Hold'em table

J8o is at the weak boundary of a 3-handed button opening range, so folding preflop is standard and avoids marginal spots postflop.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind with suited ace-ten. A raise to 300 builds the pot with a strong hand and applies pressure.

7♠2♦ is an especially weak offsuit hand, and calling the raise out of position is not worthwhile.

J3o is too weak to open from the button; it is dominated often and has poor playability, so folding preserves chips.

Calling costs only 50 chips into a pot that will be 200, and 3-2 offsuit has enough equity against the big blind’s wide checking range to see a flop at this price.

Holding A8o in the big blind against an SB limp, checking allows us to see a free flop with position and decent high-card equity.

With 3♦2♥ on a paired 9-high flop, I have no meaningful equity or draw; checking avoids building the pot with a weak hand.

I have Ace-high with showdown value and position on a paired board; checking back keeps the pot small and takes a free card.

The ace is a useful scare card after the flop checked through, and a small turn bet can fold out missed hands. My cards have little showdown value, so I’m taking a stab rather than checking.

Turned top pair aces in a limped blind-versus-blind pot; calling the half-pot bet keeps opponent's bluffs and worse pairs in.

My 3-high has virtually no showdown value, but the river king makes a bluff less convincing after the turn call. I’ll check rather than risk chips against likely pairs or better.

Hero has Aces and Nines with a King kicker from the board (the eight does not play). Checking behind realizes showdown value safely against missed draws and weaker pairs.

J4 offsuit is weak, so raising risks building a pot with a dominated hand; calling the additional 100 keeps the pot small while preserving button position.

Q6o has poor postflop playability out of position against a limper and the big blind still to act, making folding standard.

Suited connectors play fine multiway or heads-up, and I am already in for the big blind with no price to continue. Checking keeps the pot small out of position and lets me realize equity on the flop.

Bottom pair with no draw is too weak to bet into the limper, so I check and pot-control.

A small flop bet can fold out unpaired hands, and the J♦ gives me a useful blocker if the board develops a flush draw. I can keep the bluff inexpensive on this dry ace-high board.

I have a pair of fives plus an open-ended straight draw and only need to call 100 into 350, so the price is right to continue out of position.

I have bottom pair plus straight outs on an ace-high board, and the turn is free to see. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reassess on the river.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, and checking keeps the pot small after my opponent called the flop bet.

I have a weak pair of fives on the river and can see showdown for free. Betting only gets called by better hands, so checking is best.

I have only jack-high, but a river bluff is unlikely to fold many hands that called the flop, and the queen plus completed spade draw makes the board unfavorable. I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk chips.

J8o is near the bottom of the button opening range in 3-handed play, making fold a clean, disciplined decision.

K3 offsuit is too weak to call or raise out of position against the big blind, so folding preserves chips.

J9o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative and fold out weak blinds.

T8 suited has enough playability to defend against a button raise, though calling keeps the pot manageable while out of position and with the big blind still to act.

J5o plays terribly out of position in a multiway pot despite getting decent pot odds, making a fold standard.

I have a modest showdown hand on a paired board, so checking keeps the pot manageable and lets the preflop raiser act.

J9 has only a gutshot and one overcard on a paired board, so I check back in position to realize equity and keep the pot small.

I have a modest pair with a gutshot, but betting is unlikely to get much value from worse hands and risks building the pot against stronger holdings. I’ll check and see the river.

I have an open-ended straight draw with no showdown value, and the opponent has checked both streets. A two-thirds pot semi-bluff applies pressure while keeping a profitable river when I hit.

I have two pair with a useful nine-out straight draw, and calling offers reasonable pot odds. Raising risks building a large pot on a connected board against the preflop raiser.

I have a modest two-pair hand with useful showdown value, but the turn bet-call and connected board make a river value bet risky. I’ll check and take the showdown.

I have jack-high with no pair or straight on a paired board, and the opponent called the turn, so a river bluff is unlikely to fold out enough made hands. Checking realizes the hand without spewing more chips.

With the button’s positional advantage in a three-handed game, 8♣3♣ is playable as a small open-raise. Raising gives the blinds a chance to fold and avoids letting them see a cheap flop.

Nine-five offsuit is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

A9o is playable in the big blind against a single 2.5bb button open, and calling 150 into a 400 pot is better than folding or 3-betting out of position with a dominated offsuit ace.

Middle pair with an ace kicker is showdown value but not strong enough to bet into the preflop raiser on this connected board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me react to their action.

I have only a weak gutshot and little immediate showdown value, but this connected flop likely hits the big blind’s calling range. I’ll take the free turn card rather than bluff into it.

I have second pair with an ace kicker on a connected turn, and the preflop raiser checked the flop. Checking controls the pot and realizes showdown value without bloating a draw-heavy board.

I have a weak pair with a poor kicker on a highly connected board, so I’ll take the free showdown chance rather than build the pot.

I have a pair of nines with an ace kicker, but the river board is connected and paired, so many straights and higher pairs beat me. Checking realizes showdown value without risking a raise from a stronger hand.

My two pair is a reasonable showdown hand, but the paired, connected river gives few worse hands a reason to call a value bet. I’ll take the free showdown.