Hold'em table

A suited nine has some postflop potential, and the button is the best position to open broadly. A small raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the risk modest.

T3 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold.

A6 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with the small blind's dead money in the pot.

I have top pair with a weak kicker and am out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to their bet.

A small continuation bet applies pressure on the ace-high flop while giving my flush draw a chance to improve if called. I can also win the pot immediately when the big blind has missed.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet, but the weak kicker makes a raise unattractive.

Top pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but leading into the preflop raiser risks building a large pot against stronger aces. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to their turn action.

Semi-bluffing a small turn bet with a flush draw and some fold equity after the opponent checked. Keeping it modest avoids inflating the pot against their likely Ax hands.

Top pair plus a gutshot is strong enough to continue against this small turn bet. Raising would risk isolating against better aces and stronger hands.

Top pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called often by worse hands. Checking also lets me evaluate a bet from the preflop raiser.

I have no made hand or meaningful showdown value, and the opponent called bets on both flop and turn. Checking avoids risking more chips with a low-equity river bluff.

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

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

6-3 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against the button’s raise, even with the price offered.

Ace-king offsuit is a strong button hand. Raising to three big blinds builds the pot for value while keeping the sizing reasonable.

6-2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 450:200 pot odds in the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open, 65o has enough playability to defend by calling. A 3-bet isn't needed with this hand.

With 65o on an A-A-7 board out of position I have no pair and only a weak gutshot-ish backdoor, and this paired-ace board heavily favors the preflop raiser's range, so check and likely fold to a bet.

I have trip aces with a strong kicker. A 300-chip bet builds the pot while giving weaker hands and draws room to call.

The small c-bet gives me good pot odds, needing about 24% equity. With backdoor flush and straight potential against a wide button range on a dry board, a float is reasonable.

The turn gave me nothing: I have 6-high with a gutshot to a 4, on a paired-ace board where the button has already c-bet. Checking takes a free card, and I'll fold to meaningful pressure.

Trip aces with a king kicker is strong here. Betting 850 builds the pot against weaker aces and queens while charging spade draws.

With 6-5 on A-A-Q-7 I hold only six high and no draw beyond gutshot outs (a 4 or 8 makes nothing; I'd need runner help), so calling 850 into 2950 isn't justified against a double barrel. Folding avoids burning chips with a hand that has almost no equity.

AK offsuit is a premium hand on the button; raise to 3 big blinds for value and to take initiative.

A4s from the small blind against a button open is a strong 3-bet bluff candidate, with an ace blocker and good playability. Squeezing to about 11bb out of position denies the big blind's equity and avoids a multiway pot.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend against a large small-blind three-bet, especially with the opener still to act.

AK offsuit is strong enough to 4-bet for value against the small blind's 3-bet, and this sizing applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable in position.

A4s has a strong ace blocker and makes a good 5-bet jam bluff against a button 4-bet range that likely includes bluffs. Fold equity plus about 30% equity when called makes the jam roughly break-even or better, which beats flatting out of position at a low stack-to-pot ratio.

I need about 37% equity to call, and AKo performs well enough against a plausible three-handed shove range after this 5-bet. The 2,500 already invested is sunk; the call is still worthwhile if their range includes QQ or AK alongside premiums.

A3o on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open-raise; 2.5x puts pressure on both blinds.

Nine-five offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act.

A♠8♥ is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, but a call keeps the pot manageable out of position.

With only ace-high and no club draw, I have little value in betting into the preflop raiser. I’ll check and preserve the option to continue if the action and turn card warrant it.

On a K-Q-7 two-club board I hold the nut flush draw and the ace for backdoor Broadway plus an overcard, and I have range advantage as the preflop raiser. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot applies fold equity with good equity behind if called.

The small flop bet offers favorable pot odds, and ace-high has some showdown value plus backdoor nut-flush and straight possibilities. Raising would be too ambitious without a made hand or direct draw.

I have no made hand, and the turn gives me only a gutshot to Broadway. I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the preflop raiser after calling the flop bet.

A gutshot to the nut straight, the ace blocker and some ace outs make this a good semi-bluff. It can fold out weaker pairs and draws on a turn that favors my range.

The turn bet is substantial, and ace-high has only a gutshot to Broadway with four likely outs. The pot odds do not justify calling without stronger evidence of a bluff.

On the button in a three-handed game, Q5 offsuit is strong enough to open. A 2.5 BB raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

J9 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a sizable button open, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor realization and domination risk.

A3o in the big blind against a 2.5x button open is getting 150 into 400, which is good pot odds, and an ace-high hand is a clear defend. Calling keeps the button's weaker hands in, while 3-betting would mostly fold them out and get called by better.

A3o on a connected J98 board has only ace-high with a weak backdoor, and it hits the button's opening range better. Checking to the preflop raiser is standard, and I can fold to a bet.

Q-high has a gutshot, but this connected flop favors the big blind's calling range. I'll take the free card in position.

Ace-high with no real draw on a very coordinated board. Checking keeps the pot small and gives me a cheap look at the river.

Queen-high has limited showdown value, but a ten would give me a straight. After two checks from the big blind, a turn bet can also win the pot immediately.

The nut flush draw gives about 20% equity, and the pot lays 30%. Implied odds on a hidden heart plus some ace-high showdown value against bluffs justify calling instead of folding.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws, and a bluff on this connected board is unlikely to fold out the pairs in villain's turn-betting range. Checking keeps the pot small.

My pair of fives has some showdown value against missed draws, but a river bet is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold.