Hold'em table

Seven-nine suited is a playable suited connector on the button against only a big blind and small blind, so calling 100 to see a flop is reasonable.

The button limped, so completing costs only 50 chips into a 250-chip pot. That price is cheap enough to justify seeing a flop with J5o, even though I'll be out of position.

J-2 offsuit is weak, and I can see the flop for free from the big blind. I check rather than inflate the pot.

J5 offsite on 7h4hTd gives only a weak gutshot (needs a 6 to make 3-4-5-6-7... actually needs 6 for 4-5-6-7-8? no) and little equity out of position in a three-way limped pot, so I check and keep the pot small.

With J-high and no meaningful draw on this multiway flop, checking behind preserves the pot without risking a bluff into two players.

I hold a pair of sevens with a nine kicker on a 7-4-T board, which is a modest made hand. Checking is free and keeps the pot small while I see whether it holds up.

After the flop checked through three ways, everyone's range is weak. A small semi-bluff with my gutshot to a 6 (and J high) can take down the pot or build it for when I hit. ✓ ✓ ✓

J-high has no meaningful draw on this board, and calling risks 200 chips with the button still to act behind.

I have a pair of sevens with a nine kicker against one opponent, and calling 200 into a 500 pot gives about 3.5-to-1 pot odds, which is enough to continue against a turn raise.

Jack-high has little showdown value. Villain's limp, flop check and turn call suggest a capped range of weak pairs and draws, so a 450 bet into 700 can fold out small pairs.

A pair of sevens with a nine kicker is likely beaten by the aggressive river bet of 450 into a 700 pot, and I don't have enough equity to justify calling.

K9o is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative.

7♣4♠ is a weak, offsuit hand with poor playability against a raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more from the small blind.

Calling 150 into a 400 pot gives about 27% pot odds, and T5 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable defend from the big blind against a button raise in a rake-free game.

I have T-high with no pair on a 9-9-3 board and no bet to call, so checking is free and keeps the pot small while I see the next card.

Trip nines with a king kicker on a dry paired board. A small value bet keeps the big blind's weaker pairs and floats in the hand while building the pot.

Our T-5 has no pair and only weak backdoor potential against a flop raise from the button, so calling 200 into a 750 pot isn't profitable enough.

A4 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game; raising applies pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

King-eight offsuit facing a button raise to 250 from seat 3 with 200 to call out of the small blind is a weak hand out of position, so folding avoids a costly marginal spot.

T8o in the big blind against a 2.5x button open is getting 150 into 400 (27% equity needed), and the hand plays well enough postflop to defend profitably by calling.

T8 offsponsored with no pair and only a weak gutshot draw (needs Q-J... actually none) on an A-K board that favors the button's raising range; check and likely give up to a c-bet.

I have top pair on a two-heart board, so a modest value bet also charges draws. In position, I can control the pot if called.

T8 offhand has no pair and no draw on A-K-6 with two hearts, which hits the button's opening range hard. Calling 300 into 850 isn't justified with just a gutshot-less ten-high and little equity.

K9 offsuit on the button is a playable steal-defense hand in a 3-handed game, and calling 100 to see a flop is cheap enough to beat folding.

KQo is well ahead of a button limper's range, so I'm isolating from the small blind with a raise to 4.5bb. That gives me initiative and avoids playing a multiway limped pot out of position.

7-5 offsuit is too weak to continue against the small blind’s raise, especially out of position and with the button still to act.

Calling 350 into a 650 pot gives about 2.9 to 1 and K9 offsuit has reasonable equity from the button against a wide small blind raise, so calling is better than folding.

Heads-up and out of position as the preflop raiser on a dry T-3-5 two-tone board, KQ has two overcards and a backdoor draw. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot uses range advantage against the button's limp-call range and wins the pot often.

I have King-high with no pair facing a 350 flop bet into a 1350 pot, so calling needs only about 21% equity and keeps me in against a possibly weaker range.

Top pair with a good kicker is still ahead of many Tx, pocket pairs and weaker draws, so a small bet gets value and protection. Keeping it small limits my losses on this flush-completing card.

Holding top pair with Kc on a T-3-5-K board, calling 600 into a 2300 pot gives about 21% pot odds, which is justified against a turn bet that could be a bluff or a value bet with a king.

The four-diamond river makes top pair with a queen kicker a bluff-catcher at best, and the caller's range is full of diamonds and straights. Checking controls the pot.

Our pair of kings is likely best or close, but the opponent's river check after betting the turn makes a bluff-catching showdown the safer line, so checking back keeps the pot controlled.

AQo is a strong open on the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb for value and to take the initiative.

A4 offsuit is a reasonable defend against a button open at this price, though I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position.

Calling 150 into a 600 pot needs about 20% equity, and suited 4-2 in a three-way pot is close to that, so calling is a reasonable price. Folding would also be defensible given the weak hand.

Check the ace-high hand; the two spades on board give me only a backdoor flush possibility, and there is no reason to build the pot multiway without a pair or a direct draw.

I hold 4c2c, a weak hand with only backdoor straight potential on a K-7-6 board, and I can check for free as the big blind, so checking keeps the pot small and sees a free next card.

Both opponents checked to the preflop raiser in position, so I'm making a small one-third-pot c-bet. AQ with the ace of spades blocks the nut flush draw, has backdoor nut flush and broadway draws, and can fold out weaker sixes, sevens and draws that would otherwise realize equity.

A-high has little showdown value on this board, with only backdoor flush potential and no meaningful draw. Facing a bet with the big blind still to act, folding is preferable to calling.

With 4-2 offsuit of clubs on a K-7-6 board I have only a backdoor flush draw and a weak straight draw, about 10% equity against a 250 bet needing roughly 20%, so folding is the better play.

KJo is a strong button hand in a three-player game, so I’ll open for a standard 2.5 big blinds while keeping the risk modest.

Pocket jacks are strong against a single button raise to 250 with two players behind; raising to 900 builds the pot for value while keeping the hand aggressive.

43o facing a raise and a 3-bet is too weak to call 800 out of position with the original raiser still left to act, so I fold.

KJo is a weak offsuit hand against a large 3-bet, and calling 6.5bb would put me in a dominated, high-variance spot despite position.