Hold'em table

On the button 3-handed, 54 suited is a standard open; a small raise to 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds and keeps position.

K2 offsuit is a weak small-blind holding facing a button raise with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids defending dominated equity out of position.

J8s has enough equity and decent playability to defend the big blind against a button open, and calling keeps the pot small out of position.

We have a pair of nines but the opponent raised preflop, so they likely have a strong hand. Checking to see the opponent's action.

This paired, dry board favors the preflop raiser, so a small c-bet with range works well. It also gives my 45 backdoor straight and flush equity.

My J8 has no pair and no meaningful draw on this paired board, and I'm facing a continuation bet out of position. Folding preserves chips for a better spot.

Open-raise the button with suited ace-nine to leverage position and initiative.

T2o is a very weak hand out of position facing a raise, and calling would put me at a big disadvantage postflop. Folding saves chips for better spots.

J9o in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open, getting 150 to win 400 (about 27% equity needed), is a comfortable defend. Calling works better than 3-betting with this hand.

With middle pair and a gutshot out of position against the preflop raiser, checking keeps the pot controlled. It also lets his c-bet range come in, and I can continue against a normal bet.

Betting the checked flop leverages the preflop initiative and can fold out weaker unpaired hands while retaining equity with an ace and gutshot.

Middle pair plus a gutshot to the ten (9-T-J-Q-K); I'm getting 850:300 against a small c-bet, which makes this a clear call rather than a fold or raise.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a paired board plays best as a check for pot control. I'll check and evaluate facing a bet rather than bloating the pot out of position.

The paired turn is favorable for representing a strong made hand and can pressure one-pair Jx and unpaired draws. A measured continuation bet retains fold equity while risking relatively little.

Second pair is a reasonable bluff-catcher against the button's small turn barrel. I only need about 23% equity to call, and the button's range should contain enough bluffs and weaker hands.

Middle pair of jacks on a paired board is a bluff-catcher with showdown value. Checking lets villain bluff with missed draws and avoids betting into queens or better.

The ace is not likely to win at showdown after the opponent called two streets. A modest river bluff can fold missed straight draws and some pocket pairs while risking less than a large polarizing bet.

The small river bet only requires about 21% equity to call. Our second pair beats missed straight draws like AK, KT and T9, plus some thin value bets, so calling is profitable.

On the button with a playable hand, I raise to steal the blinds and take initiative with position.

Q5o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is too weak to call out of position or to 3-bet profitably, so folding is standard.

4-6 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise and will realize poorly postflop.

K8o is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play; raising to 2.5bb applies pressure on both blinds.

2d4d is too weak to defend the small blind against a button open with the big blind still to act.

Pocket threes are playable here for a small call, hoping to hit a set or outplay the opponent postflop. Folding is too weak and raising seems unnecessary with a speculative hand out of position.

I have a weak pair of threes on a queen-high board, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the opponent does on the turn.

On the Q94 flop I have K-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot to the K (JT). As the button raiser I hold the range advantage, so a small c-bet of about a third pot is profitable against the big blind's check.

Calling 180 is cheap with bottom pair and the pot is offering good odds. The small c-bet could be many overcard bluffs, and we have a chance to improve to trips on later streets.

Top pair on the turn; a moderate bet gets value from queens, nines and draws while protecting against hearts and straight cards, and keeps the pot manageable given my weak kicker.

My hand is just a pair of threes with no draw, and facing a large turn bet I have very little equity. Folding saves chips.

K7 suited is a profitable button opening hand three-handed, with position and decent postflop playability. I use a 2.5bb open size.

QJo in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open in 3-handed play is a clear defend, getting 150 to win 400. Calling keeps the button's wide range in and gives me position-neutral playability with good equity.

I have top pair with a weak kicker on a monotone board and no club, out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking controls the pot size and keeps my bluff-catching range intact.

A small continuation bet applies pressure to the big blind's wide checking range while risking little on a coordinated monotone board. I retain some improvement potential with a gutshot and overcard.

Top pair with a gutshot and a backdoor draw is facing a small bet of 200 into 750, so it is an easy call. Raising on this monotone board would get called by better hands and flushes and fold out worse, so calling keeps his bluffs in.

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw is strong, but on a three-club board a pot-control check is best out of position; I plan to call reasonable bets.

Villain's turn check after calling a small flop bet often caps them at one-pair or marginal holdings. A medium continuation bet can fold out unpaired hands and weaker pairs while risking a controlled amount.

Top pair plus an open-ended straight draw facing a small turn bet at good pot odds; calling keeps the pot controlled on a scary flush board.

On this four-straight, three-club board, any king or eight makes a straight and clubs make flushes, so queens and jacks is only a bluff-catcher. Checking controls the pot, and I can decide whether to call a bet from there.

I have a king-high straight, but the four-card straight board means worse hands rarely call a value bet while AK has me beaten. Checking realizes showdown value and can also avoid paying off a stronger straight.

On the button with A7o, I can open for a standard raise to try to take the blinds and keep initiative with a playable hand.

Pocket fours in the small blind against a button open with 100bb deep stacks: calling 200 more to set-mine is profitable given the implied odds, and 3-betting would turn the hand into a bluff that plays poorly out of position. The big blind may also come along, which makes the pot bigger.

Ad6d is a comfortable big-blind defend getting excellent multiway pot odds against a small open and call. Calling preserves its suited equity without inflating a pot out of position.

A small pair on a K-J-3 two-tone board in a three-way pot is weak and plays best as a check-and-evaluate hand. We are out of position against the preflop raiser.

With only ace-high on a connected two-club board in a three-way pot, checking preserves equity and avoids bluffing into multiple ranges.

I only have ace-high with a backdoor flush draw, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn in position.

A pair of fours on a Jh-3c-Kc-9h board with two draws is weak showdown value, and it cannot profitably bet into two opponents. Checking keeps the pot small.

A moderate turn stab can fold out missed overcards and small pairs after the flop checked through, while our ace provides some backup showdown equity.

I only have ace-high with no real draw, and the turn bet gives poor odds to continue. Folding saves chips for a better spot.

Pocket fours on a K-J-9 board with two flush draws are behind almost any made hand that bets, and I would be out of position against more river pressure. The price (27% needed) doesn't justify calling with such weak showdown value.