Hold'em table

T3s is too weak to open or limp from the button in 3-handed play; folding avoids a marginal negative-EV spot.

9-2 offsuit is the weakest hand; heads-up against the big blind, completing costs 50 more and I'd be out of position with a trash hand, so folding is best.

K2 offsuit is a weak hand on the button in a 3-handed game facing a big blind, and it is dominated often; folding is the cleanest choice to avoid a marginal spot out of position postflop against two players.

Complete the small blind cheaply with a weak offsuit hand; raising would build a pot out of position without much value.

With 7-3 offsuit in the big blind and no raise to call, checking takes a free flop in position against the small blind's limp rather than building a pot with a weak hand.

I have a weak bottom pair on an ace-high, two-club board. I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot out of position.

Opponent limped and checked a ace-high flop, showing weakness. A minimum bet with the 3c blocker and backdoor straight draws needs folds only one-third of the time to profit.

I have a pair of fours and need to call 100 into a 400-chip pot, giving reasonable odds to continue. Raising risks building a pot with a weak pair and kicker.

I have only a weak pair of fours on a three-club board, and my jack of spades provides no meaningful draw. Checking controls the pot and avoids building it against stronger made hands.

With only a low club draw and no pair, checking takes a free river card; betting risks a call or raise from higher clubs or an ace while our flush would still lose to any higher club.

I have only a weak pair of fours on a coordinated board, and the opponent checked the river. Checking avoids building the pot with a hand unlikely to get value from worse.

I have almost no showdown value with ace-high seven kicker, so checking likely loses. A river bet can fold weaker pairs and missed draws that called the flop.

The river bet on a three-club board is likely value, and my pair of fours has no club blocker and beats few plausible value hands. I fold rather than pay 300 for a weak bluff-catcher.

K4 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

J7 suited is playable 3-handed against a 2.5x button open; calling 200 gives reasonable pot odds with flush and straight potential despite being out of position.

Q4s in the big blind getting 600:150 pot odds (4-to-1) against a button open and a small blind call; the hand has suited and queen-high equity, so calling is profitable while a raise is not.}

With only a gutshot to the ten and backdoor hearts on a king-high board in a three-way pot, checking preserves equity cheaply rather than bluffing into the preflop raiser's likely king.

I have a weak backdoor-flush hand with a Queen-high gutshot (Q-K-9-8 needs a J or 10 for a straight, so I have a gutshot to a J-10 style). With two opponents and the button still to act, checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a turn cheaply.}

Bet a modest size for value with top pair and to deny equity to straight draws, while keeping the pot manageable with a weak kicker multiway.

J-high with only a gutshot to the Ten and backdoor hearts has insufficient equity to call 250 into 1000 against the button's flop bet, especially out of position with another player behind.

Queen-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot (Q-9-8 needs J/T... actually Q with 9-8 gives a T-J draw) is worth a call. The price is 250 to win 1250, about 5-to-1, against a button continuation bet that can be a wide range.}

I have Qh4h on Kh9d8s5h, a flush draw plus a backdoor-ish gutshot-free draw with queen-high. The button bet the flop and I called, and I act first heads-up on the turn. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity cheaply.

Bet small for value and protection with top pair, while keeping the pot manageable given my weak kicker and the opponent’s flop call.

Queen-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot (Q-9-8-K... actually J or T needed for a straight with K-Q-9-8 needs J/T), so I have about 6 outs plus heart outs, and the price is 400 into 1650 (about 20% equity needed). Calling is justified against a button who may be betting wide. .

Board K-9-8-5-K. I have Q-high with a heart that missed the flush draw, so I can't beat many value hands. The button bet the flop and turn and is strong, so I check and give up the bluff-catch chance rather than bluff-raise.</br>

The river gives me three kings, a strong hand that can get called by worse pairs or a lone king. A small value bet targets those calls while limiting the cost if my opponent has the remaining king.

Calling 650 to win 2700 needs only about 19% equity. The small triple-barrel sizing leaves room for missed straight draws and air, so Q-high works as a bluff-catcher here.

4-2 suited is near the bottom of even a wide three-handed button range, with weak pair and draw value. Folding avoids a marginal limp or steal against the blinds for no investment.

Button folded, so it is heads-up from the small blind against the big blind. A4s-type hand with an ace is strong enough to raise for value and fold equity, and it plays better than average heads-up.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defense against a small-blind raise. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot with a hand that plays better postflop.

I have the nut flush draw plus a wheel straight draw (A-4 with 5-6-3 on board) and an ace, and I'm first to act heads-up. A bet of about two-thirds pot builds the pot and takes the initiative, with plenty of equity if called.

I have a nine-high flush draw with nine hearts remaining, giving strong equity against many one-pair hands. Calling gets a reasonable price while avoiding a costly raise into a range that may already contain a flush.

I have a flush draw plus a gutshot and an open-ended straight draw (A-4 with 5-6-3 gives a wheel draw needing a 2) on the turn, plus an ace-high overcard. Betting about half the pot as a semi-bluff builds the pot and can win right now, with plenty of equity if called.

The turn bet is substantial on a monotone-heart board, and my single pair is unlikely to have the required equity against the opponent’s value-heavy line. My heart blocker does not compensate for the weak showdown value.

5-3 offsuit is a weak hand from the button, and calling 100 into a 150 pot with two players still to act behind me is not worth it. Folding is the best option.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to raise from the small blind after the button folds, and raising applies pressure while taking initiative heads-up.

T5 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a 3bb small-blind raise, even in position postflop.

K9 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

8-4 offsuit is a very weak hand facing a button raise to 250; calling 200 from the small blind would be unprofitable out of position.

Q7 offsuit is weak and out of position against a button raise. Calling 150 to win 400 gives decent odds, but the hand plays poorly postflop, so folding is the safer choice.