Hold'em table

86 offsuit is too weak to open profitably even from the button in 3-handed play.

J♦3♦ is playable heads-up from the small blind, and completing costs only 50 more chips into the 150-chip pot. I’ll avoid inflating the pot with a raise against the big blind.

T8o is too weak to raise for value after the small blind completes, and checking keeps the pot small with a playable but marginal hand.

I have top pair and can get value from weaker pairs while charging club draws. A small flop bet keeps the pot manageable with my weak kicker.

I have only a gutshot with no pair or flush draw, and the price to continue is too high for four outs against a flop bet.

K♠4♠ is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A 2.5× big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable if called.

T2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open, especially out of position. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, unplayable hand.

Facing a 2.5bb raise from the button, 98 offsuit lacks sufficient playability and equity out of position to justify calling.

J4o is too weak to open first-in from the button in three-handed play; folding avoids a dominated, poorly connected hand out of position to further aggression.

Blind vs blind with an ace blocker; open-raising to apply pressure and pick up the blinds.

QTs is strong enough to defend from the big blind, and calling keeps dominated hands in the raiser’s range without inflating the pot out of position.

I hit bottom pair with top kicker out of position in a single-raised pot; checking controls the pot size and allows me to evaluate villain's action.

I have top pair with a strong queen kicker on a relatively dry board. A 400-chip bet gets value from weaker pairs and charges overcards to continue.

In a blind-vs-blind pot, bottom pair with an Ace kicker is sufficiently strong to call a single bet getting 2.5:1 odds.

Turned two pair (Aces and Deuces); checking to induce a continuation bet from villain's flop betting range.

The ace is a poor turn card for my second pair and improves many hands in the preflop raiser’s range. Checking keeps the pot manageable and preserves showdown value.

We rivered two pair (Aces and Deuces) in a checked-turn pot. Betting around half pot targets calls from weaker Ax and Tx holdings.

I have a pair of tens with a strong kicker, and the river bet gives me reasonable pot odds to bluff-catch. The ace can improve their value range, but their line also allows bluffs and thinner bets.

Opening standard 2.5bb from the button with suited ace Ad3d.

Sevens have good equity against a button open and can flop a set, while calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids building a large pot out of position.

K4o is too weak to continue against a button raise and a small-blind call; the king is often dominated and the four adds little playability.

I flopped a set of sevens on a board with flush and straight draws, so I’m betting for value and protection while there are still two opponents’ ranges to consider.

We completely whiffed this flop with Ad3d on Kc8h7c and have no significant draw against an opponent leading out for two-thirds pot.

J-2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button, and calling would invite the blinds to see a flop with poor equity.

T2s is too weak to continue out of position against the big blind after the button folds; calling or raising leaves me dominated and without initiative.

AQ suited is a strong button open; a 3x raise builds the pot and applies pressure before the blinds act.

Holding 32o in the small blind against a button open is an automatic fold.

53 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3x raise from the button, especially out of position and with poor postflop playability.