Hold'em table

Js Kh is a strong hand on the button; raising to 300 builds the pot and pressures the blinds.

T8o from the small blind facing a 3x button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position and is too weak to 3-bet.

KTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, but not strong enough to build a large pot out of position.

With a gutshot straight draw and no made pair, I prefer checking to the preflop raiser rather than building the pot out of position.

I have middle pair with a good kicker on an Ace-high board. Checking controls the pot and avoids building it with a hand that is often second-best, while allowing me to evaluate the turn in position.

After the flop checked through, a turn bet can take down the pot against missed hands. If called, I still have a gutshot straight draw.

I have second pair with the best kicker and position. The BB's turn bet after the flop check can include bluffs, jacks, or 8x, so calling with 27.6% pot odds is better than folding or over-committing.

King-high has little showdown value, but this river did not improve my range enough to make a bluff attractive against an opponent who called the turn.

We have second pair with a good kicker, but the board has an ace and our opponent bet the turn and checked the river, indicating a possible weak ace or a missed draw. Checking avoids value-owning ourselves against better hands and allows us to win at showdown against bluffs and worse jacks.

K9o on the button 3-handed is a clear opening hand; a standard 2.5bb raise to steal the blinds.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind with the big blind still to act.

74s has enough equity against a button open to call getting 2.67:1 pot odds, and we close the action preflop.

In position on a dry-ish Q-high board against a BB who checked, a small c-bet with K-high plus a backdoor flush draw and gutshot-ish equity takes down the pot often and keeps the range advantage.

Getting about 6:1 on the min check-raise, King-high with backdoor flush and straight draws plus an overcard has enough equity and playability to call.

I have 4s7s with no pair and no draw on a Qd8d2h3s board. My flop check-raise bluff was called, so continuing on the turn is unlikely to get a fold from a sticky opponent. Checking preserves my stack and allows me to fold if Seat 2 bets.

King-high with little equity against a flop check-raiser; taking the free card is better than bluffing into a range likely to contain a queen.

We have 4-high with no showdown value. The river Ace is a scare card that fits our flop raise story, and a half-pot bluff might fold out weak pairs like Qx or 8x that checked back turn.

King high has almost no showdown value against a river bet after a flop check-raise, since most bluffs in range still beat or tie us. A bluff-raise isn't credible enough here to justify the risk.

J6 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Holding 3s7d, a very weak hand, and facing a raise from the button, it's best to fold and avoid losing chips.

AKs is well ahead of a button opening range, so 3-betting for value is clearly best. From out of position I'm sizing to about 4x the open.

J6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, even in position.

9d 8h is a speculative hand, but as button I can raise to steal blinds and use position postflop.

83o in the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it is too weak to call out of position or to 3-bet.

5-2 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against the button's raise, even with the dead small blind.

J8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a small 2.5x raise attacks the blinds.

5♥3♥ is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb open, especially with the big blind still to act.

K9o has enough equity against a wide button open in a 3-handed game, and calling 150 into a 400 pot offers good odds to see a flop.

I have K9 offsuit with no pair or draw on a paired board; checking is the standard play to see a free turn and potentially bluff later if the situation warrants.

Dry paired low board favors the preflop raiser, so a small c-bet with J-high overcards and some equity should take it down often.

I have K9o with no pair or draw on a paired board, and the preflop raiser continues betting. Folding preserves my stack for better opportunities.

On the button in a three-handed, rake-free pot, T6 offsuit is a marginal but viable steal with position. A modest open gives me a chance to win the blinds without committing much of my stack.

3s9s is a very weak hand out of position against a button raise; folding avoids losing more chips with a hand that rarely flops well.

Pocket threes in the big blind facing a 2.5bb button open is getting good pot odds (150 to win 400), and with deep 100bb stacks the implied odds for set mining are strong. Calling is clearly better than folding, and a 3-bet with a small pair is unnecessary here.

A small pair below two board cards plus a gutshot to a 5 is out of position against the preflop raiser, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity.

Middle pair on a dry flop can get value from weaker pairs and draws while denying free cards to overcards. A small bet keeps the pot manageable with a weak kicker.

Pocket 3s on 6-2-4 have an open-ended straight draw plus some showdown value against a button c-bet. With pot odds of 200 into 750, calling is clearly profitable and keeps the button's bluffs in.

Pocket 3s are weak on this 6-2-4-9 board, with only a gutshot to a 5. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reassess against a turn bet.

My pair of sixes has some showdown value but is too weak to bet confidently after the flop call. Checking in position controls the pot and lets me reassess on the river.

I have a 6-high straight (2-3-4-5-6). The button checked back the turn, so a value bet of about two-thirds pot should get called by pairs, overpairs and weaker 3x hands; only 87 or a diamond flush beats me.

A pair of sixes with a ten kicker is too weak to call this river lead. The diamond and straight possibilities, along with better pairs, leave too little value in bluff-catching.