Hold'em table

A9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

T6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still behind.

AKs in the big blind facing a button open is a clear value 3-bet; sizing to 10bb out of position.

A9 offsuit is often dominated by a big blind three-bet range, and the large sizing makes calling unattractive.

Q3 suited is too weak to open reliably on the button in a short three-handed match, especially with no positional information on opponents. Folding avoids marginal reverse-implied-odds spots.

AQo is a strong hand in a blind-vs-blind spot after the button folds, so I'm raising for value to 3bb.

With the button folded, 9♥5♥ has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise to 300, especially with position after the flop.

As the preflop raiser holding AQ with the nut flush draw blocker (A of spades) plus overcards on J74 with two spades, a small c-bet takes advantage of range advantage and gives fold equity with backdoor equity. Out of position against the BB, a third-pot bet is a cheap way to deny equity. ...(truncated for brevity)

Nine-five has no pair, no immediate draw, and little prospect of improving to a strong hand against the flop bet.

92s is at the bottom edge of a 3-handed button opening range, and folding it is a low-risk, near break-even choice against two blinds with deep stacks.

With only 50 more to call heads-up, completing the small blind is reasonable despite a weak hand. I can reassess on the flop.

K6 offsuit is a marginal big-blind holding; with the button folded and the small blind completing, checking realizes equity without inflating the pot.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but betting out of position risks building a pot against stronger hands. Check and reassess after the big blind acts.

With king-high and only a gutshot to a four, checking keeps the pot controlled and realizes equity against the limper.

With a weak pair and no strong draw, I prefer to keep the pot small out of position.

A small turn stab can fold out unpaired hands while leveraging our king-high and double-gutshot straight draw. The sizing risks little in the limped pot.

A pair of sevens has enough showdown value to call this small turn bet, especially after the flop checked through.

I have a weak pair with some showdown value. Checking avoids investing more against a range that can easily have me beat.

We improved to a pair of kings after betting the turn, and the river check can still contain many weaker one-pair hands such as jacks, sevens, or fives. A half-pot value bet targets those holdings while limiting losses versus an ace or stronger king.

A pair of sevens is weak, but the 200-chip call needs to win only about 25% of the time. The small turn bet and river follow-up can include missed draws or weaker pairs.

A3 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5-big-blind raise keeps the pot manageable in position.

Suited 87 plays well multiway and has sufficient implied odds to defend the small blind against a minimum-sized button open.

A8o in the big blind is getting 150 to win 600 (20% equity needed), which is an easy call in a multiway pot. A squeeze has less value because the small blind flatted, and A8o plays fine as a call closing the action.

With an open-ended straight draw in a multiway pot, checking preserves equity and lets us respond to the other players' actions without inflating the pot out of position.

A8o has only ace-high with weak backdoor draws on a wet board, and the preflop raiser is still to act behind in a three-way pot, so checking is best.

With ace-high and little draw potential on a coordinated flop against two callers, I’ll check rather than bluff into both players.

I have the current nut straight on a coordinated board. A substantial turn bet extracts value from pairs, two-pair hands, and draws while building the pot.

The call needs about 30% equity. Ace-high with only a gutshot to the 7 has roughly 9-15%, and the button can still raise behind me, so I fold.

Ace-high has no meaningful draw on this turn, and calling 550 against a 1300-chip pot is unlikely to be profitable.

AQ offsuit is a strong button opening hand three-handed; raising builds value and pressures the blinds.

75o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5 big-blind button raise.

T4o is at the bottom of a 3-handed button opening range and plays poorly against two blinds with 100bb stacks, so a fold is the disciplined choice.

J5 suited is playable heads-up against the big blind, and a standard raise can win the pot immediately while retaining postflop potential.

Defend the big blind against the small blind's minimum raise with suited ace-seven, which has solid equity heads-up and plays adequately postflop.

J-high has little immediate equity on this flop. Checking avoids building a pot out of position with a weak hand.

With nut-flush draw, two overcards, and a gutshot to the broadway straight, I want to build the pot and apply pressure after the preflop raiser checks.

Jack-high with no pair or immediate draw has too little equity to call the flop bet.