Hold'em table

Five-four suited is playable on the button three-handed. A small raise gives me a chance to take the blinds while preserving room to maneuver postflop.

K2 offsuit is weak: out of position from the small blind facing a button open to 250 with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more with a dominated hand is a losing play, and a 3-bet bluff isn't worth it.

J8s is well within the standard big blind defending range against a button open, getting attractive pot odds to see a flop.

Check to the preflop raiser out of position with Jack-high on a paired board.

This dry, paired flop favors the preflop raiser. A small continuation bet can win the pot now without risking much.

I missed the flop completely with J-high and have no meaningful equity or backdoor draws out of position against the button's c-bet.

Ac9c is a strong suited ace on the button in a 3-handed game, so a 3x open raise is profitable and takes the initiative against two blinds.

T2o is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

J9 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with the small blind's dead chips in the pot.

Middle pair has showdown value, but betting out of position into the preflop raiser would build a pot with a vulnerable hand. I’ll check and assess their action.

On the button heads-up after the big blind checked, I have the nut flush draw plus an ace-high overcard on J-7-Q. A small bet of about half the pot builds the pot with fold equity and I still have plenty of outs if called.

Middle pair is strong enough to continue against a small button continuation bet, and I can reassess on the turn.

My jack is a modest showdown hand on the paired turn. Checking keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a large pot against a queen or seven.

Ace-high with a club backdoor flush draw on a paired board, and the opponent checked twice showing weakness. A half-pot bet takes the pot often and can get better hands like a jack or a pocket pair below the board to fold.

Second pair is strong enough to continue against a half-pot turn bet, especially when the button can barrel draws and bluffs. I’ll reassess on the river.

My jack has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking also gives missed draws a chance to bluff.

I have ace-high on a paired board (J-7-Q-7-5) and the opponent's check-calling line looks like a marginal made hand, so a bluff is unlikely to work and a thin value bet with ace-high would be called only by better hands. Checking is the best way to get to showdown.

J9o is well within the standard 3-handed button opening range with zero rake, so I make a min-raise to steal the blinds or play in position.

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

Getting 350 into 100 (about 3.5:1) from the big blind against a button min-raise makes calling reasonable with a weak connected hand like 6-4 offsuit, though it's marginal. Folding gives up too much equity at this price.

Flop 4d 2d 5d with 4s 6c gives me a pair of fours and an open-ended straight draw (3 or 7), though there is a flush danger. I'm first to act heads-up against a button who raised preflop, so a small bet builds the pot and gets value or folds out weaker hands.}

I have the Jack of diamonds providing a strong flush draw on a monotone board with position, getting decent pot odds to call the lead bet.

I have a pair of 4s with a 6c kicker on a 4d2d5d Td board, and a 3 gives me a straight. But three diamonds are on board and the button called my flop bet, so a flush is possible. I'm out of position with a marginal made hand, so I'll check to control the pot size.

With a four-flush on the board and holding the Jack of diamonds, checking behind controls the pot size against higher flushes while keeping the opponent's weaker holdings in the hand for river action.

I only have a pair of fours on a three-diamond board. Opponent checked back the turn, so a bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones, and checking keeps showdown value.

With four diamonds on board and holding the jack of diamonds, checking back controls the pot since worse hands rarely call while higher diamonds (A, K, Q) beat us.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A small raise uses position while keeping the pot manageable.

2d4d is weak from the small blind facing a button open to 250 with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more out of position in a three-way pot is unprofitable, so I fold.

Getting attractive pot odds to defend the big blind against a standard button open with a pocket pair.

Check out of position with an underpair on a board favoring the preflop raiser.

With king-high and few ways to improve, I prefer to take the free card in position rather than build the pot.

With bottom pair and no draw on a high board, checking is the natural play.

Top pair benefits from a value and protection bet against queens, weaker pairs, and draws after the opponent checked twice.

Holding an underpair of threes on a board with Q, K, and 9 offers negligible equity against opponent's turn bet.

K7 suited on the button in a 3-handed pot has decent playability and getting 2.5-to-1 pot odds, so a simple call is reasonable rather than raising.

A8s is well ahead of a button limping range 3-handed; raising to 400 builds value and isolates out of position.

QJo is strong enough to defend against a small-blind isolation raise at this price. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that can make strong top pairs and straights.

K7 suited is weak facing a raise and a call, so I would be out of position against two players. Calling 300 to win 900 is close on price, but the hand plays poorly and often dominated, so I'm folding.

We have Ace-high with no club on a monotone flop; checking out of position is the safest and most standard line.

Top pair is worth a value and protection bet after the preflop raiser checks. A moderate size charges single-club hands and weaker pairs without inflating the pot too much.

I have unsuited Ace-high with no club blocker on a monotone flop, making this an easy fold against a bet.

A7o is well within the standard button opening range in a 3-handed game, so I make a standard raise to 2.5bb.

A small pocket pair can profitably call a modest button raise at 100bb depth, with a chance to win a large pot when it flops a set.

A6 suited in the big blind is getting 600+150 to 150, about 4 to 1 pot odds, so calling is clearly profitable. A raise out of position against an opener and a caller risks too much with a marginal hand.

Pocket fours are a weak underpair on this K-J flop, especially against two opponents. Checking avoids building a pot with little chance of improving.

Ace-high with the nut flush draw on a Jh 3c Kc board (the Ad gives a backdoor diamond draw, not the club flush) plus a backdoor nut flush draw; a small bet gains some fold equity against two opponents, one of whom checked. I'll bet about 40% of the pot.}</br>

I have only ace-high with minimal backdoor potential on a board heavily favoring the blinds' calling ranges, facing a bet multiway with a player left to act.

Pocket fours have little chance to improve on this K-J-3 flop, and a bet into two opponents is likely to represent a stronger hand or a draw with substantial equity.