Hold'em table

Pocket queens are a premium hand on the button, so I open to 3x the big blind to build the pot and take control preflop.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend from the small blind, and calling avoids inflating the pot against a large button open while the big blind is still to act.

A2o plays poorly multiway out of position and is easily dominated, making it an easy fold despite good pot odds.

With only ace-high and no meaningful draw on a connected, two-diamond flop, I check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have an overpair on a dry flop and the small blind checked, so a half-pot value bet builds the pot while charging weaker pairs and draws.

A-high has little showdown value on this connected flop and no strong draw. Facing a sizable c-bet, calling would rely too heavily on uncertain overcard outs.

J8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game, and raising takes advantage of position and fold equity.

Holding 9d 5h in the small blind against a button open is an easy fold out of position.

J8s is suited and playable enough to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button open. Calling 150 into 400 keeps the pot small and realizes equity without bloating it with a weak three-bet.

Js8s has no pair and no real draw on A52, so there is no value in betting into the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to continue only if the turn improves.

A-high boards favor the preflop raiser, so a small continuation bet can fold out some of the big blind’s unpaired hands. I have a backdoor club-flush draw if called.

Jack-high with only a backdoor spade draw has too little equity against a button c-bet on an ace-high board, so calling 180 is not profitable.

Q4o is too weak to open even from the button 3-handed.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. Ace-five suited is strong enough to raise for value and fold equity rather than complete.

T-5 offsuit is a weak hand out of position, and calling 200 more would require too much equity against the small blind’s raise.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button; it is dominated and plays poorly multiway or heads-up. Folding avoids putting chips in with a hand that has little equity and poor playability.

With a small pocket pair heads-up from the small blind, completing cheaply keeps weaker hands in and avoids building a large pot out of position.

I hold 8s 2c in the big blind facing a limp from the small blind; checking to see a free flop is standard with trash cards.

With a small underpair on this Q-high board, I have some showdown value but little reason to build the pot. I’ll check and reassess on the turn.

I have 8-high with negligible draw equity; checking behind takes a free card in position.

I have eight-high with no showdown value or direct draws, so taking a free card on the turn is preferred over turning it into an unnecessary bluff.

The board already plays two pair with a 7 kicker, and my pocket fives do not improve it. After checks on earlier streets, checking avoids risking chips against better kickers while preserving a likely split against many holdings.

I have virtually no showdown value with an eight-kicker on a double-paired board, but seat 2 has checked every street. A half-pot bluff of 100 needs only 33% fold equity to be profitable against their weak checking range.

The small river bet gives favorable pot odds, and the opponent checked the flop and turn. My hand is weak, but calling can catch a bluff or a thin bet with a worse kicker.

Pocket fours are a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. I raise to 2.5 big blinds to build the pot while applying pressure to the blinds.

Q5s is too weak to defend out of position against a button open with the big blind still to act.

Jack-five offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding avoids a dominated, disconnected hand out of position.

Holding 9d 6h on the button is too weak to open raise or play profitably.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. A8o is strong enough to raise for initiative rather than flat out of position.

Calling costs 200 to contest a 600-chip pot, and 7-6 has enough equity against a small-blind opening range to defend from the big blind.

Ace-high missed this king-queen flop and has no draw, so I check rather than bluff into a calling range that connects with both high cards.

I have no pair and only backdoor straight potential on this board. Checking takes the free card without building a pot with a weak hand.

I have top pair with a weak eight kicker on an ace-king-queen board, so checking controls the pot and realizes showdown value without bloating against better aces.

I have no pair and no meaningful draw on this turn, so betting is unlikely to improve my position. I’ll take the free river card.

I have top pair with a weak kicker on a four-straight board, so a bet gets called mostly by two pair and tens that beat me. Checking realizes my showdown value in a small pot.

The ace-jack river is a strong scare card, and a small bet can represent a ten for the straight while pressuring weak hands. With only seven-high, checking has little showdown value.