Hold'em table

A5 suited is a strong button-opening hand in a three-handed game. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to build the pot and apply pressure to the blinds.

AK suited is a premium hand and I am out of position against a button open, so a 3-bet to 800 builds the pot and denies equity rather than flatting.

Folding Q6o facing an open raise and a 3-bet.

A5 suited has useful equity and playability in position, and the call price is reasonable against a blind 3-bet. I’ll avoid inflating the pot with a marginal 4-bet.

I am the preflop 3-bettor with two overcards on a dry Q-high flop, so a small c-bet pressures missed hands and keeps the initiative.

The small bet offers favorable pot odds, and my ace-high hand has an overcard plus a backdoor diamond draw. I’ll call and reassess on the turn.

Ace-king has some showdown value but no pair or heart draw on a queen-high, three-heart board. Checking avoids bloating the pot out of position against a caller who already continued twice.

I have only a weak pair, and the third heart makes the turn a poor spot to build the pot. I’ll take the free showdown card rather than bet into my opponent’s range.

Ace-high has no pair and no heart on a three-heart board, so a river bet is unlikely to fold better hands. Checking realizes the small chance opponent also missed without risking more chips.

I have a modest pair with showdown value, and the opponent checked the river. Checking avoids turning it into a bluff or risking a raise against stronger hands.

72 offsuit is the worst starting hand and is not worth calling a blind even on the button. Folding preserves the full stack for better spots.

Getting 3:1 direct pot odds blind versus blind with suited connectors/gappers, calling is profitable to see a flop.

With pocket aces, raise for value and to build the pot while isolating the limper. A raise to 400 is a strong size without overcommitting preflop.

85s is too weak to call a 4bb raise out of position.

J3s is too weak to open profitably from the button even in 3-handed play.

With the button folded, calling the remaining 50 gets a favorable price in this blind-versus-blind pot. I’ll avoid inflating it with a weak offsuit hand.

85s is too weak to raise for value against a completed small blind, and checking is free with position postflop.

I have a weak bottom pair on a dry flop and am out of position, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me respond to the big blind’s action.

8d5d has no pair, no real draw, and little equity if called on Td4c2s. With position after the small blind checks, taking the free card is better than a half-pot bluff.

I have a weak pair with little improvement potential, and checking preserves showdown value without inflating the pot.

Eight-high with no pair and no draw has little showdown value, but the pot is small and seat_1 has checked, so checking is better than bluffing into a dry board.

My pair of twos has some showdown value, and betting is unlikely to get called by worse often enough to justify risking a raise. I’ll check and try to reach showdown cheaply.

Eight-high has no showdown value and no credible bluff on a checked river with an ace and three clubs out. Checking realizes the free showdown.

JTo is a strong enough hand to open from the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5bb raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Nine-six offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, poorly connected hand.

J8 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5x open from the button.

A3o is a standard button open in three-handed play; a 3bb raise builds the pot and can take it down preflop.

Q6s is too weak to call a 3x open out of position with the big blind still left to act.

5♠4♠ has enough playability and implied-odds potential to defend the big blind against a button raise. Calling keeps the pot manageable while avoiding an out-of-position 3-bet bluff.

With 5♠4♠ on A♥8♣Q♠, I have no made hand and only backdoor potential. Checking is preferable to leading into the preflop raiser.

I have top pair on a dry flop and the big blind checked, so a half-pot continuation bet takes the pot often and builds value when called.

I have no pair or meaningful immediate draw on this flop, and calling 300 would be too costly with only a backdoor flush possibility.

Q8o is slightly too weak to open profitably from the button even in 3-handed play.

Completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot, giving 6-4 offsuit enough immediate odds to see a flop from the small blind.

K2 suited is too weak to raise for value against the small blind's limp, and checking keeps the pot small while realizing suited-king equity.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on this ace-high flop, so checking avoids building the pot with a weak hand.

Bottom pair with a king kicker is too weak to bet for value on an ace-high board, and checking keeps the pot small while realizing equity in position.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, so betting the turn offers little value. I’ll take the free river card after the flop checked through.

I have only bottom pair with a king kicker on an ace-high board, and the opponent has checked twice. Checking keeps the pot small and realizes showdown value without bloating a weak hand.

I have little showdown value, and the opponent checked both flop and turn. A small river bet may fold out hands that beat my weak kicker without risking much.