Hold'em table

A6 suited is a strong button opening hand in three-handed play. Raising to 250 pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

9-4 suited is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind out of position with the big blind still to act.

KTs is a strong big-blind defense against a button open, with good suited playability and only 150 more to call into a 400-chip pot. Calling preserves weaker hands in the opener’s range without inflating the pot out of position.

Checking preserves the option to realize equity with two overcards and a backdoor heart draw without inflating the pot. Although this connected flop favors parts of my defending range, king-ten is not a strong candidate to lead.

The connected flop favors the big blind's calling range. Checking in position preserves my open-ended straight draw and avoids facing a check-raise.

The checked-through flop leaves room to attack a capped range, and the paired turn favors my big-blind defending range. Betting provides fold equity against better high-card hands while my king-high flush draw offers equity when called.

I have an open-ended straight draw and position. The 350-chip bet is small enough to call, with some chance my ace is also good.

Our missed flush draw has limited showdown value, but holding two hearts blocks several missed draws that could fold to a bluff. We do not block the opponent’s likely pair-based calls, making this a relatively poor river bluff candidate.

Ace-high has showdown value against missed draws. A river bluff risks more than it is likely to gain on this board.

T2 offsuit is too weak even on the button in 3-handed play; calling 100 risks facing raises out of the blinds with poor equity and playability.

K5 suited is strong enough to open small blind versus big blind. Raising to 3 big blinds pressures the wide big-blind range while retaining suited-hand playability if called.

Q3 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise, and I'll have position after the flop.

This ace-high flop favors my preflop raising range, making a small continuation bet an efficient way to pressure unpaired hands. K5 also has a backdoor diamond draw and some potential to improve.

Q3 offsuit missed this ace-high flop and has little potential to improve against the preflop raiser. Folding avoids putting more chips into a weak spot.

AJs is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds a pot with a strong suited holding while pressuring the blinds.

JTs plays well against a wide button opening range. Raising from the small blind pressures the opener and avoids inviting the big blind into the pot cheaply.

T8 offsuit is far too weak to call a 900-chip 3-bet from the small blind after a button open; folding preserves the stack.

AJs is strong enough to defend against a small-blind three-bet while retaining position. Calling keeps weaker hands in their range and avoids inflating the pot against hands that dominate us.

As the preflop reraiser, I can represent strong aces on this dry flop. A small bet may fold out hands that beat my jack-high while keeping the bluff inexpensive.

Top pair with a jack kicker and backdoor diamonds is a clear call against this small continuation bet. Raising would tend to fold out weaker hands while isolating stronger aces and sets; calling preserves the opponent’s bluffs.

The turn gives me a flush draw, and a bet can pressure weaker pairs while leaving me outs when called.

Top pair with a jack kicker is strong enough to continue against this turn sizing, with about 27% equity needed. Calling preserves the opponent’s bluffs and draws without isolating us against stronger hands by raising.

The river missed my flush draw, but this blank is unlikely to make an opponent who called the turn fold a strong pair. Checking avoids risking more chips on a poorly timed bluff.

AJ has solid showdown value, but after a preflop three-bet and two barrels, the opponent can still check stronger aces. Checking avoids a thin value bet that would struggle to get called by worse.

J5 offsuit is too weak to profitably open from the button against two unknown blinds.

Heads-up against the big blind after the button fold, Q7o is well ahead of a wide defending range. Raising to 300 applies fold pressure and builds a pot with decent equity rather than limping out of position.

Nine-four offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb small-blind raise. Folding avoids investing further with poor equity and playability.

A9 offsuit is a strong button open three-handed with position and an ace blocker. Raising to 2.5bb pressures the blinds and builds a pot in position.

54 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity realization out of position.

Seven-deuce offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand; raising builds the pot for value while keeping weaker hands in the blinds involved. A 2.5bb button open also leaves room to extract more value against a three-bet.

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

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind out of position against a button raise, even at this price; realization will be poor.