Hold'em table

Holding 72 offsuit, the worst starting hand in poker, an easy disciplined fold from the button.

With the button folded, A5 offsuit is strong enough to raise from the small blind and take initiative heads-up. A raise to 300 applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

84 suited is too weak to continue against a 3bb small-blind raise, even in position. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, low-equity hand.

With offsuit 3-4, calling from the button is unlikely to realize enough equity, and raising as an open is too loose against two blinds.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind with KQo, a clear raise. A raise to 300 builds the pot and denies the BB a cheap flop.

With T6s in the big blind having position postflop against a 3bb SB open, we have sufficient pot odds and playability to call.

I have the nut flush draw on an ace-high board and was the preflop raiser, so a half-pot continuation bet applies pressure while building the pot for my draw.

I hold ten-high with only a gutshot on a monotone Ace-high board against the preflop aggressor's c-bet, making this an easy fold.

T6o is too weak to open from the button in a three-handed game; folding avoids playing a dominated offsuit hand out of position to further action.

In a blind-vs-blind battle after the button folded, 86s has great playability and makes for an effective opening raise.

KTo is a reasonable defend from the big blind against the small blind’s raise, and the price is favorable with no other player left to act.

C-betting 1/3 pot with a flush draw on an Ace-high board that favors my preflop range.

K-high has only a gutshot to the straight and no meaningful backdoor flush equity. The small bet is tempting, but the direct odds are insufficient and pairing a king or ten may still leave me behind.

Holding pocket kings on the button, open-raising to 2.5bb for value.

8♣6♦ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a raise from the small blind would leave me out of position with the big blind still to act.

86o is too weak to defend out of position against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.

On the button three-handed, raising gives me a chance to win the blinds and lets me use position if called. I’ll keep the sizing modest with a weak offsuit hand.

A8o out of position versus a button open is too weak to call or 3-bet; folding avoids a dominated, poorly realized hand.

94s is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5x button open.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button into two live blinds; folding avoids dominated, poorly connected cards.

In a blind-vs-blind battle after the button folded, A8o is strong enough to open raise for value and fold equity.

A3 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind heads-up at these pot odds, while calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

I have middle pair with top kicker on a Kh-8c-4h board out of position; checking controls the pot size and lets me evaluate action from the big blind.

With only ace-high on a king-high, two-heart board, a bet is unlikely to get better hands to fold. I’ll take the free card and preserve showdown value.

I have second pair with top kicker and modest showdown value; checking keeps the pot small and allows me to evaluate the river.

With ace-high and no heart or meaningful straight draw, betting into a checked-through flop on a three-heart board risks getting called by better hands. I’ll take the free river.

I have third pair with top kicker, which has decent showdown value after both players checked flop and turn. Checking to see a cheap showdown is optimal.

Ace-high has reasonable showdown value after the checks, and a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I'll take the free showdown rather than risk being check-raised or called by a pair.