Hold'em table

94o is too weak to open even from the button in 3-handed play. Folding is standard.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. A3o is weak but the 50-chip complete is cheap enough to see a flop with ace-high.

I have a very weak offsuit hand, and checking is free with no raise to call.

Ace-high with no pair and no club draw on a wet K-Q-9 board has little fold equity or backup equity, so checking is better than bluffing into the big blind.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on a coordinated, three-club board, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the big blind’s range.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a three-club, straight-heavy board is too vulnerable to bet for value or protection, so I pot-control and check.

The ace is a scare card after two checks, and a small bet can pressure weak pairs and unpaired hands while risking only half the pot.

I have top pair on a coordinated board and only need to call 100 into 300. Raising with a weak kicker is unattractive, but folding top pair to this small bet is too tight.

I have trip aces and showdown value in a small pot, but worse hands rarely call a river bet while boats, flushes, and straights continue. Checking realizes the hand without bloating the pot.

The river ace is a favorable scare card to barrel after my turn bet, and a 300-chip bluff may fold some one-pair hands. I have no showdown value with 4-high.

K5o is too weak and disconnected to open from the button, and calling would leave a dominated hand out of position in future streets. Folding avoids reverse implied odds.

The button has folded, leaving a heads-up pot; completing costs only 50 more chips for a chance to see a flop. 6-2 offsuit is weak, so I’ll avoid raising.

Holding T9o in the big blind facing a small blind completion, checking to see a free flop with position is a standard, solid play.

I have only a weak bottom pair on a king-high flop, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it with a marginal hand.

I have a gutshot straight draw in position; checking behind takes a free turn card to realize equity.

I have only a weak bottom pair and no meaningful draw, so I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot.

We have ten-high with limited equity on this board. Checking behind takes a free river card and keeps the pot small, leaving room to bluff or evaluate on the river if checked to again.

I have a modest two-pair hand with showdown value, and checking keeps weaker hands in while avoiding a raise from a better hand.

With ten-high having negligible showdown value, betting 140 chips into a 200 pot targets folds from better unpaired hands like J-high, Q-high, and A-high.

My two pair (eights and deuces) is a strong bluff-catcher against this small river bet after two checked streets. Calling is preferable to raising because stronger hands such as a king or a trey are likely to continue.

K7 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. I raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure to the blinds.

Folding 4c 2d from the small blind against a button open as it is far too weak to continue.

53o is too weak to continue against a button open after the small blind folds, so I fold rather than call 150 more.

T7o is too weak to open from the button even in 3-handed play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. K2 suited has enough equity and playability to raise for the initiative rather than limp.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind open, and calling keeps weaker hands in without inflating the pot out of position.

King-high with no pair and no draw on J98 is too weak to c-bet out of position into a caller. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids lighting chips on fire.

I have a gutshot and an overcard, but no flush draw, and this connected flop can hit the preflop raiser’s range. I’ll take the free turn card rather than bluff into a strong continuing range.

King-high with no pair or draw has little showdown value and poor bluff equity on this turn, so checking is best.

I have an open-ended straight draw plus an overcard, and the opponent has checked twice. A modest turn bet can win the pot now while giving me a chance to improve if called.

King-high with no pair and no draw has almost no equity against a turn lead after a checked flop. Calling 350 into 950 is a clear fold.

82 offsuit is too weak to call or open even on the button in three-handed play, so folding preserves chips.

Calling costs only 50 chips to compete for a 150-chip pot, and the big blind may check behind preflop. The weak offsuit hand is not worth raising, but the price justifies completing the blind.

We hold pocket sixes in position against a blind-versus-blind limp. Raising to 3.5bb extracts value and isolates with positional advantage.

With 2♦4♥, calling 250 more against the big blind’s raise is not worthwhile; fold and preserve the remaining stack.

Seven-deuce offsuit is a very weak holding, and calling would pay too much to see a flop against the blinds. I’ll fold rather than invest more from the button.

Opening 98s from the small blind against the big blind with a standard 3x raise.

Button folded and the small blind opened to 3bb. ATo is ahead of a wide steal range and I have position postflop, so a 3-bet to 900 builds the pot and folds out dominated hands.

With 98s we have solid playability and equity against a standard BB 3-bet range, getting 2:1 immediate pot odds with deep implied odds.

I completely missed this ace-high flop out of position against the preflop 3-bettor, so checking is standard.

I have top pair on a checked flop and want value plus protection against heart and straight draws. A small bet of 700 keeps worse aces and draws in while not bloating the pot with a weak kicker.

I completely missed the flop with nine-high and zero equity against the preflop 3-bettor's c-bet on an ace-high board, making this an easy fold.