on the turn.

With only a small underpair on a king-high board, betting has little value and is unlikely to fold out better hands. I’ll check and avoid building the pot.

Top pair is likely ahead of many hands that called the flop. A moderate bet gets value from queens and draws while charging them to see the river.

Pocket threes are a weak bluff-catcher on this king-high board, with only two likely outs to improve. Calling 550 risks too much against a turn bet with little chance to win at showdown.

K7 suited is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds with a playable hand.

A♦8♦ is a reasonable small-blind defend against a button raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an unnecessary large pot out of position.

QJo has enough equity to call 150 into a 600-chip pot, and this closes the preflop action.

Check top pair without a club on a monotone flop in a three-way pot; betting risks building a pot against made flushes and strong club draws.

Top pair is worth continuing with, but without a club on a monotone flop, I prefer to check and see what the preflop raiser does in this multiway pot.

This is a monotone flop in a three-way pot, and I have only a gutshot and a king-high overcard with no club. Both opponents may be holding clubs, so I'll check and take the free card rather than bluff into two players.

With only ace-high and a gutshot on a three-club board, a multiway bluff is unattractive. I’ll take the free river card.

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw is strong enough to bet for value and protection after the flop checked through. A 450-chip bet charges club draws without building an oversized pot on a three-club board.

King-high with only a gutshot on a three-club board. Calling 450 needs about 27% equity, the draw is well short of that, and seat_3 is still to act behind.

A♦8♦ is only ace-high with no meaningful draw on a three-club board, so calling the turn bet needs too much bluff equity.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to open from the button; a 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Pocket fours are worth calling a small button raise with deep stacks, mainly for their set potential. Reraising out of position would create a larger pot with a hand that often faces overcards.

A6 suited in the big blind getting 150 into 600 (4:1) is a clear call in a multiway pot. It has good nut-flush potential, and squeezing out of position is less attractive against a caller.

My small pair has little value betting into two opponents on a king-jack flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reassess after their actions.

Ace-high with no draw on a K-J board in a three-way pot, with the preflop raiser still to act behind, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what happens.

A-high has little immediate value on this multiway board, and the backdoor draws are weak. I’ll take the free turn rather than bluff into two opponents.

Pocket fours are a weak underpair on this coordinated board against two opponents. Checking avoids building the pot with little showdown value.

Ace-high with no draw on a draw-heavy turn in a three-way pot; it has modest showdown value and bluffing into two players is unlikely to get folds from any pair, so I check.

A-high has some showdown value and potential to improve on the river. In a multiway pot, a turn bluff after both opponents checked is unlikely to be worth risking chips.

Pocket fours have some showdown value, and bluffing into two opponents on this board is unlikely to be profitable.

Ace-high has some showdown value in a pot that has been checked through. A bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones, so checking is best.

With only a pair of sevens on a king-high board, a river bet is unlikely to get called by worse often enough. I’ll take the free showdown.