Hold'em table

A small button open uses position and gives us a chance to steal the blinds. Suited 5-3 also has enough postflop potential to support opening in a three-handed, rake-free game.

9-2 offsuit is the worst starting hand, and facing a button raise to 225 with a big blind still to act behind me, folding is clearly best.

4-2 offsuit is the worst starting hand in hold'em; folding to a raise is standard despite the pot odds.

3d8d is a weak offsuit-ish hand from the button facing the big blind with two players left to act behind; folding is the disciplined choice, though calling is marginal.

Getting 3:1 pot odds with a marginal but playable T7o in a heads-up blind battle; calling keeps the pot small and sees a flop.

Ace-king is a premium hand against a small-blind limping range. Raising to 4 big blinds builds a pot with a strong equity advantage and position while charging weaker hands to continue.

T7o is too weak to continue against a big blind raise, especially out of position with only 300 more to call and a marginal offsuit hand.

Three-handed on the button with an ace, raising applies pressure on the blinds and takes initiative rather than just calling.

Pocket tens are strong enough to three-bet for value against a button opening range. Raising to four times the open compensates for being out of position and discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

AQo in the big blind facing a button open to 300 and a small blind 3-bet to 1200 is a poor spot. Calling 1100 more out of position risks being dominated by the 3-bettor's value range, and a 4-bet bluff isn't worth it. Folding is the disciplined choice.

A6o is too weak to continue against a small blind three-bet, especially with the big blind already folded and poor playability postflop. Folding avoids putting in another 900 chips with a dominated hand.

Pocket fives are a standard button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional value when called.

3-7 offsuit is one of the weakest hands, and I'm out of position in the small blind facing a button raise with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more is not worth it.

Getting 150 to call into a 400 pot with an offsuit connector against a likely wide button open; defending the big blind has adequate pot odds and implied-play potential.

I have 7-high with no pair or strong draw on a K-high flop and am out of position, so checking to control the pot and see the next card is best.

Pocket fives have some showdown value, but betting rarely gets called by worse made hands on this board. Checking behind controls the pot and takes a free chance to improve.

My 7-high has no showdown value, but the four-diamond turn is scary and seat_1 checked back the flop after raising preflop. A turn stab can fold out better unpaired hands and I can shut down if raised.

Pocket fives without a diamond have little equity against this turn betting range on a three-diamond board with three overcards. With few reliable improvement outs and poor bluff blockers, calling or raising is unattractive.

Q8 suited on the button in a 3-handed pot is a reasonable hand to play. Calling 100 to win 250 gives good odds and keeps the pot small out of position of the blinds' ranges.

Closing the preflop action for only 50 more into a 250 pot with 5:1 odds; 54o has enough implied odds to see a cheap flop in a 3-handed limped pot.

Checking takes a free flop with a weak offsuit hand. Raising into two limpers would build a pot with poor equity and no positional advantage over the button.

With bottom pair and a weak kicker on a coordinated flop, checking controls the pot and avoids building a large pot out of position.

With five-high and only weak backdoor possibilities, betting into two opponents offers little value. Check to take a free card if available without investing more chips.

On a Jh 4s 9h flop I hold Qd 8d, which is a gutshot straight draw (needs a 10) with a queen overcard. Both opponents checked, so a small bet on the button can win the pot now or build equity for later streets, and the 200 chip size keeps the risk low.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated board is not strong enough to continue against a bet, especially with another player still to act behind me. Folding avoids putting more chips in with marginal equity and poor position.

Five-high with no direct draw has too little equity to call a two-thirds-pot bet. The weak backdoor possibilities do not justify continuing out of position.

7-2 suited is the weakest starting hand and calling 100 chips out of position against two live blinds is not profitable; folding preserves stack.

Pocket jacks are a strong value raise against the big blind's wide range. Raising to 3 big blinds builds the pot and charges weaker hands to see a flop while we are out of position.

Suited 6-4 in the big blind getting 600 to 200 (3:1) against a small blind 3x raise; heads-up with position, calling is a reasonable defense.

With two overcards and no spade, JJ has showdown value but gets limited value from betting. Checking controls the pot out of position and keeps weaker hands in the opponent’s range.

I have bottom pair (sixes) and a backdoor flush draw on a Q-K-6 board. That is a marginal hand with some showdown value, so I check to keep the pot small. The opponent checked first and could hold a wide range, including hands that beat me.

JJ has useful showdown value, but betting gets limited value from worse hands while Qx and Kx continue. Checking keeps the pot manageable and allows weaker hands to bluff.

Board Qs Ks 6d Kc; I have a pair of sixes with a 4, so two pair (Kings and sixes) with a weak kicker. Seat_1 checked twice, showing weakness, so a small value/protection bet of 400 into the 600 pot is reasonable and still gets called by worse Q-x or small pairs.

Calling costs 400 to contest a final pot of 1,400, and JJ retains enough showdown value against draws and delayed bluffs after the flop checked through. Raising would mostly isolate stronger hands while folding would surrender too readily to a turn stab.

JJ has showdown value but is unlikely to get called by worse often enough to justify a river bet. Checking keeps the pot controlled and allows missed spade draws to bluff.

Kings and sixes is a medium-strength showdown hand. A bet would mostly get called by better hands like Kx, Qx or higher pocket pairs, so I check and take the free showdown.