Hold'em table

Q3 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a reasonable open-raise; raising to 2.5bb applies pressure on the blinds and lets me play in position with a suited hand.

Nine-five suited is a marginal hand, but calling 200 more to see a three-way flop is reasonable given the small price and the suited ace-less holding.

Closing the action at about 5:1 pot odds, J5o has enough raw equity three-way to justify a marginal defend, despite poor realization.

I hold 9-5 of hearts, a weak hand with a backdoor flush draw at best, and the flop checks to me with no bet to call, so checking to see a free card is the sensible play.

J5 offsite has no pair and no draw on the A-Q-4 two-tone board, and the preflop raiser is still to act behind. Checking costs nothing and keeps me out of a weak bluff into two opponents.

Second pair with a weak kicker on an ace-high, two-heart board against two opponents; betting mainly folds out worse and gets called by better, so check back for pot control and realize equity.

I hold a King-high flush with 9h-5h and the board's Qh-4h-Kh, so I'm well ahead and want to build the pot while both opponents have only checked.

J5 offsuit has only a gutshot to a ten on a wet, heart-heavy board, with the button still to act behind. Calling 500 into 1250 needs about 29% equity, and this hand has roughly 9%.

Middle pair with a weak kicker and no heart on a very wet Ac Qh 4h Kh board; SB's delayed turn bet after the third heart represents flushes, Kx/AK and two pairs far more often than bluffs, and we have few clean outs with no redraw. Folding avoids a bad river spot.

Queen-five suited on the button is a playable hand against two blinds, and calling the 100-chip big blind keeps the pot small while I see the flop.

A9o is well ahead of a button limping range in a 3-handed game, so an isolation raise from the small blind lets me take the initiative and avoid playing out of position in a multiway limped pot."

ATo in the big blind facing a small-blind isolation raise over a limp; getting ~2:1 pot odds with a hand that plays well 3-handed, so calling is better than folding, while 3-betting risks bloating the pot out of position against the button and into a likely strong SB range.

Calling 350 into a 1000 pot is about 26% pot odds, and Q-5 suited has enough playability to continue three-way against the raise and call.

As the preflop raiser on a dry, low board, a small one-third-pot c-bet can take the pot down three-way. My ace-high also has overcards, the backdoor nut flush and backdoor wheel draws to fall back on if called.

Ace-high with only backdoor draws on 4-2-7, out of position against the preflop raiser's c-bet with another player still to act behind; equity realization is poor, so folding is the disciplined play.

I have a four-card heart flush draw facing a 450 bet into an 1800 pot, so calling needs only about 20% equity and the draw has roughly 35% with two cards to come.

Top pair plus the nut flush draw. A medium turn bet gets value from weaker pairs and draws, and our equity holds up even if we get raised.

I have a made Queen-high flush on the turn, which is strong against most of seat_3's betting range, so calling the 1200 keeps me in profitably without bloating the pot against a possible higher flush or set.

Our A-high second pair has showdown value. Villain's range after calling the turn on a three-heart board is heavy in flushes and pairs, so betting would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse.

I have a Queen-high flush on the river, which beats most hands that would call here, and a bet of about half the pot should get called by worse hands after the check.

Calling 2400 to win 7050 needs only about 25% equity. A9 with the Ah blocker beats missed straight draws, weaker 9s and thin value bets, so it's a reasonable bluff-catcher against a half-pot bet.

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

Q8 offsuit in the small blind facing a 2.5x button open is a standard fold; it plays poorly out of position and is dominated by much of the button's range.

I'm getting about 2.7-to-1 on a 150 call into a 400 pot, and 9-6 offsuit has roughly enough equity against a button's wide raising range to justify it heads-up in a three-way pot.

I have no pair and only a weak nine-high on a 2-3-T flop, so checking is the cheapest way to see the next card.

This dry T-3-2 board favors the preflop raiser's range, so a small one-third-pot c-bet should take it down often. If called, my king overcard still has some equity to improve."}

I have 9-6 with no pair and no real draw on a 2-3-T board, so my equity against a button continuation bet is too low to justify calling 180 into a 550 pot.

Q7 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is marginal; it's near the bottom of a reasonable open range and plays poorly postflop, so folding avoids a likely losing spot.

I'm the small blind facing only 50 chips to complete with Q-9 offsuit, a cheap price to see a flop in a three-handed pot.

64o is weak; take the free flop in the big blind against the small blind's limp instead of raising out of position.

I have a pair of queens with a nine kicker on a paired 8-8-Q board, a medium-strength hand that is best played cheaply. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against a possible overpair or set.

In position on a dry paired board after the small blind checked, so a cheap half-pot stab should take it down often. My 6-high has almost no showdown value.

I have a pair of queens with a nine kicker on an 8-8-Q board, which is strong enough to call the 100-chip bet against a single opponent without raising.

I have queens and eights, two pair on a board with a paired eight, so I want to build the pot for value against a player who raised the flop.

With 6-high and no draw on 88QT, I have almost no equity against a lead after the flop call, so calling 200 into 600 is not justified.

K8 offsuit is a marginal hand, so with only 100 chips to call from the button I'll see a cheap flop rather than fold or bloat the pot.

Getting 5:1 to complete from the small blind in a limped pot. 95o is weak, but the price justifies a cheap look at the flop.

Q2 offsuit is a weak hand; with the option to check in the big blind after two limps, taking a free flop is best rather than raising with a dominated holding.

I have 9-high with no draw on an A-Q-7 board, out of position in a three-way limped pot. Checking is best, since a bluff is unlikely to get through two opponents.

Second pair with a weak kicker on a limped pot; a small bet (2/3 pot) for value and protection against the SB who checked, while keeping the pot manageable with a marginal hand.

King-high with no pair and no meaningful draw facing a 200 bet into a 300 pot, so folding is the disciplined choice.

I have 9-high with no pair and no draw on an A-Q-7 board, facing a 2/3-pot bet out of position. There is no equity to justify calling, and bluff-raising into this board is unprofitable.

Q7 suited is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to pressure the blinds.

9-2 offsuit in the small blind facing a button raise is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position and has no equity edge.

Facing a 150-chip call into a 400-chip pot heads-up after the small blind folded, I'm getting about 27% pot odds, and Q4 suited is a reasonable defend from the big blind against a button raise.

I have Q-high with no pair and no made draw on a 7-2-6 rainbow-ish flop, so checking to control the pot is the best option.

Top pair with a weak kicker and no club on a monotone board plays best as a pot-control hand. Checking back keeps the pot small and avoids getting check-raised by flushes and draws.

I have a pair of fours with a Queen kicker on a four-club board that could complete a flush, so I'd rather check and see a free card than bloat the pot.

Top pair with no club on a four-flush board is vulnerable: a bet mostly gets called by flushes and straights and folds out worse hands, so I'll check back for pot control and showdown value.

Checking is free and my pair of fours is weak on this paired, straight-possible board, so I should not bet into a hand that has checked twice.

Trips with no club is vulnerable to any flush, but BB's three checks suggest weakness; a small bet can get called by worse pairs and limits losses to a check-raise.

Holding a pair of fours on a four-club board facing a river raise, I'm likely behind a flush, straight, or seven-based hand, and calling 180 into a 730 pot needs more equity than a pair of fours has here.