Hold'em table

A3o on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong enough hand to open. The ace blocks strong hands and the raise puts pressure on both blinds.

A9 offsuit is strong enough to three-bet against a button open in a three-handed game. Raising from the small blind also avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

Holding 65 offsuit facing an open raise and a 3-bet is an easy fold preflop.

A3o facing a 3-bet from the small blind (1100 into my 300 open) is a weak hand: it is dominated by better aces and needs 800 to win a 1500 pot, so folding is the disciplined choice.

T3 offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two opponents.

A7s is well ahead of an average holding in a blind-versus-blind confrontation, making a standard 3x open raise appropriate.

Getting 3:1 on a call of 200 to win 400 in a 3-handed pot; 84s is suited and playable against a wide small blind raise, so calling is better than folding or bloating the pot out of position..

C-betting one-third pot with an open-ended straight draw, overcard Ace, and backdoor flush draw.

I have an open-ended straight draw (4-8 on a 6-9-5 board needs a 7 for 4-5-6-7-8... actually 7 gives 5-6-7-8-9), plus backdoor flush potential. Calling 200 into a pot of 800 gives about 4-to-1 odds, which is right for a draw with roughly 8 outs plus extra equity.<br>

We picked up no additional equity on the deuce turn, so checking out of position to control the pot size with our gutshot and ace high is the best line.

I have a straight (4-5-6-8-9 with 7 needed? no) — actually 4s8s on 6-9-5-2 is an open-ended-ish draw needing a 7 for a straight (4-5-6-7-8), plus a gutshot to 9-high. Villain checked the turn, so a semi-bluff bet of about 40% pot builds fold equity and keeps equity if called.

We only have a gutshot straight draw and an overcard out of position against a turn bet, offering insufficient pot odds and implied odds to continue.

Opening from the button with pocket queens for value.

4s2s is a weak hand out of position in the small blind facing a button raise to 250, with the big blind still to act behind me. Calling 200 more is not worth it, so I fold.

8-4 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5-big-blind raise.

9s5c offline on the button is a weak hand that plays poorly; folding is the simplest and avoids paying 100 to play out of position against two players postflop.

With the button folded, T6 offsuit is playable heads-up for just 50 more chips. Calling keeps the pot small with a marginal hand out of position.

With a low pocket pair in the big blind facing an SB limp, checking allows us to see a free flop and realize our set-mining equity in position.

I have no pair or strong draw on this dry flop, so I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have an underpair on an Ace-Queen high board with low fold equity, so checking behind to realize equity or fold later is optimal.

I have little showdown value, but a king would complete my straight. A small turn bet can win the pot when the big blind also missed this board.

Holding an underpair of threes on a board with four broadway/mid cards leaves almost no equity or drawing potential against the turn bet.

On the button in a three-handed, rake-free game, 9-6 offsuit is playable as a marginal steal. A modest raise uses position without committing too many chips.

Holding six-three offsuit in the small blind against a button open is an easy fold.

Getting 370+120 pot odds: call 120 to win 370, needing about 25% equity. 7-5 offsuit is weak but heads-up against a button min-open range with good price, so a call is reasonable rather than folding or bluff-raising.

7h5c on a JcTcQs board has no pair and no real draw, and the board is very connected. I'm out of position against the preflop raiser, so I check and give up the bluff.

A small bet can win the pot against missed hands while keeping the cost modest on a board that connects well with the big blind's range. I also have an open-ended straight draw if called.

7h5c on a J-T-Q board has no pair and no flush draw. Its only outs are 8s and 9s for a gutshot straight (a 9 would make K-high straight possible for opponents). Facing 160 into 650 needs about 20% equity, and 7-5 has about 8 outs, so folding is reasonable against a button c-bet on such a connected board.

Opening from the button with pocket sixes to 2.5x big blind for value and initiative.

2-9 offsuit is one of the weakest hands. Out of position against a button raise with a big blind still to act, folding is best.

The button can open a wide range, and calling 150 more from the big blind offers sufficient pot odds to defend J5 offsuit despite being out of position.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but betting into the preflop raiser on this queen-high board is unlikely to get enough value. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I have third pair with showdown value in position on a draw-heavy Q-5-4 board; checking back keeps the pot controlled.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but betting would mostly be called by better hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I have third pair and an open-ended straight draw; checking behind allows me to realize my equity cleanly and see the river for free without risking a check-raise.

Bottom pair has some showdown value after the turn checked through, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands.

I made an eight-high straight on the river. With the opponent checking all three postflop streets, a value bet of 350 targeting one-pair holdings is warranted.

Bottom pair is a bluff-catcher, but the button checked back twice and can have enough missed draws or river bluffs to justify calling 350 into a 900-chip pot.