Hold'em table

As the button in a three-handed game, 4♥5♥ is a reasonable suited hand to open; a modest raise applies pressure while retaining playability.

K2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J8 suited in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open is getting good pot odds (150 to win 400), so it's a clear defend. Flatting keeps the button's wider range in.

J-high on a paired 993 board out of position against the preflop raiser; I'll check to them, since this dry board favors their range.

A small continuation bet can take down this dry paired flop, and my hand has backdoor heart-flush and straight potential if called.

Against a small one-third-pot c-bet we are getting about 4:1, so we need only about 20% equity. J8 with a jack overcard, a gutshot-style backdoor straight draw and some backdoor potential is a fine defend on this dry paired board.

J-high with no real draw on 9-9-3-5, so I check. Bluffing into the preflop raiser's range after he c-bet small is unlikely to fold enough hands.

I have a modest showdown hand, but a turn bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands and risks building the pot against a 9 or a higher pocket pair. I’ll take the free river card.

The opponent checked back the turn, which caps their range with many A-high and K-high hands that beat my J kicker but would struggle to call. A roughly 60% pot bluff turns my weak showdown hand into a way to fold out better high-card hands.

The river lead is likely to contain many 9x hands, better pocket pairs, and occasional straights or boats. My two pair is weak, and I need about 27% equity to call, so I fold.

A9 suited is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

T2 offsuit is far too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open with the big blind still to act. Folding is clearly best.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, and calling gets a reasonable price while keeping weaker hands in the pot.

Check out of position with middle pair and a modest kicker; this keeps the pot controlled and lets the preflop raiser act with their wider range.

A small continuation bet can fold out weaker unpaired hands while keeping the risk modest. The ace overcard and backdoor club draw give me some equity when called.

Call with middle pair and a decent kicker; the small flop bet offers favorable pot odds, and raising would risk isolating against stronger hands.

I have a marginal top pair with a weak kicker on a paired board. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me respond to a river card or bet.

A-high has some showdown value, but little reason to build the pot on this paired board. Checking keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a costly check-raise.

I have a modest one-pair hand on a paired, connected board, and the river completes a possible flush draw. Checking avoids building a pot against stronger queens or better jacks while preserving showdown value.

Ace-high has some showdown value, and a river bluff is unlikely to fold out many better hands after the flop call.

J9 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open-raise, so I'm opening to 2.5bb to take the initiative and pressure the blinds.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

6-4 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5 big-blind raise.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable open from the button in a three-handed game. A small raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

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

Getting 150 to win 400 in the big blind with a pocket pair against a wide button open, deep stacks give good set-mining implied odds. Calling beats 3-betting a hand that plays poorly against a 4-bet.

Small pair on a Q-9-4 board, out of position against the button's preflop raise. Check and look to see a cheap showdown or fold to heavy pressure.

With only king-high and no meaningful backdoor draw on this connected board, a bet is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. Check back in position and preserve the chance to improve.

A pair of threes has showdown value but is weak on this high board. Betting would mostly fold out hands we already beat and get called by better ones, so checking keeps the pot small and may induce bluffs.

Bet a modest amount for value and protection with top pair after my opponent checked twice. A small sizing can be called by weaker pairs while limiting exposure to stronger hands.

The small turn bet (about a third of the pot) gives good odds: I need only about 20% equity. After the flop check-back, the button's range includes plenty of air that 33 beats.

Pocket 3s on a K-Q-9-4-7 board have very little showdown value, and betting would only get called by better hands. Checking lets me realize whatever equity I have against the button's missed draws or air.

I have top pair with a weak kicker, and the turn call leaves plenty of better Kx and made hands in the opponent’s range. Checking takes my modest showdown value without risking a raise or getting called mainly by better hands.

K7 suited is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

A8s is well ahead of a wide 3-handed button opening range. A 3-bet from the small blind takes the initiative and avoids playing out of position in a multiway pot.

QJo is too weak to continue against a button open followed by a substantial small-blind 4-bet, especially with the button still to act.

K7 suited is too marginal to continue against a large three-bet without a read that the small blind is especially aggressive.

A7o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; a standard 2.5bb open puts pressure on the blinds.

Pocket fours have reasonable set-mining and showdown value at this price, so calling is preferable to folding. A 3-bet would risk too much while out of position against the raiser and big blind.

A6 suited has enough equity and playability to call 150 into a 600-chip pot. Squeezing risks building a large pot out of position with a weak kicker.

With a small underpair on a king-high, two-club flop in a three-way pot, betting has little value and risks building the pot while behind. Check and evaluate the action.

With ace-high and no immediate draw in a three-way pot, I prefer to check and avoid building the pot.

As the preflop raiser in position on a K-high board that favors my range, and after both opponents checked, a small c-bet with the ace of spades plus a backdoor club draw works well. It can take down the pot now and keeps equity if called.

With only a small pocket pair on a king-high, two-club flop, I have little equity against a bet into multiple opponents and no profitable call.

Ace-high has no meaningful draw on this flop. Calling out of position against a bet into two opponents is unlikely to be profitable.