Hold'em table

AJo is a strong button hand three-handed, so I open-raise for value and initiative.

K7s from the small blind facing a 2.5x button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a marginal hand that plays poorly out of position. Folding is standard here; 3-betting as a bluff is possible but low-frequency.

7-2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise, especially out of position.

J9 offsuit is a standard button open in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative with position.

Qc2s is a very weak offsuit hand facing an open raise from the small blind, with the big blind still behind. Folding preserves chips.

J3 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button open at this price, though I will play cautiously out of position.

I have little equity on this ace-high flop and am out of position against the preflop raiser, so I’ll check.

On an ace-high board where I have range advantage, a small c-bet works well, and my hand has backdoor flush and gutshot equity (J9 with a club). A bet of 200 into 550 should fold out a lot of the big blind's calling range.

J-high has little equity on this ace-high flop, and calling out of position offers poor prospects on later streets.

T8 offsuit is a playable button open three-handed, with position and initiative making a small raise preferable to folding.

8-7 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A7o in the big blind facing a 2.2bb button open getting about 4:1 odds is a clear defend; calling keeps the button's wide range in and realizes equity well.

Ace-high with no draw, out of position against the preflop raiser on a Q-high two-tone board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my ace-high equity or give up to a c-bet as appropriate.

A small continuation bet leverages the range advantage on this queen-high board while risking little with only weak showdown value and a club blocker.

Facing a small c-bet (160 into 490), we are getting great odds with ace-high, and a backdoor straight draw is possible. Calling keeps the button's bluffs in and lets us realize equity.

I have ace-high with no pair on a paired board, so checking keeps the pot small and gives me a free card. It also lets me see whether the button keeps betting before I decide anything.

With only ten-high and a paired board after the flop call, checking preserves equity and avoids barreling into a range containing queens, sixes, and club draws.

Ace-high has some showdown value against the button's turn-check range, which is full of missed hands. Bluffing would turn it into a bluff, and value-betting would only get called by better hands, so I check.

A river bluff can fold out many missed club draws, small pairs, and weak sixes after the turn checked through. The sizing applies pressure while preserving chips when called by queens or trips.

The pot odds require only about 28% equity. The turn check-back followed by a river stab should include enough missed club draws and air that my ace-high is a reasonable bluffcatcher, so I'm calling rather than folding.

Q4 offsuit is a marginal but playable button open in a three-handed game. A small raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the risk modest.

82o in the small blind facing a button open is too weak to continue out of position with the big blind still to act, so folding is clearly best.

9-4 suited has sufficient playability and pot odds to defend the big blind against a button min-open-plus sizing.

This board strongly favors the button's opening range, while 9-high has little immediate showdown value. Checking preserves the option to respond to their sizing.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but betting risks building a pot against better hands. Checking in position keeps the pot manageable.

The turn completes the obvious diamond flush draw, giving us a credible bluffing opportunity after the flop checked through. A moderate probe can fold out unpaired overcards and some marginal one-pair hands.

Second pair can continue against this small turn bet, especially in position. Raising would risk too much on a coordinated, three-diamond board.

Our pair of fours has limited showdown value, but the river does not credibly pressure the opponent's likely king, queen, or diamond holdings after they called the turn. Checking avoids turning a weak made hand into an unprofitable bluff.

Rivering two pair gives me a thin value bet. The small sizing can get called by a king or weaker pair while limiting my exposure to straights and flushes.

Our pair of fours is far too weak against the button's river value-heavy line on this coordinated board. Folding avoids paying off kings, queens, tens, diamonds, and stronger pairs.

ATo on the button in 3-handed play is a strong opening hand, so I'm raising to 2.5bb for value and to take the initiative.

Pocket sevens is well ahead of a button min-raise range and benefits from isolating and charging overcards. A 3-bet to 900 applies pressure while retaining maneuverability.

8-5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

ATo is near the top of a 3-handed button opening range, and SB's 3-bet range should be fairly wide. Calling 650 into a 1250 pot in position is a profitable defend, without bloating the pot with a 4-bet.

With a marginal underpair on a K-Q-high flop after being called preflop, I preserve showdown value and avoid building a pot into the caller's strong range.

A small semi-bluff with a gutshot and an ace overcard. It pressures the checked 3-bet range, and my ace blocks AA and AK.

The small flop bet can include many overcards and straight-draw floats after the preflop call. Pocket sevens have sufficient showdown value to continue once and reassess on the turn.

Our pocket sevens have limited value on this K-Q-9-4 board against a preflop caller and flop caller. Checking preserves showdown value and avoids being raised off our hand.

We only have a gutshot with an overcard, and the 3-bettor's check-call range is full of Kx and better hands that won't fold. Checking takes a free card to hit the jack.

Our pocket sevens retain useful showdown value after the opponent checked back the turn. A river value bet is unlikely to be called by worse often enough and risks facing a raise from stronger holdings.

Ace high has little showdown value against a 3-bet range that checked the turn and river. The ace blocks AK and AQ, so a roughly 70% pot bluff can fold out JJ, TT and weaker pairs.

We are getting better than 3:1 on a bluff-catcher after villain checked back the turn. Their range can include missed Broadway gutters and pocket pairs that may try to take advantage of our turn check.

8-4 suited is a weak button hand in a three-handed game and can be folded rather than entering a marginal pot.

With the button folded, completing the small blind costs only 50 chips. Even this weak hand can justify seeing a flop at that price against the big blind.

QJo is well ahead of a small-blind limping range, and I'll be in position postflop, so raising for value and initiative beats checking.

7-3 offsuit is too weak to call a four-big-blind raise out of position.