Hold'em table

Open-raise the button with a suited hand that has positional playability in a three-handed game.

K3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act. Poor position and frequent domination make calling unattractive.

Q6 offsuit is marginal, but calling one more big blind against a button min-raise gives favorable pot odds.

Bottom pair is worth continuing with, but not strong enough to build a pot out of position. Checking lets me assess the button’s action.

Top pair with a weak kicker benefits from a small value/protection bet on this coordinated board after the blind checks. The sizing can fold out overcards while retaining calls from draws and worse pairs.

Bottom pair with a queen kicker and a backdoor flush draw is strong enough to continue against a button continuation bet. I’ll reassess on the turn.

I have a weak pair and a queen-high flush draw. Checking controls the pot while preserving the chance to improve on the river.

Top pair has value against weaker pairs and numerous draws on this highly connected board. Betting also charges diamond and straight draws while retaining flexibility versus a raise.

I have a pair and a queen-high flush draw. Calling 650 into a 1,700-chip pot gives me reasonable odds to see the river.

With only a pair of sixes on a connected, three-diamond board, I prefer to check rather than build the pot.

Our pair of tens has some showdown value but is too thin to value-bet on this coordinated board after the opponent called both flop and turn. Checking avoids paying off stronger tens, straights, and flushes while capturing missed draws.

87 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, with position and some straight potential. A small raise pressures the blinds while limiting the investment with a marginal hand.

KJo is strong enough to three-bet against a button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 900 pressures the opener and avoids inviting the big blind into the pot cheaply.

2-4 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a raise and 3-bet out of position.

87 offsuit is too weak to defend against this large small-blind three-bet, even in position. Its poor equity realization and lack of useful bluff blockers make folding preferable to calling or four-betting.

K-Q suited is a strong button hand, so I’m opening for value and to take the initiative in position.

7-5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still behind.

J6 offsuit is a weak, frequently dominated hand with poor equity realization out of position. Against a 2.5bb button raise, folding is preferable to defending without evidence of an unusually wide opening range.

6-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button under these stack depths; folding avoids entering a low-equity pot.

AQ suited is a strong value raise heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 3bb builds the pot against weaker hands and charges the big blind to continue with position.

9-4 offsuit is too weak and disconnected to defend against a three-big-blind raise without a read on the small blind.

J8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with position and useful postflop playability. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

A5 suited is a strong three-bet candidate against a button open: it has an ace blocker and plays well when called. Raising from the small blind also avoids a difficult out-of-position multiway pot.

4-2 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a large 3-bet after an open, especially out of position.

J8 suited is near the bottom of my opening range and is too weak to continue against this large small-blind three-bet. Position and suitedness do not sufficiently offset domination risk and the 750-chip call.

On the button with a suited hand, I can profitably try to steal the blinds while retaining position if called.

7-5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open with the big blind still behind.

85 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against a 2.5bb button raise, especially out of position. Its poor equity realization and lack of useful blockers favor folding.