Hold'em table

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game; a small raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping weaker hands in their range.

A6 offsuit has sufficient equity to defend the small blind against a button min-open-ish raise, especially with positional action still possible from the big blind.

Pocket threes have good implied odds to call and see a flop, hoping to hit a set.

With ace-high and no meaningful draw in a multiway pot, checking is preferable to bluffing into two opponents.

I have a weak pair of threes on a Q-9-4 board with two opponents. Checking is prudent to see a free turn and avoid building a pot out of position.

With no pair and little backdoor equity on a three-way flop, checking keeps the pot small after both opponents checked.

After three flop checks, the paired turn is a credible card to represent while the ace provides some showdown value if checked through. A modest multiway stab can fold out unpaired overcards and weak pocket pairs.

Bottom pair is too weak to call a turn bet on this board, especially with the preflop raiser still to act behind me.

K-high has little showdown value and only a few potentially dirty improvement outs. The turn bet requires too much equity to justify calling, and I have no strong draw to continue with.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to open profitably on the button in this short-handed format.

KJo is a strong hand heads-up against the big blind after the button folded. Raising to 3bb builds the pot and takes initiative.

A6 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind heads-up against a small-blind raise. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

Continuation bet with two overcards and a backdoor flush draw on a paired board. We represent strength as the preflop raiser and can fold out many hands that missed, while still having equity if called.

A-high is a reasonable bluff-catcher against a half-pot lead on this paired, dry flop, and the call needs only about 25% equity. Raising would risk too much with no meaningful draw.

I have KJo unpaired on a double-paired board. Out of position with no improvement, checking keeps the pot small and gives a free river.

My ace kicker is strong on this paired board, and checking preserves showdown value while avoiding a bet that is unlikely to be called by worse hands.

Our K-high has showdown value against busted draws but rarely gets called by worse if we bet; checking avoids value-owning ourselves and lets us possibly catch a bluff or check back.

My ace is likely the best kicker on this paired board, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands. Checking takes the showdown and avoids value-owning myself against a full house or trips.

TJs has good playability and position, raising to build pot and pressure blinds.

A4 offsuit is weak out of position against the button’s raise, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with a dominated hand and poor playability.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to defend from the big blind against a button raise, especially out of position.

A♠8♥ is a solid button hand in three-handed play, so I’ll raise to apply pressure and take initiative.

7-4 offsuit is a weak small-blind hand facing a button open, with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves chips.

Getting nearly 3-to-1 pot odds from the big blind against a button open; J3o is weak but can defend here and look to fold on bad flops.

My hand is only J-high with no draw on a paired board, so I want to see how the preflop raiser acts before committing more chips.

Bet 200 for value and protection with top set on a dry, paired board, while keeping worse hands and floats in the pot.

J-high with no draw on a double-paired board against an opponent who raised preflop and bet the flop; folding avoids losing more chips when clearly behind.

KQo is a strong button opening hand three-handed and benefits from taking initiative. I use a standard 2.5bb open size.

2h4h is too weak to call or raise from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves chips for better opportunities.

A5 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and the price is favorable enough to continue. I’ll avoid inflating the pot with a marginal three-bet hand.

With ace-high and no immediate draw on a paired, connected flop, checking keeps the pot small and preserves my backdoor possibilities.

Betting my strong double-gutshot straight draw on the paired board applies pressure and can deny equity while building a pot when I improve.

A-high has little showdown value on this paired, connected board, and calling requires roughly 30% equity. With no meaningful draw, folding is the disciplined choice against this sizable bet.

2d6s is a very weak hand, not worth playing even from the button.

9-8 offsuit is a reasonable hand to complete from the small blind, and calling keeps the pot small while retaining playability out of position.

With 9-high offsuit and the small blind having completed, checking realizes equity for free rather than inflating the pot with a weak hand.

I have only a gutshot and weak high-card value on this ace-high flop. With no pressure to call, checking keeps the pot small and preserves my chance to improve.

A small continuation bet can fold out unpaired hands and weak overcards while retaining a gutshot straight draw if called.

I have only a weak backdoor draw and four immediate straight outs, which is not enough equity to continue against this bet.