Hold'em table

On the button with a playable hand, I’ll open-raise to apply pressure and use position postflop.

5-7 offsuit is a very weak hand with poor equity and playability against a 2.5x raise, and the big blind is still left to act. Folding avoids bleeding chips out of position.

Getting attractive pot odds of 150 to win 400 against a button opening range, J6s has sufficient suited equity and playability to defend from the big blind.

I flop top pair with a weak kicker on a connected board, so checking out of position to control the pot is standard.

I have a pair plus an open-ended straight draw, so a modest bet can get value and deny equity while keeping weaker hands in.

I flopped top pair and am facing a small continuation bet of less than 40% pot, making an easy call with adequate pot odds.

I have two pair with a weak kicker out of position. Checking to control the pot size and see what the button does is the standard line.

I have a weak middle pair with limited improvement potential, and the opponent’s flop call makes a turn bet risky. I’ll take the free showdown card rather than inflate the pot.

On a double-paired board where any 9 or 8 makes a full house, our two pair Jacks and Nines has good showdown value against missed floats but cannot get value from worse hands, so checking is best.

I have a full house and can make a value bet against hands such as a jack or a nine. A moderate size gets calls while limiting exposure to a higher full house or quads.

We hold top two pair on a double-paired board, which beats all bluffs and worse pocket pairs. Getting greater than 3:1 pot odds, calling the small river bet is profitable against villain's missed straight draws and river stabs.

T9s is a solid suited connector to open from the button 3-handed; a min-raise to 250 builds a pot with position while keeping risk low.

K7o is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

Q9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an unnecessary reraise.

I have only queen-high with no meaningful draw on this dry, low flop, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me respond to the button’s action.

I opened preflop and the BB check appears weak; the 3-4-8 rainbow board is very unlikely to have connected with a calling range, so a half-pot continuation bet takes the initiative and often folds out A/K/Q-high hands while my T-high retains some showdown equity.

I have only queen-high with no meaningful draw on this dry flop, and the 350-chip bet is too large to continue profitably.

J2o is too weak to open on the button in 3-handed play.

KJo is strong heads-up against the big blind after the button folds. Raise for value and initiative rather than give the big blind a cheap option to see the flop.

K9o has sufficient equity against a wide small-blind 3x raising range, and I only need to call 200 into a 400 pot while acting last postflop. Calling keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity in position.

I have two overcards and a backdoor heart draw, but the board can connect well with the big blind’s calling range. I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot without a made hand.

I have middle pair on a checked flop; a small bet builds the pot and charges draws, and I can fold if raised.

The half-pot bet gives reasonable odds to continue with a gutshot and two overcards, plus a small runner-runner flush possibility. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a costly raise with no made hand.

I have a reasonable one-pair hand, but the flop raise and call leave plenty of stronger hands and draws in the opponent’s range. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to their action.

My pair of jacks with a king kicker has some showdown value, but the flop bet-call line can leave the opponent with plenty of queens and stronger hands. I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk a thin river value bet.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raise to 250 to apply pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

J7 offsuit is far too weak to call 200 more out of position against a button raise, and 3-betting it as a bluff has poor equity when called. Folding preserves chips for better spots.

Q2s has poor postflop playability out of position against a 2.5x button open, making it a clear fold despite the suitedness.

KQo is a strong opening hand 3-handed on the button; I raise to 3bb to build the pot and apply pressure on the blinds.

Holding J3o out of position facing an open raise is an easy standard fold.

J4 offsuit is weak, but the raise is from the button and the price is favorable enough to defend the big blind heads-up.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on this flop, so I’ll take the free option and avoid building the pot.

I have top pair (kings) after my preflop raise and the caller checked the flop. A moderate bet charges flush draws and extracts value from weaker Kx/Ax hands while keeping the pot manageable on this three-spade board.

I have no pair, no spade, and no meaningful draw on this flop, so calling the bet would be unjustified.

J9o is a standard opening candidate on the button in 3-handed play to steal blinds and play in position.

K4 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against the button's raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Only 100 more to call into a 350 pot, so I need ~22% equity; 34o has enough against a wide 3-max button opening range to defend cheaply and look to make straights or two pair.

I hold 3s4c with no draw on a Js-9d-7d board; checking is free and I can fold to any bet rather than invest more into a very weak hand.

I flopped top two pair on a wet board with flush and straight draws, so I am betting for value and protection.

I hold 3-high with no pair, no draw, and no realistic equity against a preflop raiser's flop bet; calling 300 into 750 would be throwing chips away.