Hold'em table

Opening on the button in 3-handed play with King-eight offsuit to apply pressure and leverage position.

J7 offsuit is marginal out of position, but the button’s small raise and the pot odds make a call reasonable in a three-handed pot.

36 suited is too weak to continue after a button raise and a small-blind call; folding saves the extra 100.

With middle pair and a weak kicker on an ace-high flop, checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the preflop raiser act.

C-betting 40% pot on an Ace-high board that favors the button's opening range, exerting pressure on SB's checking range.

Bottom pair is likely ahead of bluffs and weaker draws often enough to call this modest bet, though raising would isolate me against stronger hands.

I have only a weak pair of sevens on an ace- and king-high board, and the opponent called my flop check-raise-sized bet. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves some showdown value.

I picked up second pair with a gutshot on the turn, giving me solid showdown value and equity; checking back controls the pot size in position.

My pair of sevens is weak on this ace-high, connected board, and a river bet is unlikely to get better hands to fold. I’ll take the free showdown.

Second pair with Kings on an A-K-T-9-7 board has solid showdown value against missed draws and lower pairs. Betting is unlikely to get called by worse hands.

8-3 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, even with the small blind already posted.

Button folded, so this is blind versus blind and 96s is playable enough to open rather than complete out of position. A raise to 300 applies pressure and can take the pot down immediately.

A9o is well ahead of a standard blind-versus-blind open range and gets good pot odds in position, making a flat call standard.

I have an open-ended straight draw on a dry flop and am first to act, so a small semi-bluff can fold out ace-high and queen-high while building the pot if called.

I only hold Ace-high with weak backdoor connectivity on a King-high board, offering insufficient equity to continue against the flop continuation bet.

84s is playable as a button open in three-handed poker; a small raise applies pressure on the blinds and realizes suited equity in position.

T6o is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

J♦5♦ is a reasonable defend against a button open, and the call price is favorable with the dead small blind in the pot.

I have no made hand and only limited backdoor potential, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the turn for free.

I raised preflop and the BB checked a dry ace-high flop. A small c-bet pressures weak hands while I still have a gutshot if called.

The small bet gives a reasonable price, and my J-high has backdoor diamond and straight potential. I’ll call and reassess on the turn.

I have a strong diamond draw but no made hand, so I’ll take the free river card rather than build a pot against the preflop raiser.

I have eight-high with no pair and no draw, and the opponent already called a flop bet on an ace-high board. Checking back avoids barreling off with air.

I missed the diamond draw and have only jack-high, with little reason to expect a river bet to fold out better hands. I’ll check and avoid putting more chips in without showdown value.

I have eight-high with no pair, straight, or flush, so there is no value in betting. Checking avoids putting more chips in with a hand that loses at showdown to almost any holding.

Holding 72o, the weakest starting hand in poker, this is an easy fold even on the button.

Q8 suited has decent heads-up playability, and calling the small additional amount keeps the pot manageable while preserving its postflop value.

K6 offsuit has little value as a raise against a completed small blind, and checking is free with the button already folded.

I have no made hand or meaningful draw on this paired board, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the big blind. My club cards offer only runner-runner flush potential.

King-high with no draw on a paired ace board has little value, and seat 2 already checked. Checking keeps the pot small and realizes the free card.

With only queen-high and no meaningful draw, checking keeps the pot small and preserves some showdown value after both players checked the flop.

King-high with no pair or draw on a paired ace board; seat_2 has checked, so I take the free card rather than bluff a tiny pot.

With only queen-high, checking is unlikely to win at showdown. A small river bluff can pressure missed draws and weak holdings after the opponent checked the flop and turn.

I have the king kicker over the paired board, so I beat brick hands and small pairs and chop with other kings. At 3:1 against a small river bet after a limp-check-check line, that is enough to call.

A3 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed; raising to 250 applies pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

KJo is strong enough to 3-bet from the small blind against a button open, and raising takes the initiative out of position rather than flatting.

Folding 98 offsuit in the big blind facing a raise and a 3-bet.

A3 offsuit is too weak to continue against a sizable three-bet, even with position and the pot odds. Fold rather than put in more chips with a hand that is often dominated.

83 suited is a weak gapped hand on the button; limping is poor and a raise is too thin against two live blinds, so folding preserves chips.

Qd Td is a premier suited broadway in a blind vs blind battle; raising to 300 builds the pot with a significant equity advantage.

Calling the extra 200 gives a reasonable price heads-up, and T6 offsuit has enough equity against a wide small-blind opening range to defend. I’ll avoid reraising this marginal hand.

Out of position on a paired low-to-mid board, checking is standard to control the pot with overcards and evaluate BB's action.

I have no pair, but an 8 would give me a straight, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the preflop raiser.

I picked up an open-ended straight draw on the turn, but with three hearts and a paired board, checking to see a river card safely is prudent.

I have only ten-high and no heart, so a turn bet has little value and poor equity if called. Checking keeps the pot small and may preserve showdown value against missed overcards.

The board has four hearts and paired nines, so our top two pair has moderate showdown value against missed cards without a heart, but cannot bet for value.

With four hearts on the board, betting risks running into a flush, while my ten-high kicker can still win against some weaker hands. I’ll take the free showdown rather than turn my hand into a low-value bluff.