Hold'em table

Q9 suited is a strong enough button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional advantage if called.

KTo is strong enough to 3-bet from the small blind against a button open, applying pressure while retaining initiative out of position.

With 8♦7♠, calling the 3-bet would be too costly, especially with the button still to act. Fold and preserve the stack.

Q9 suited is a reasonable button defend against this relatively small small-blind three-bet. Calling costs 600 into a final pot of 1800, and position plus suited connectivity support realizing enough equity.

Betting small with top pair protects against overcards and draws while keeping weaker holdings in a 3-bet pot.

Second pair with a queen kicker is strong enough to continue in position against a one-third-pot bet, which offers 4:1 pot odds. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessary raise against the three-bettor’s stronger holdings.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a highly coordinated board. A substantial turn bet extracts value from worse tens and draws while charging the many straight and flush draws.

My middle pair and gutshot have limited equity against a strong second-barrel range, and some improvement cards may not win outright. Facing a 60%-pot bet with possible river pressure, folding is preferable to continuing with this marginal hand.

Pocket twos are a profitable button opening hand three-handed; raising gives initiative and can win the blinds uncontested.

9-7 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

86 offsuit is a marginal defense against a 2.5bb button raise and realizes equity poorly out of position. Without evidence of an unusually wide opening range, I fold.

A5 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed; raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

K2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb button raise with the big blind still to act. Poor playability and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

7-5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button open at this sizing, especially out of position.

83 offsuit is too weak to open profitably against two blinds without evidence they overfold. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor equity and playability.

With 7♠5♠ heads-up in the blinds and only 50 more to call, the suited connected hand has sufficient equity to defend.

A♣K♥ is a premium hand, and raising against the small blind’s limp builds the pot while taking initiative heads-up.

7♠5♠ is a playable suited connector heads-up against the big blind's isolation raise, with favorable pot odds. I will defend and realize its postflop equity.

I have an open-ended straight draw and can apply pressure on this coordinated board while retaining substantial equity when called.

Calling gets a reasonable price with two overcards and a gutshot to Broadway; raising would be too aggressive against a donk bet on this connected board.

With only seven-high and no meaningful draw, checking preserves chips and allows a possible river bluff if the opponent shows weakness again.

I have a strong combo draw: the nut-flush draw plus a gutshot to Broadway. A sizable turn bet can win the pot immediately while building it when called.

With 5-high and no meaningful draw on the turn, calling the substantial bet is unprofitable.

9-high offsuit with a weak kicker is not worth opening from the button in this configuration.

Q♣3♣ is a weak but playable suited hand heads-up after the button folds. Completing costs only 50 into a 150-chip pot, so calling is preferable to inflating the pot with a raise.

Q8 offsuit is a marginal hand that benefits from seeing a free flop in position against the small blind. Checking preserves its equity without inflating the pot against an unknown limping range.

Q-high has little showdown value on this king-high flop, and I have only backdoor straight and flush possibilities. Checking avoids building the pot with a weak hand.

A half-pot stab can profitably pressure the small blind’s many unpaired hands after checking. Queen-high has limited showdown value but retains some backdoor straight potential if called.

The small bet gives favorable pot odds, and Q-high retains some equity through the overcard and backdoor club draw. Calling is preferable to raising without a made hand or direct draw.

I have a strong club draw and can take a free river card. A turn bet is unlikely to make better hands fold often enough, so I’ll preserve my chips and realize my equity.

The turn gives Q8 no meaningful draw and is unlikely to weaken the opponent’s flop-calling range. Checking preserves chips and takes a free chance to improve rather than barreling with little equity.

I have only queen-high after missing the club draw, but checking preserves chips and can still win against missed bluffs I already beat. A river bet is unlikely to fold many pairs that called the flop.

The river pair gives us showdown value against missed draws and weaker pairs. Betting would mostly fold out worse hands while getting called by tens or kings, so checking is preferable.

On the button in a three-handed game, J7 offsuit is strong enough to open; a modest raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Pocket eights are strong enough to three-bet against a button opening range. A substantial out-of-position sizing discourages the big blind from entering and pressures overcards to fold.

T3 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a large cold 3-bet from the big blind.

J7 offsuit is too weak to continue against a sizable three-bet, even with position and a call price of 850.