Hold'em table

Q8 offsuit is strong enough to open from the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

A3 offsuit is too weak to 3-bet, but has enough equity against a button opening range to defend at this price. Calling keeps the pot manageable while the big blind is still to act.

62o is one of the weakest hands, and it realizes its equity poorly out of position in a three-way pot, so it's a clear fold even getting 4:1.

Bet small for value and protection with top pair, while keeping the pot manageable out of position. This can get calls from weaker pairs and club draws.

Middle pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet, but raising would often isolate us against stronger hands. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot.

The turn gives me two pair, but it also completes the third club on a board where my opponent called the flop. I’ll take the free showdown path rather than build a pot without a club.

Second pair without a club has showdown value, but betting into a three-club board risks building a pot against stronger hands. I’ll check behind and reassess on the river.

The four-club board makes a flush likely after the flop call, and my two pair is not strong enough to value-bet into that possibility. I’ll take the free showdown.

Second pair has showdown value, but the four-club board makes a value bet unlikely to be called by worse hands. I’ll take the free showdown.

On the button in a three-handed game, a small open can win the blinds immediately and lets me use position if called. T3 offsuit is weak, so I keep the raise to the minimum.

AQo is well ahead of a 3-handed button min-raise range, so I 3-bet from the small blind for value and to take the initiative, sizing up since I'll be out of position.

Offsuit 7-5 is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

T3 offsuit is far too weak to continue against a large three-bet; calling would require substantial equity and leave me out of position postflop.

A3 suited on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5x sizing applies pressure on the blinds.

Q9 offsuit is a marginal hand to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Calling the modest raise with 9♣7♦ from the big blind is a reasonable defense with favorable pot odds and position-independent depth. I avoid 3-betting this offsuit hand.

I have a weak middle pair on an ace-high flop and am out of position, so checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to respond to the button's action.

Top pair with a weak kicker and a backdoor diamond draw on a dry ace-high board. A small c-bet gets value from worse aces and pairs while denying equity.

A small bet gives favorable pot odds, and middle pair has enough showdown value against bluffs and worse pairs to call once. Raising would isolate me against stronger hands too often.

I have a weak pair with a poor kicker on an ace-high board, and the turn favors the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me reassess if they bet.

Top pair with a weak kicker does well against the Ax, 9x, and 5x hands that check-call, but it is vulnerable to a check-raise from better aces. Checking back controls the pot and may induce river bluffs.

I have two pair, but the ace on board makes many plausible hands—especially Ax—stronger. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me reach showdown against the flop bettor’s range.

A3 has showdown value but a weak kicker; most calls from a check-calling range would come from better aces, so check back.

K2 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A small raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

88 is a solid hand to continue with against the button’s small open, and calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding a large out-of-position pot. The price is favorable, even with the big blind still to act.

Getting 5.4:1 (125 to win 675) in the BB multiway with A2o; calling is profitable with pot odds and position closure, while squeezing is unnecessary.

With 88 on a Q-J-3 flop in a three-way pot, I have a modest showdown hand but little value in betting; checking keeps the pot controlled.

Ace-high with a weak kicker and a backdoor draw on a board that hits the preflop raiser's range well; check back and take the free card rather than bet into two opponents with the button still to act.

King-high has little immediate equity on this flop, and bluffing into two opponents is unlikely to be profitable. I’ll check and reassess on the turn.

With three players seeing the turn and a paired jack on board, pocket eights has some showdown value but is vulnerable to queens and stronger holdings. Check and avoid inflating the pot.

The flop checked through three ways, so everyone looks weak. A small stab on this paired board can fold out small pairs and better high cards, and our ace-high still has some showdown value.

King-high has little chance to improve to a winning hand, and a turn bet into two opponents makes a bluff-raise unattractive.

Calling is reasonable: the turn stab after a checked-through flop can include plenty of missed overcards, and the pot odds are favorable enough for 88 to bluff-catch once. Raising would mostly isolate me against stronger hands.

With pocket eights on a paired-jack board, I have some showdown value but little reason to value-bet after calling the turn. Checking avoids building a pot against stronger hands and lets missed draws or weaker pairs reach showdown.

My ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws and king-high hands that called the turn. A bluff is unlikely to fold out the pairs that make up most of their calling range.

T9 suited is a solid button-open hand three-handed, and raising applies positional pressure while building the pot with a playable hand.

52s from the small blind against a button open, with the big blind still to act, is too weak to call out of position. Folding is standard.

K9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, especially with the small blind folded. Calling keeps weaker hands in without bloating the pot out of position.

King-high with backdoor possibilities is too weak to build a pot out of position. Checking lets me see how the preflop raiser responds.

A small continuation bet can fold out some unpaired hands, and T9 has useful backdoor heart and straight equity if called.

The small flop bet offers a reasonable price to continue with two overcards and a backdoor club draw.

I have a flush draw but little showdown value. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me see how the button responds to the turn ace.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and no meaningful flush draw. Taking the free river in position preserves the chance to improve without risking a bluff into a range that called the flop raise.

King-high is unlikely to win at showdown. A 700-chip river bluff can pressure the opponent's weaker pairs after they checked back the turn.

I have only ten-high on a paired board and no meaningful draw or showdown value. The river bet is large enough that calling is unlikely to be profitable.

JTs on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb is a standard size.

Q2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K2 offsuit is marginal, but heads-up against a button open it has enough equity and a favorable price to defend from the big blind. I’ll call rather than inflate the pot out of position.

I have two pair on a dry board, but checking lets the preflop raiser continuation-bet weaker kings and bluffs while keeping the pot manageable.

On a dry K52 rainbow board I have range advantage as the preflop raiser, so a small c-bet with JT backdoor-club hand makes sense. It folds out many of the big blind's weak hands and keeps overcard and backdoor equity when called.

Top two pair is strong against the button’s small continuation bet. Raise for value and to charge weaker Kx hands while denying equity to overcards.

The BB check-raised a dry K52 board, and JTc has only a backdoor flush draw and no pair, so we lack equity against a strong range. Calling 360 into a 1270 pot is not justified.