Hold'em table

My hand is too weak (4c7c) to invest any chips preflop, even from the button. Folding preserves my stack and avoids a likely negative EV situation.

Completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot, making this suited hand worth playing heads-up. Limping keeps the pot small while out of position against the big blind.

Nine-deuce offsuit is too weak for a routine isolation raise against the small blind's limp. Checking takes a free flop while preserving chips and postflop position.

With nine-high and only a backdoor club flush draw, this hand is a weak bluff candidate out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to improve for free.

Bottom pair has some showdown value but is too weak to bet for value on this ace-high board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity in position.

The turn gives us third pair with showdown value, but betting gets limited value from worse hands and risks building a pot against stronger pairs. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us reassess against a bet.

Turning two pair gives us a strong value hand against an opponent who has checked twice. Betting three-quarters pot extracts value from weaker pairs and draws while charging hands that could improve on the river.

The big blind's delayed bet can include draws and unpaired bluffs after the flop checked through. Our turned pair has enough showdown value to call at 3-to-1?

Our pair of nines has some showdown value but cannot profitably value-bet on this river. Checking avoids inflating the pot against stronger pairs and completed draws, without useful blockers to justify a bluff.

Our two pair has showdown value, but the river completes flushes and straights and creates several higher two-pair combinations. Checking avoids a thin value bet that is unlikely to get enough calls from worse hands.

A7 offsuit is a standard button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while retaining positional advantage if called.

Seven-three offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

Folding 54s from the big blind against a button raise; out of position and hand is too weak to continue profitably.

Pocket sevens are a strong opening hand on the button three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds value while leveraging position and giving the blinds a chance to fold.

Th6h is a weak hand out of position, facing a button raise; folding is the prudent choice.

Q7 suited is a reasonable big-blind defense against a button open, with suited potential and sufficient equity against a wide opening range. Calling costs 150 to contest a final pot of 550 and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

Top pair with a weak kicker is a good check-call candidate on this dry flop. Checking keeps the opener’s bluffs in play and avoids building a large pot against stronger queens.

Pocket sevens have showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands on this board. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me reassess in position on the turn.

After the flop checks through, top pair can extract value from 9x, smaller pocket pairs, and draws. Betting just over half pot also denies free equity while keeping weaker hands in.

The big blind can probe this turn with draws, unpaired hands, and weaker pairs after the flop checks through. Calling 300 to contest a final pot of 1,150 keeps those bluffs in and lets us reassess the river in position.

Our weak queen has showdown value, but the river ace improves some of the opponent’s turn calls and makes value betting too thin. Checking keeps the pot controlled and allows missed draws to bluff.

Pocket sevens retain showdown value against missed draws and weaker pairs. Betting would mostly get called by better hands, while checking avoids turning a reasonable bluff-catcher into an unnecessary bluff.

From the button in a 3-handed game, 8-6 offsuit is marginal but worth an open-raise to pressure the blinds and use position.

Q3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Its poor playability and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

Ace-ten offsuit is strong enough to defend against a button open, with only 150 chips to call into a 400-chip pot. Calling keeps weaker hands in the opener's range without building a large pot out of position.

Ace-ten has some showdown value but no strong draw on this dry flop. Checking to the preflop raiser keeps the pot controlled and protects our checking range.

Dry flop that favors my preflop raising range; I have position and no showdown value, so c-betting 250 to try to take it down now.

Ace-ten has showdown value against a wide button continuation-betting range, plus two overcards and a backdoor wheel draw. Calling 250 into 800 is a reasonable defense on this dry flop without inflating the pot.

Ace-high has some showdown value and a gutshot to the wheel, but betting is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets us evaluate the button's turn action.

I have an 8-high gutshot straight draw on a paired turn board; villain called flop, so he likely has a pair or draw. Checking behind keeps the pot small and gives me a free card to improve.

The river heart favors my defending range, while the turn check leaves the button with many marginal pairs and unpaired hands. A substantial bluff pressures those hands, and the ten of hearts blocks several possible flushes.

We hold bottom pair with a weak kicker on a board that completed both straight and flush draws. Villain's river bet after checking turn indicates strength, and we are beating only pure bluffs. Folding is the prudent choice.

A6 suited is a clear button open three-handed, with an ace blocker and nut-flush potential. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional value when called.

J9 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably from the small blind against a 2.5bb raise with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids playing a frequently dominated hand out of position.

T8o is a standard defend from the big blind in a 3-handed game given the pot odds.

With ten-high and no draw on a dry queen-high board, I have no reason to bet. I'll check and likely fold to any bet from the preflop raiser.

Middle pair with an ace kicker has solid showdown value but limited value from betting this dry board. Checking keeps the pot controlled and preserves weaker hands in the opponent's range.

I have ten-high with no draw and no pair; the turn King favors the preflop raiser's range. By checking I keep the pot small and hope to see a free river without committing more chips.

Our pair of sixes has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get much value from worse or fold out better pairs. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us reassess in position on the river.

My hand has no showdown value. Both opponents checked through the flop and turn, indicating weakness. A river bluff could take down the pot.

Calling requires about 26% equity, and our pair can beat missed draws and delayed bluffs after both earlier streets checked through. We also unblock missed hearts and beat weaker sixes, making this a reasonable bluff-catcher against a half-pot bet.

Opening small from the button applies pressure to the blinds while limiting risk with a marginal hand. The king blocker and positional advantage make this a reasonable steal attempt.

2s4c is a very weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise, so folding avoids losing chips with poor equity.

Calling costs only 100 into a 350-chip pot, requiring 22.2% equity. Against a typical wide button min-raising range, J4 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defense at this price with no rake.

J4 has little showdown value and no strong draw on this paired flop. Checking to the preflop raiser avoids investing in a low-equity bluff out of position.

A small continuation bet pressures the big blind's unpaired hands on this paired board while risking little. My preflop raising range retains strong overpairs, and king-high has limited showdown value.

J4 offsuit has little showdown value and no flush draw or backdoor straight draw on this board. Even against a small bet, folding is preferable to continuing out of position with such weak equity realization.