Hold'em table

As the button in a three-handed pot, I can open a fairly wide range; raising puts pressure on the blinds and gives me position postflop.

A-K suited is strong enough to 3-bet for value against a button open, and the larger size compensates for being out of position.

73o facing an open and a 3-bet from the small blind is a clear fold. Calling out of position with a raiser still to act behind is badly losing.

7♠5♦ is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet, especially out of position postflop if called.

T8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5-big-blind raise builds the pot while retaining position.

A3o in the small blind facing a button open is a good 3-bet bluff candidate, since the ace blocker makes calling out of position unattractive. Squeezing to 11bb keeps fold equity against both the opener and the big blind.

4♥6♦ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a large three-bet from the big blind would be unprofitable.

T8 suited has enough playability to defend against this 3-bet in position, especially with the big blind already folded.

As the preflop 3-bettor I hold the nut flush draw, which is a strong semi-bluff. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot keeps initiative and can take the pot down now, with good equity if called.

Middle pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet in position, but raising would overplay it.

The king improves my 3-bet range, and I hold an ace blocker plus a gutshot to Broadway, so this is a reasonable semi-bluff barrel. A bet of about 56% of the pot should fold out middling pairs and weaker Tx and Qx hands.

Middle pair with a weak kicker is unlikely to be ahead of the small blind’s three-bet range after a flop bet and substantial turn bet. I have too few reliable outs to justify the call.

Three-handed on the button, J7o is a playable open given the wide stealing range, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to pressure the blinds.

7♥8♠ is a weak offsuit hand from the small blind facing a button raise, with the big blind still to act. The call price does not compensate for the positional disadvantage and risk of a squeeze.

53 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against the button's raise.

As the button in a three-handed game, 9-7 offsuit is playable; a small open can win the blinds and gives me position postflop.

7-2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

The button opened to 2.5bb, so I'm getting 150 to win 400 (about 27% equity needed). T7o is a standard big-blind defend against a wide button range.

T7s with a gutshot (needs a 9) and a backdoor flush draw on a paired board; out of position against the preflop raiser, checking is standard, and I can continue against a c-bet.

I have an open-ended straight draw and can use a small continuation bet to pressure a checked-to range on this paired board. A modest sizing keeps the bluff inexpensive while retaining equity when called.

Getting about 4:1 on a small c-bet with a gutshot, a backdoor flush draw and overcard potential, so calling is clearly profitable, and keeping the pot small with a weak holding makes more sense than raising.

On a trips-on-board turn we hold only ten-high with a gutshot to a straight on a 9. Checking takes a free card and keeps the pot small; bluffing into the preflop raiser's range isn't worth it.

My hand is only trip eights with weak kickers, and the flop caller may have higher kickers or a pocket pair. Checking preserves showdown value without risking a bet that is unlikely to get called by worse.

My T-7 only plays the board's trip eights with a ten kicker, so it rarely wins at showdown, and the turn check-back suggests a capped range heavy in overcards. A roughly two-thirds pot bluff can fold out the high-card hands that currently beat me.

The river gives me a 5-to-9 straight, which beats trips and full houses are the main concern. Calling gets value from bluffs and weaker hands without reopening action against a likely better hand.

KQs is a strong button opening hand, and a 2.5 big-blind raise builds the pot while keeping the sizing efficient.

Low pair in the SB against a button open in 3-handed play: 3-betting to 10bb avoids playing out of position, gives fold equity against a wide opening range, and denies the BB a cheap overcall. Flatting risks a squeeze and a multiway pot where I'm OOP needing a set.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue against the button open and a substantial squeeze from the small blind, especially out of position with the button still to act.

KQs plays well in position against a small-blind three-bet. Calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an unnecessarily large preflop pot.

Low pocket pair with no diamond on a monotone, highly connected board that hits the button's calling range hard. Out of position, checking controls the pot and keeps us from bluffing into a strong range.

On this monotone flop, KQ has a gutshot and two overcards but no diamond. Checking in position keeps the pot manageable and lets me realize my equity without risking a check-raise.

Our small pair with no diamond has little value on a four-flush board, and betting out of position mostly folds out worse hands while getting called by any diamond. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us re-evaluate facing a bet.

After the three-bettor checked twice, a turn bet can fold out unpaired hands without a diamond while leaving room to retreat if raised.

The board has four diamonds, so any single diamond beats pocket threes, and a straight is also possible. Villain bet into a check after calling a 3-bet, so my small pair with no diamond has very little equity.

K8s on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; a 2.5bb raise applies fold equity and keeps position.

7♦5♥ is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J6 offsuit is marginal, but defending the big blind for 150 chips against a button raise is reasonable at this price.

I have jack-high with no immediate draw on this flop. Checking avoids investing more against the preflop raiser.

K8s on Q-T-5 with a gutshot (J) and a backdoor flush draw, in position against a BB who checked; a small c-bet has good fold equity and equity when called.

J-high has no pair or immediate draw, and calling out of position is unlikely to be profitable despite the small bet.