Hold'em table

On the button in a three-handed game, 7-6 offsuit is playable as an opening raise. A 2.5-big-blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

A7s is a reasonable hand against a button open, but the big blind still to act and my out-of-position seat make a 3-bet marginal. Calling 200 more with decent equity and suited ace potential is fine.}

Getting 4 to 1 pot odds closing the action preflop with A8o makes this a standard call in the big blind.

Ace-high on a K-K-6 board is a decent holding in a 3-way pot, and I act first. A modest bet of about half the pot can take the pot down, and I can fold to a raise, since most of the hands that call are ones that beat me.

I only hold Ace-high with a backdoor flush draw on a paired king-high board, facing a multiway donk bet with the preflop raiser still behind.

Bottom pair has enough potential against draws and bluffs to call the modest flop bet in position. I can reassess if the opponent bets again on the turn.

I hold ace-high on a Kh Kc 6h 4d board. I bet the flop and was called, and I'm first to act on the turn against one opponent. Ace-high has some showdown value, but a bet of about half the pot can push out hands like 7x or a pocket pair below the kings, and I also block some overcards. Betting also denies free equity.

The turn bet offers reasonable pot odds with a pair of sixes. In position, I can call and reassess if the opponent bets the river.

I have ace-high on a Kh Kc 6h 4d 9h board, and I bet the flop and turn as the aggressor. A hand like this rarely wins at showdown against a caller, so a 1000-chip bluff into the 2950 pot is reasonable. Villain's calling range holds many king-x and pair hands that beat me, and checking would just give up the pot, so a bet is the better use of the hand than a check.

My six is a weak bluff-catcher, and the river heart completes a flush draw. Facing a third consecutive bet, I don't expect to beat enough of this opponent's range to call.

J4 offsuit is a weak hand; on the button facing a big blind with two players left to act behind, folding is the disciplined choice.

J4o is too weak to complete or raise blind vs blind out of position.

86 offsuit is too weak to profitably open from the button even in a 3-handed game.

With the button folded, calling 50 chips is a low-cost way to see a flop heads-up. Raising with 9-5 offsuit out of position would commit too much with a weak hand.

J5 offsuit is a marginal hand heads-up out of position against a limped small blind. Checking to see a free flop is safer than building a pot with a weak holding.

With bottom pair and a gutshot on a coordinated flop, checking keeps the pot manageable against the big blind's wide range.

Middle pair (fives) on a wet 6-8-5 board, heads-up after the small blind checked. A small bet of 100 into a 200 pot gets value from worse pairs and draws and charges overcards cheaply, without risking much.

Bottom pair and a gutshot have enough potential to continue against a 100-chip bet. Calling keeps the pot manageable while I’m out of position.

My pair of fives has some straight and two-pair potential, but the turn completes a flush. Checking keeps the pot small with a marginal hand.

I have a pair of fives on a 6-8-5-4 board, and the 7 or 3 would give someone a straight. Seat 1 checked twice and looks weak, so I'll bet about 60% of the pot for value and to deny equity.

The small turn bet offers a reasonable price to continue with a pair and a draw to a nine-high straight. I can reassess if the river brings another bet.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but the board supports straights and flushes. Checking avoids turning it into a bluff.

I hold only a pair of fives on a board with straight and flush possibilities. Seat 1 called two bets, so a river bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones. Checking to showdown is the better play.

K-Q suited is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot while keeping the sizing controlled.

K2 offsuit is weak out of position in the small blind against a button open, with the big blind still to act behind me. Calling 200 more would be a losing play, so I fold.

Q5o is too weak to defend out of position against a button open, despite getting decent pot odds.

Pocket threes on the button in 3-handed play is a strong enough hand to open-raise for value and to take the initiative against two blinds.

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

QTo has sufficient equity to defend the big blind against a button open at this price, though it plays better as a call than a large out-of-position reraise.

Top pair with a ten kicker is worth continuing with, but checking out of position lets the preflop raiser act before I commit more chips.

Pocket threes are a weak showdown-value hand on a 9-2-Q board with two overcards possible. Checking back keeps the pot small, and it allows a cheap turn card while avoiding a raise from a stronger hand.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws. Betting also charges the two possible flush draws before the river.

Holding a pair of threes on a 9-2-Q-4 board, I have a weak showdown-value hand plus a gutshot-ish draw (5 for a straight is unavailable with A-5? actually 3 with 2-4 needs A or 5). The pot odds are 1450 to 400 (about 3.6:1), and the opponent bet small after checking the flop, which could be a bluff or a thin value bet, so calling is better than folding or raising.

Top pair can get value from weaker queens, nines, and pocket pairs. A modest river bet limits the cost when the opponent has a stronger hand.

Board 9s 2h Qh 4s 5c gives me a pair of threes, which is a bluff-catcher. The opponent bet 500 into a pot of 1450, so I need only about 20% equity to call. Seat 1 checked the flop and then bet small twice, which could be a straight with A3 or 63, or could be a bluff or a weaker value hand. Calling is clearly profitable against that range.

4d 2s is trash offsuit low cards and an easy fold from any position, even on the button.

With no raise and only 50 more to call, I can see a flop heads-up at a low cost. I’ll proceed cautiously out of position with this weak hand.

Q7 offsuit is a marginal hand heads-up against a limping small blind; checking sees a free flop with no need to inflate the pot out of position.

Bottom pair with a weak flush draw has some showdown value, but not enough to build a pot out of position.

Heads-up on a Js 3s As flop after seat_1 checked, I hold Qh with a gutshot draw (Q-J-A-K-10 needs K and 10; only a K completes it, so it's a weak backdoor). A small 100 bet is a cheap probe: it can fold out hands like 7x and low pairs and gets value from nothing. It also risks little if I'm raised.chips.)

The small bet gives good pot odds with a pair and a spade that can make a flush. Raising would overplay a weak hand on this board.

Bottom pair with a weak flush draw has some showdown value, but betting into the flop caller would risk more chips with a marginal hand.

I have only queen-high on a Js 3s As 9h board, so I check and take a free card rather than bet with no pair, since the opponent's check-call on the flop suggests some strength.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, and a river bet is unlikely to fold out enough better hands to justify bluffing.

Queen-high with no showdown value against a range that called a flop bet and checked twice. A bluff is unlikely to work, so I check and take the free showdown.