Hold'em table

Q7 suited is a playable button opening hand in three-handed play, leveraging position and initiative.

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

Getting 400:150 odds (27% equity needed) versus a wide button 2.5x open in 3-handed play; J6o is a reasonable BB defend.

Middle pair with a weak kicker and a backdoor heart draw, out of position against the button raiser's range. Checking controls the pot and lets me check-call a reasonable c-bet.

I have top pair plus a strong heart draw and should bet for value while charging straight and pair-plus-draw holdings.

Middle pair with a backdoor flush draw is getting good odds, 400 to win 1350, against a button c-bet that is likely wide. Calling keeps weaker hands in and controls the pot size.

Turned trips; leading for value and charging heart and straight draws, since Qx and draws can call and the button may check back the turn if I check.

I have top pair plus a strong heart flush draw, and a river queen can also improve me dramatically. The price is favorable enough to continue versus a likely jack-heavy range.

Trips with a weak kicker still beat the many Qx hands and pocket pairs that call the turn, so a small value bet targets those. If raised, I can fold, since that mostly represents a jack with a better kicker or a full house.

Our queens and jacks can still beat missed heart draws and some thin value/probe bets, while the river price is small relative to the pot. Raising would only isolate us against stronger holdings.

T9 suited plays well in position, so I open the button for 2.5 big blinds.

J2 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open is too weak to continue, especially out of position with the big blind still to act.

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise at this sizing out of position.

Q8 suited on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; a 2.5bb sizing pressures both blinds.

AsTs is a strong suited ace heads-up versus a button open. I 3-bet for value and to pressure the opener while denying the big blind a cheap entry.

A9 offsuit is often dominated by a small-blind three-bet range, and calling out of position with the button still to act is unattractive.

Q8s facing a 3.6x SB 3-bet out of position dynamics; calling 650 into 1250 with a dominated hand is marginal, and folding is the standard play.

Open-raising from the button applies pressure to the blinds and Q-high has sufficient positional value in this short-handed spot.

Nine-deuce suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

92o is one of the worst hands to defend from the big blind against a button open, even with 3.1:1 pot odds, because it plays poorly out of position. Folding is standard.

K4 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

ATo is well ahead of a 3-handed button opening range, so 3-betting from the small blind for value and fold equity is standard and avoids playing out of position multiway.

Call with pocket sixes getting a reasonable price and deep enough stacks to realize set-mining value. Folding is too tight against a potentially wide small-blind squeeze.

K4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet and a cold call.

The flop gives us a nut-adjacent flush draw, a gutshot to broadway and an ace overcard, and this board favors our 3-bet range. A c-bet of about 45% pot applies fold equity and builds the pot with lots of equity.

The flop bet is small relative to the pot, and pocket sixes can still be ahead of some continuation bets from the preflop aggressor. Calling preserves position and allows reassessment on the turn.

Strong semi-bluff with a flush draw, a gutshot to broadway, and an ace overcard, at low SPR. Jamming gets maximum fold equity against Qx and underpairs, and we still have solid equity when called.

Sixes have insufficient equity versus this large turn shove after a 3-bet pot and flop continuation bet. The board heavily favors value hands and strong draws.

Pocket fives on the button in 3-handed play are a clear open-raise. A 2.5x open pressures both blinds.

Q9 has sufficient equity versus a likely wide button opening range at this price, and calling preserves flexibility in a relatively small pot.

K8 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind for 150 more, though I’ll play cautiously out of position in a three-way pot.

With Q-high on a paired king board in a multiway pot, checking preserves equity and avoids bloating the pot with little showdown value.

I have trips on a dry flop, but my kicker is modest. Checking gives the preflop raiser a chance to bet while avoiding an unnecessarily large pot against a better king.

Both opponents checked this dry paired board, so a small c-bet with 55 gets folds from overcards and protects my equity. I'm betting a third of the pot for value and protection.

With only Q-high on a paired king board in a multiway pot, this has insufficient equity to continue versus the preflop raiser's bet.

Trips with an eight kicker are strong enough to continue, but raising could fold out bluffs while building a large pot against better kings. Calling keeps the button's weaker hands in.

Trip kings are strong, but my kicker is modest. Checking lets the preflop raiser continue betting weaker hands and bluffs without unnecessarily inflating the pot.

55 has showdown value but is behind the sixes, sevens and kings that call a flop bet, and a bet gets called mostly by better hands. Checking back controls the pot and gets a free river card.

I have trip kings, and a half-pot river bet can get called by weaker pairs after the opponent checked the turn.

The pot is laying 3.5:1, so I only need about 22% equity. This small river bet contains enough missed draws and bluffs that my 55, a bluff-catcher, is a profitable call.