Hold'em table

Nine-six offsuit is a weak button hand with poor playability, so I’ll pass rather than open into both blinds.

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

T7 offsuit is too weak to defend against a small-blind raise heads-up from the big blind, especially out of position.

In 3-handed play, J4 suited on the button is at the edge of a reasonable opening range. A small steal to 2.5bb takes advantage of position against the two blinds.

9-high suited connector has sufficient playability to defend the small blind against a small button open, especially with the big blind still to act.

Calling 150 closes the action and gives me a good price to see a flop with a connected hand, despite being out of position.

With only 8-high on a coordinated king-high flop against two opponents, checking preserves chips and retains the option to react to their actions.

Nine-seven offsuit has no pair or meaningful draw on this monotone flop. Checking avoids investing more in a three-way pot with little equity.

I have J-high with a gutshot (Q gives a straight) but no club, on a monotone board against two opponents, so c-betting has little fold equity and could get raised off my equity. Checking back takes a free card.

We have no made hand or meaningful draw on this four-club board, so checking preserves chips.

I have no club and no meaningful draw on a four-club board. Checking avoids investing more with a weak hand.

I hold no club and have no showdown value on a four-club board. A bluff into two opponents who likely hold at least one club has poor fold equity, so I'll take the free card toward a Queen and reassess on the river.

The four-club board is highly threatening after everyone checked twice, and my hand has no showdown value. A moderate river bluff can fold out unpaired hands and one-pair holdings without a club.

I have no club and only nine-high as a kicker on a four-club board. Calling a river bet with another player still to act is unlikely to be profitable.

I only have jack-high with no club, so I have essentially no showdown value against a river lead on a four-flush board. Bluff-raising after checking the flop and turn isn't credible enough to be worth the risk.

2-5 offsuit is too weak to profitably enter from the button at this stack depth.

6-3 offsuit is weak and difficult to play out of position against the big blind. Folding limits further losses.

Pocket fours are strong enough to open on the button, and a 2.5-big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

76o 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 offsuit hand loses money.

J6 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button open at this stack depth.

Pocket fives on the button in a 3-handed game are well ahead of a typical range, so I'm opening to 2.5bb. That puts pressure on both blinds and keeps things simple postflop.

Calling from the small blind with 76 offsuit is reasonable at this small raise size, preserving a playable suited-independent connector-like hand with implied odds in a multiway pot.

Q9 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind for 150 more chips in this multiway pot. A raise would inflate the pot out of position with a marginal hand.

With only a gutshot straight draw on a paired board in a multiway pot, checking preserves flexibility and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

With only a gutshot and one overcard in a three-way pot, I prefer to check to the preflop raiser rather than lead.

On a dry paired board that both opponents checked to me, 55 is probably the best hand, so a small bet for about a third of the pot takes protection and value against overcards and weaker pairs. It also denies free cards.

We have only a weak gutshot on a paired board with no showdown value. Folding to the multiway continuation bet avoids continuing with a very fragile draw.

The small bet offers good pot odds with a gutshot straight draw and possible overcard outs. Raising into the preflop raiser is less attractive than calling.

Q-high with a gutshot has little value to bet into the preflop raiser. Checking preserves the option to continue against a small bet.

Pocket fives have showdown value but get called mostly by better hands, such as eights, nines and trips, so checking back in position controls the pot. It also realizes equity against the draws in the BB's calling range.

Q-high has little showdown value after the missed draw. A river bet can fold out better unpaired hands, and the queen and nine block some holdings that could call.

The river gave us fives full of tens, which beats the trip tens and weaker hands that make up much of the big blind's range. Raise for value, sized so trip tens can still call.

I have only queen-high after my river bet was raised. Calling 1650 is unlikely to be profitable.

KQ offsuit is a strong button opening hand three-handed. A 2.5bb raise applies pressure while retaining maneuverability.

J5 suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Pocket eights in the big blind are well ahead of a 3-handed button opening range. A 3-bet to 10bb builds the pot and takes the initiative, and folds still win dead money.

KQo is strong enough to continue in position against a blind three-bet, and calling preserves its equity without inflating the pot unnecessarily.

An overpair with a spade flush draw on a low board is ahead of much of the caller's range and benefits from protection. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot takes value and denies equity.

KQ has two overcards and position against a likely broad continuation range in this 3-bet pot. The price is reasonable to continue and reassess on the turn.

88 is a medium-strength hand on a wet board, and the Tc improves some of the villain's calling range. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets draws bluff into us, rather than bloating a pot where most of the hands that call us are ahead of 88 or have strong equity.

With two overcards but no made hand on this coordinated board, checking back preserves showdown equity and avoids facing a check-raise.

Pocket eights have some showdown value, but the river 7c completes the clubs flush and several straights. Betting would mostly get called by better hands, so I'll check and aim for a cheap showdown.

The turn and river checks leave opponent with many overcards and medium pairs that cannot comfortably call on this coordinated board. A substantial river bluff credibly represents a straight or club flush and can fold out better high-card hands.

The river completed the club flush and several straights, and villain bet after checking back the turn, which represents a lot of strong hands. 88 only beats bluffs, so it is too weak to call even at 28% pot odds.