Hold'em table

With the button’s positional advantage and a suited hand, opening for a small raise is preferable to limping or folding.

3d 4c is an unplayable offsuit hand out of position against a button raise. Folding is standard.

T8o is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, so I fold rather than call 150 into a dominated offsuit hand.

T4s is too weak to open profitably from the button even in 3-handed play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. Suited connectors are strong enough to open-raise rather than complete out of position.

9♣7♣ is a playable suited hand from the big blind, and the price is reasonable against the small blind’s raise. I’ll call and see a flop rather than 3-bet a hand with limited value when called.

I have no pair, draw, or showdown value on a paired ace-high flop, so checking is better than bluffing into the preflop caller.

I have trip nines on a paired board and should build the pot while giving an ace or pocket pair a reasonable chance to continue.

I have 45s with no pair, draw, or equity on a paired ace-high board, and seat_1 has bet 300 into me. Folding is the only profitable option.

AKo is a premium hand on the button in a three-handed pot, so I open-raise to 3bb to build the pot and take the initiative rather than flat-calling.

9♠6♣ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a sizable button raise from the small blind would leave me out of position against both opponents.

42s is too weak to defend out of position against a 3bb button open.

On the button three-handed, 8-5 offsuit is marginal but playable as an open; a small raise can win the blinds and keeps the pot manageable if called.

T9o is too weak to defend out of position from the small blind against a button open.

ATo has enough equity against a button open to call 150 into a 400 pot, and flatting keeps the hand manageable out of position rather than bloating the pot with a dominated ace.

Ace-ten has no pair or draw on Q92, and checking is free. No reason to fold or inflate the pot out of position.

With 8-high and no meaningful draw on this flop, checking behind avoids bluffing into the big blind’s calling range and keeps the pot small.

Ace-high with no pair or draw has some showdown value after the flop checked through, so I take the free card rather than bluff the turn.

Villain has checked twice, so a small turn bet can pressure weak hands. I have a gutshot to a five-high-through-nine straight and keep the sizing modest with no made hand.

Ace-ten has no pair and no real draw on this board, and a 200 turn bet after a checked flop is often value. The price is not good enough to continue with ace-high.

64s has good playability and connectivity on the button, making it a viable steal open in 3-handed play.

T3o is too weak to continue against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated offsuit hand.

J6 offsuit is marginal, but the button's minimum raise gives me favorable pot odds and I close the action from the big blind.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on a dry flop, so checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act.

I have bottom pair with backdoor equity; checking behind controls the pot size and allows me to realize my showdown value without getting blown off my equity.

My hand has little showdown value and only a small chance to improve, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the preflop raiser.

I have bottom pair and an open-ended straight draw; checking back takes the free card in position to realize equity without risking a check-raise.

I have no meaningful showdown value, but a river bluff is unlikely to fold many pairs given the favorable pot odds. I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk chips.

We made an eight-high straight on the river after the action checked down. A value bet of roughly two-thirds pot can get called by weak pairs or split straight holders.

I have a strong eight-high straight, and the river bet is small relative to the pot. A flush is possible, but calling is worthwhile against bluffs and weaker hands, while raising risks isolating against better hands.

Ace-deuce suited is playable from the button in a three-handed game, so a standard open raise builds the pot and takes the initiative.

J7 suited is marginal against a 3x button open, especially from the small blind with the big blind still to act. Fold rather than defend out of position or make a weak 3-bet.

J3o is far too weak to defend against a 3bb open from the button.