Hold'em table

On the button three-handed, Q8 offsuit is playable as an open. A modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

AJo against a 3-handed button open is ahead of the opening range, and calling out of position from the small blind with the big blind still to act is poor. A 3-bet to 10bb takes the initiative and applies pressure.

T6 offsuit is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

Q♠8♣ is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet, even with position. Calling would put in 7.5 big blinds with poor equity and playability.

Q7o on the button in 3-handed play is a reasonable steal hand. Opening to 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A♦? With A♥T♦, this is a solid defend against a button open; calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

I have ace-high with no pair on a king-high flop, so checking avoids building the pot without a strong hand or clear betting advantage.

This K-high dry board favors my button raising range, and I have a backdoor flush draw plus some equity. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot should take it down often enough to be profitable against the big blind's check.

The small flop bet gives favorable pot odds, and ace-high has some showdown value plus backdoor heart and pair-draw potential. Calling keeps weaker bluffs in without inflating the pot.

With ace-high and no meaningful draw, checking keeps the pot manageable and preserves showdown value. I can respond to a river bet based on the runout and sizing.

I picked up a flush draw (roughly 10 outs) with Q-high on a K-high board, so a semi-bluff bet of about two-thirds pot has fold equity plus equity when called. Villain has shown weakness by check-calling.

I have only ace-high with no meaningful draw, and the turn bet is too large to justify continuing on six potentially dirty outs.

Q6 offsuit is a marginal but playable button open in a three-handed, rake-free game. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds while retaining position postflop.

76 suited has some playability, but calling from the small blind leaves me out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act. I fold rather than invest more with a marginal hand.

Folding 62o in the big blind: the button opened to 2.5bb, so calling costs 150 into a pot of 400, and this hand is too weak to defend profitably out of position.

T2 suited is weak, but the button gives me position and the price to complete is modest. I’ll take the flop without inflating the pot.

The button limped, so completing costs only 50 into a 250 pot. With good odds and a playable suited-less connector, calling beats folding, and raising from the small blind with 98o isn't strong enough.

With pocket deuces out of position against two limpers, I can see a free flop and avoid building a pot with a hand that rarely improves.

Middle pair with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot, out of position in a three-way limped pot on a wet board. Checking controls the pot size and keeps weaker hands in.

A low pocket pair is weak on this high-card, two-spade flop against two opponents. Checking avoids investing more without a strong draw or a likely value bet.

My hand has little current showdown value and only weak backdoor potential. Check behind to see the turn for free.

After the flop checked through, middle pair plus a spade flush draw is worth a small semi-bluff/thin-value bet. It can fold out weak hands and still has outs when called.

My pocket deuces are weak on this board, with only two outs to improve to a set. Calling the turn bet with another player still to act is not worth it.

I have only ten-high with no meaningful draw, so calling the turn bet would be unprofitable.

T4o is too weak to open profitably from the button in 3-handed play against two blinds with 100bb stacks, and limping is poor, so I fold.

Q7 suited is strong enough to raise in a heads-up blind-versus-blind pot, giving the big blind a chance to fold.

T♣2♦ is far too weak to defend against a 3x raise, even closing the action from the big blind.

J5 suited is playable as a button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

T-2 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Fold rather than invest more chips.

Q5o is a standard big blind defend against a 2.5x button open in 3-handed play. We are getting about 3.7:1, and the hand has enough equity against a wide stealing range.

Top pair with a weak kicker out of position against the preflop raiser; checking controls the pot size and lets the raiser bluff, and I can check-call a reasonable c-bet.

J-high has little equity or backdoor potential on this flop. I'll take the free card rather than bluff into the big blind's calling range.

Top pair is likely ahead after the button checked back the flop, so I'll bet about 2/3 pot for value and to charge draws on this two-club board.'s flush draws and straight draws.'

J-high has no meaningful draw on this turn, and calling the bet is unlikely to be profitable.