Hold'em table

K♣3♣ is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A small raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

J5 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a clear fold. Calling out of position with a weak, dominated hand loses money.

J6 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a 2.5-big-blind button raise, especially with the small blind's chips in the pot.

I have a weak pair on a connected, two-spade flop and am out of position. Checking controls the pot and lets me respond to the button's action.

K-high has some showdown value and a useful chance to improve, while this connected flop favors the big blind's continuing range. I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into it.

Trip sixes are strong enough to bet for value against tens, pairs, and spade draws after the flop checked through.

K-high has no meaningful draw on this board, and the turn lead risks another bet on the river. Fold rather than pay with little showdown value.

J2 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in 3-handed play with both blinds left to act. Folding is the standard play.

Completing for 50 chips gives this suited connector a cheap chance to see a flop against the big blind.

I have a very weak hand and can see the flop for free, so there is no reason to raise.

I have only a gutshot on this flop, so I’ll check rather than build the pot.

I have only weak backdoor possibilities and no immediate draw, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the small blind.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and little showdown value. Checking avoids investing more out of position without a stronger draw.

The turn check gives me a good chance to take the pot with a small bet, and I have a heart flush draw plus a gutshot if called.

My gutshot has only four clean straight outs at best, and calling 100 into a 300-chip pot does not offer enough value, especially out of position.

On the button in a three-handed game, 7-6 offsuit is playable as a small open raise. Position gives it room to realize equity while putting pressure on the blinds.

99 is strong enough to continue against the button’s small open, but calling keeps the pot manageable out of position and avoids isolating myself against a tighter continuing range.

At 5:1 pot odds, needing only about 20% equity, Q7o has enough equity against a button open and a SB flat to justify defending the big blind despite being out of position.

With three players on a J-T-high flop, pocket nines are a modest showdown hand and don’t benefit from building the pot. I’ll check and see how the others act.

Queen-high with a gutshot (needs a K) in a three-way pot, out of position against the preflop raiser, so checking is best. I can realize my equity cheaply and decide after the button acts.

With seven-high and no immediate draw in a three-way pot, I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into two opponents.

Nines are a modest underpair on a connected, two-tone board and retain useful showdown value. I’ll take the free card rather than risk building a pot against two opponents.

Queen-high with no real draw, and the button is still to act behind; I'll check and keep the pot small with some showdown value.

With seven-high, no meaningful draw, and two opponents still in the pot, a turn bluff is unlikely to be profitable. I’ll check and avoid investing more chips.

Nines are a reasonable showdown hand, but with three opponents and an overcard-heavy board, a thin river bet is unlikely to get called often by worse hands. I’ll take the free showdown.

Queen-high has a little showdown value in a checked-down pot, and a bluff into two opponents who probably hold weak pairs is unlikely to get enough folds.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but a bet into two opponents is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands.

KJo is a solid button opening hand three-handed; raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping weaker hands in the pot.

ATo in the small blind against a button open in 3-handed play is strong enough to 3-bet for value and to take the initiative. Raising to 10bb avoids playing out of position in a multiway pot.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a 10bb three-bet, especially with the button still able to act.

K♠J♣ is a strong suited hand with good playability in position, and calling preserves its value without escalating against the small blind’s 3-bet.

Middle pair with an ace kicker has showdown value, but out of position on a wet Q-T-9 board that hits the caller's range, betting mostly folds out worse hands. Checking controls the pot size.

I have a king-high straight and should value-bet while charging club draws and other strong holdings. A roughly two-thirds-pot bet builds the pot without committing too much of my stack.

A pair of tens plus the nut-ish club flush draw and an ace overcard gives plenty of equity against a button c-bet. Calling keeps the pot controlled out of position and gets me good odds (about 29%).

Second pair with a good kicker has showdown value but is vulnerable against the button's range. Checking controls the pot on a blank turn and lets the button keep bluffing.

I have a strong king-high straight, but the club draw and possible ace-high straight make it vulnerable. A substantial value bet charges draws while keeping the pot manageable against a raise.

Our pair of tens with an ace kicker is weak against a button player who called our 3-bet and then bet both the flop and the turn. Their range is full of queens, overpairs and strong draws, and we would face a tough river bet with 5200 behind, so we fold.

T2 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in 3-handed play with two players still to act, so folding is standard.

With no rake and only 50 more to call, completing the small blind with T4o is preferable to folding, though the hand is too weak to raise.

A♠T♥ is strong enough to raise for value and take initiative against the small blind’s limp. A raise to 400 pressures the limper without overcommitting preflop.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a raise to 400.

K2 offsuit is a marginal but playable button open in a three-handed, rake-free game. A small raise uses position while limiting the cost when called.

A♠6♥ is a reasonable blind defense against a small button open, and calling preserves the pot with useful ace-blocker equity. A 3-bet risks building a large out-of-position pot with a weak kicker.

Getting 6:1 on a min-raise in the big blind with K6o multiway is a clear call; raising is unnecessary.

I have top pair with a weak kicker in a multiway pot and am out of position, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the preflop raiser act.

K-high with a backdoor flush draw and gutshot to a wheel (needs 4 for a 6-high straight... 2-4 combos) is weak out of position into the preflop raiser on an ace-high board; check and see whether the button's c-bet is small enough to continue.

With only king-high and a gutshot in a three-way pot, I prefer taking the free card in position rather than building the pot against likely pairs or diamond draws.

A small turn bet can get value from weaker aces and pairs while charging diamond draws. Keeping it modest limits exposure with my weak kicker in a multiway pot.

King-high with no real draw facing a turn lead, with another player still to act behind; even at good pot odds, the equity isn't enough to call.

The small turn bet gives me a reasonable price to pursue the gutshot, and a king may also improve my hand. Calling keeps the pot manageable in position.

The river completes the diamond flush draw, and my top pair has a weak kicker. Checking avoids value-owning into a flush or stronger ace after the opponent called the turn.

King-high has little showdown value. The river diamond is a credible bluff card, and holding the Kd blocks some strong flushes.

The river completes the diamond draw, and a 70%-pot bet after calling my turn lead is often a flush or a better ace. A6 is a weak bluff-catcher here, so I fold.