Hold'em table

First hand of the match, I have a speculative suited connector on the button. Calling is profitable with position and deep stacks, allowing me to see a cheap flop and potentially win a big pot if I hit a straight or flush.

Button limped; completing from the small blind with Q5o for 50 chips into a 250 pot gets good odds, and raising a weak hand out of position isn't attractive.

With T6 suited in the big blind and no cost to see a flop, checking preserves chips with a marginal hand against two limpers.

Q5o on A-K-9 rainbow with a gutshot only; limped 3-way pot, out of position first to act. Check to see a free turn rather than bluff into two players on a board that likely hits their calling ranges.

With ten-high and only a runner-runner straight draw on an ace-king board in a three-way limped pot, checking for a free card is better than bluffing into likely strong ranges.

We completely missed the A-K-9 flop and have only backdoor straight draws. Since both opponents checked, we can take a free card and avoid building a pot with a weak hand.

I have bottom pair with a weak kicker on a board with A and K; flop checked through so a small bet could take it, but out of position against two players, checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a cheap showdown or fold to aggression.

With ten-high and only a club flush draw on the turn, checking takes a free river card instead of bluffing into an ace-king board that was checked around.

I have bottom pair with no draw; checking behind to realize equity and avoid getting check-raised.

I have bottom pair (fives) with a Q kicker on an A-K-J-9-5 board that has been checked through on every street; a bet gets called mostly by better hands and folds out only worse, so I check and hope my pair of fives holds at showdown.

I have almost no showdown value with ace-high, but I block Q-T and the river Jack credibly completes that straight after checking earlier streets, so a pot-sized bluff can fold weak pairs.

Bottom pair with no kicker on a board with an Ace, King, and possible straight. Seat 3's river bet after passive play could be a bluff, but with Seat 2 still to act behind, calling is too risky. Folding preserves my stack.

Bottom pair of fives only beats pure air on an A-K-J-9-5 board that completes QT straights; a pot-sized river bet after three checks is rarely bluffed often enough to justify calling at 33% equity needed.

T7 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is marginal; it's below a solid opening range and folding avoids playing a weak, dominated hand out of position postflop against two opponents.

Ah8h is a strong heads-up hand from the small blind after the button folded; raising builds the pot with likely the best ace and suited equity.

J6 suited on the button in 3-handed play is well within opening range; raising builds pot in position and gains fold equity versus the blinds.

K2o is a weak hand, especially out of position against a button raise. Folding avoids losing chips with a marginal holding.

7-4 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button raise; folding is standard even with decent pot odds.

On the button with Q6s in a 3-handed game, raising to steal the blinds is profitable; the hand has some postflop playability if called.

A9 suited in the small blind facing a 2bb button open in 3-handed play is a solid 3-bet candidate; raising to 700 denies the BB and takes initiative against a wide button range.

Q7 offsuit in the big blind is far behind a small-blind 3-bet range facing a button open; calling 600 would play a weak hand out of position with poor equity.

Q6s is too weak to continue against a 3-bet from the small blind, especially with no additional dead money; I preserve my stack for future hands.

J7 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb takes the initiative and positional advantage against both blinds.

T9 suited has good playability and equity against a wide button open; calling 200 for a 600 pot gives a fair price despite being out of position.

Q8o is too weak to defend from the big blind against a raise and a call, especially out of position. Folding is the disciplined play.

Top pair with a ten kicker on a draw-heavy 4-8-9 board is ahead of the button's wide raising range, so betting for value and protection denies equity to overcards and straight draws.

Gutshot to the ten plus backdoor hearts and an overcard in position; 400 into 1000 gives reasonable pot and implied odds with deep stacks behind, so a call is better than folding and lower variance than a semi-bluff raise.

Top two pair on a draw-heavy 8-9-T board; bet about two-thirds pot for value and to charge straight draws before the river.

I hold J7 which makes a jack-high straight (7-8-9-T-J), second nuts behind only QJ. Villain has shown strength on both streets, so raising for value now builds the pot while leaving room for a river shove.

Top two pair is too strong to fold in 3-handed play for 2000 into 5400, despite the straight-completing turn; calling keeps bluffs and draws in and lets me evaluate the river rather than raising into straights and sets.

Top two pair on a straight-possible board after facing a large turn raise; checking controls the pot, keeps bluffs in, and avoids value-betting into sets and straights that would only call or raise.

We rivered nothing new but already hold the jack-high straight (7-8-9-T-J), second nuts behind only QJ. No flush possible; villain called a big turn raise so likely has sets/two pair/draws, and sets or two pair will often call a shove at these pot odds.

Top two pair is vulnerable on the 8-9-T board where QJ, J7 and 76 all make straights and sets also beat us. The turn raise followed by a near-pot river shove is heavily value-weighted, giving insufficient bluff equity for the 31.6% needed to call.

8-4 offsuit is a very weak holding even on the button in 3-handed play; calling 100 chips has negative expectation against the blinds' ranges.

K8o is a marginal hand out of position; raising to 250 puts pressure on the big blind and may take down the pot immediately, while still being a small enough raise to not commit too many chips.

Button folded, SB raised to 2.5bb; I'm in the BB with 67s getting 150 to win 350 (~30%) and will be in position postflop. Suited connector plays well, so call rather than 3-bet or fold.

We have an open-ended straight draw (any A or 9) and can semi-bluff to take down the pot or build it for when we hit. Betting 300 into 500 is a standard continuation bet that represents strength on this coordinated board.

7c6c completely whiffed on QJT rainbow board with no draw; facing a 300 bet into 500 pot with no equity, folding is clearly correct.