Hold'em table

Open-raise premium queens from the button for value and initiative while keeping weaker hands in.

Queen-five offsuit is too weak to call or 3-bet from the small blind facing a button open.

A3 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a 2.5-big-blind button open, especially with no rake. Calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has showdown value on this dry flop, but betting into the preflop raiser risks inflating the pot with a marginal hand.

Betting for value with an overpair on this dry board while keeping weaker Jx, pocket pairs, and straight draws involved.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has enough showdown value to call this small flop bet, especially against a button raiser who may continuation-bet often. Raising would risk inflating the pot with a marginal hand.

With a weak pair on a paired board, I prefer to check and see what the preflop raiser does rather than build the pot.

QQ remains ahead of many pocket pairs and weaker flop calls, while a moderate turn bet can extract thin value without committing excessively against a jack.

My pair of threes has showdown value against a button raiser who used small bets on both streets. Calling 400 into a 1,350-chip pot is preferable to raising or folding.

My pair of threes has some showdown value, but worse hands are unlikely to call a river bet. Checking avoids building the pot against a stronger range.

QQ is a strong bluff-catcher/value hand after the river check. A moderate value bet can be called by weaker pairs while limiting losses against a slow-played jack or river king.

The river bet is small relative to the pot. My pair of threes can beat missed draws and other bluffs often enough to justify a call.

Holding pocket queens on the button, standard open raise to 2.5bb for value.

Q8 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Pocket threes are strong enough to defend the big blind against a button min-raise heads-up, with favorable implied odds to set-mine.

Check the underpair on this paired board and keep the pot controlled; opponent can have many better pairs or a king.

I hold a strong showdown-value hand on a paired king board; checking back controls the pot and underrepresents my strength while protecting my checking range.

Our pocket threes retain showdown value on this paired board, while a turn bluff is unlikely to fold better pairs or a king. Checking keeps weaker ace-high hands in and avoids unnecessary exposure.

I checked back the flop with pocket Queens on a paired King board. After the opponent checks the turn again, I bet for value and protection against their weaker pairs and diamond draws.

Third pair is a weak bluff-catcher on this paired king board, and the turn bet after checking back the flop is not favorable enough to continue.

K4 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, and a modest raise uses position to pressure the blinds.

8-6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still behind.

Getting 2.7 to 1 on a call closing the action against a button open, T9o has sufficient equity and playability to defend.

I check to the preflop aggressor with bottom pair and an inside straight draw on a coordinated board.

Top pair is likely ahead of much of the big blind’s range, but the connected, two-club board offers many draws. A small bet gets value from weaker hands and charges draws without building an oversized pot.

I have bottom pair and a gutshot straight draw to the nuts, getting excellent pot odds (200 to win 750) against a small continuation bet.

The board now has a four-card straight to the Queen, so checking with two pair to control the pot is prudent.

The turn completes several straights, and my top pair has a weak kicker. Checking controls the pot and avoids building it against stronger hands.

The river completes potential straights with any Queen and improves many hands that beat my two pair (tens and nines). Checking to realize showdown value for free.

My pair of kings has showdown value, but this board makes it unlikely that a worse hand will call a river bet. Checking avoids paying more when the opponent has an ace or queen.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to open profitably on the button in this short-handed setup.

87 offsuit plays poorly out of position postflop in a blind vs blind confrontation, so folding is cleaner than completing.

Holding 52s on the button is too weak to open even 3-handed. Folding is the standard disciplined play.

K4 offsuit is playable heads-up, but its weak kicker and out-of-position disadvantage favor completing the small blind over building a larger pot.

Check the big blind with a very weak 6-high suited hand after the small blind completes, preserving position-free equity in a limped pot.

King-high has some showdown value on this dry flop, but little incentive to build the pot out of position. I’ll take the free card.

I have an open-ended straight draw and can apply pressure against a capped limp-check range. A half-pot continuation bet gives me fold equity while building a pot for my draw.

King-high with no immediate draw has too little equity to continue against the flop bet, especially out of position.

4-2 offsuit is too weak to play profitably here, even on the button.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind heads-up against the big blind at this stack depth.