Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, especially with both blinds still able to continue.

Pocket fives are strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind and contest the big blind's range.

The small blind's raise to 3bb has a wide range, and K6o in the big blind is getting 3:1 (200 to win 600) with position postflop. That makes this a clear defend by calling rather than a 3-bet.

With an underpair on a connected, two-club flop, I prefer to check and avoid building the pot out of position.

In position after the preflop raiser checked, a small one-third pot stab with king-high, a backdoor flush draw and an overcard can take the pot often. It also keeps equity if we get called.

The small bet gives my pocket fives a favorable price to continue against a broad big-blind range. Raising would turn a hand with some showdown value into a bluff.

Pocket fives have little showdown value on this coordinated turn, but betting is unlikely to fold out enough better hands. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

We have a flush draw plus a gutshot (about 12 outs) and a king overcard, and SB has checked the turn. A semi-bluff of 60% pot gives us fold equity on top of strong equity.

An underpair without a club has little chance to improve on this connected, three-club board. Facing a second bet, calling 600 is unlikely to be profitable.

On the button in a three-handed, rake-free game, 9-7 offsuit is playable as an open. A modest raise can win the blinds and gives me position if called.

Against a wide 3-handed button open, A3o works well as a 3-bet from the small blind because the ace blocker reduces the button's strong hands. Flatting out of position with the big blind still to act is worse, and a raise can take the pot down now.

9♠3♠ is too weak to continue against the large preflop raise, especially with another player already involved. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity.

9-7 offsuit is too weak to call a large three-bet, even in position.

64o sits at the bottom of a 3-handed button opening range and plays poorly against the two blinds, so folding is fine.

A5 offsuit is a strong heads-up blind hand; raise for value and initiative rather than completing the small blind.

J8 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in the pot.

A-high has some showdown value, but this paired flop gives me no meaningful draw and the caller can continue with many hands. Checking keeps the pot controlled and protects my checking range.

Trips are strong heads-up, and a half-pot bet gets value from overpairs and diamond draws while charging hands with two overcards.

Call with ace-high, which remains ahead of many flop stabs, and retain backdoor flush and wheel-draw possibilities. The half-pot bet offers reasonable pot odds.

With ace-high on a paired board, I have little reason to build the pot and can take a free river card. Checking also keeps weaker hands and missed draws in the pot.

Trips are strong against overpairs and draws, and the turn adds a second flush draw. A substantial bet gets value while charging hands with live outs.

A-high has no meaningful draw and is unlikely to be ahead after the flop bet-call and sizable turn lead. The price is not enough to continue without a pair or stronger draw.

A-J offsuit is a strong button open three-handed. Raise to 2.5 big blinds for value and initiative.

54 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, with the big blind still to act.

QTo in the big blind against a 2.5x button open is getting good pot odds (150 to win 400) and plays well postflop, so defending by calling is standard.

With top two pair out of position against the preflop raiser, I'm checking so the button can continuation-bet into me, and I plan to check-raise for value and protection on this draw-heavy board.

Make a small continuation bet with range advantage and some equity from two overcards and a gutshot to Broadway, while applying pressure to hands that missed.

Top two pair on a draw-heavy board against a small c-bet, so I check-raise for value and to charge straight draws and weaker Qx hands.

The check-raise is substantial, and my gutshot has only four likely clean outs; the ace and jack may not be reliable against a value-heavy range. I’m not getting a good enough price to continue.

T6 offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two players at 100bb.

Pocket nines are a strong hand for small blind vs big blind, so I'm raising to 3bb for value and to take the initiative out of position.

A♠? No—A♦8♠ is a reasonable heads-up big-blind defend against the small blind’s raise. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a playable but non-premium hand.

99 on a dry J-J-2 board is usually ahead of the BB's calling range, and I'm out of position. A small c-bet of a third pot gets value from worse pairs and denies equity to overcards.”,

Call the small 200-chip bet with ace-high; the price is favorable, and raising would risk inflating the pot with a marginal hand.

The Qc improves much of the big blind's flop-calling range (Qx hands and club draws), so 99 is now a bluff-catcher. Checking controls the pot and keeps our showdown value.

Ace-high has reasonable showdown value after the small flop bet, and this turn doesn’t give me a strong draw or useful club blocker. I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into a range that can have a queen, jack, or club draw.

Nines with the board pair have showdown value, but a bet would mostly get called by Jx, Qx and 8x and fold out the worse hands. Checking controls the pot and picks off any bluffs.

My pair of eights has some showdown value, but the paired board and queen make a value bet unlikely to be called by worse hands. I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk a raise.

Q9s is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'll make a standard 2.5bb raise to steal the blinds with a playable hand.

T7 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button min-ish raise, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Top pair with a medium kicker is strong enough to continue, but checking to the preflop raiser keeps weaker hands and bluffs in their range.

On a K87 board we hold a gutshot (a J makes the straight) plus a backdoor spade draw and overcard equity. That makes a good small c-bet in position, since our range advantage on a K-high board gives fold equity.

Top pair with a medium kicker is strong enough to continue against a small continuation bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot without inflating it against better kings.

Top pair has showdown value, but the turn connects with hands that called the flop. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me assess a bet.

This is a semi-bluff barrel: a 10 gives us a straight, and the Q is a possible extra out. We also have fold equity against the flop calling range after the Jack falls.

Top pair with a ten kicker is strong enough to continue against this turn bet, and a nine can improve me to a straight. Raising would risk too much against stronger hands.

Top pair with a ten kicker has showdown value, but the river completes several straights. Checking controls the pot against stronger hands and leaves room for the opponent to bluff.

Queen-high with the missed draw has essentially no showdown value, and after the villain's passive check-calls their range is capped with many marginal pairs and missed draws. A bet of about 70% pot works as a bluff if they fold roughly 41% of the time.

Top pair with a ten kicker is strong enough to call this river bet at the offered pot odds. The ten also blocks some T9 straights, and missed draws remain possible.