Hold'em table

Opening small on the button can profitably pressure the blinds while limiting risk with a marginal hand. If called, position and the hand's connectivity provide some postflop playability.

K3 offsuit is weak out of position in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind me. Folding is the disciplined choice.

62 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding saves chips.

QQ is a premium hand on the button in a 3-handed game, so I raise to 3bb for value and to build the pot.

86o is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding saves chips for a better spot.

T5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb button raise out of position. Its poor playability and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

Jack-ten offsuit is a standard button open in three-handed play. A 3x raise builds the pot with position and fold equity against the blinds.

K6 offsuit is too weak to continue profitably from the small blind against a 3bb button open with the big blind still to act. Poor playability out of position and domination risk favor folding.

KQo in the big blind against a button min-3x open, getting good pot odds (200 to call into 450). Calling is solid; a 3-bet risks being dominated while out of position.

Heads-up on a dry 5-9-3 flop, I'm out of position with two overcards and a backdoor flush draw. A small bet of about half the pot builds the pot, gets worse hands to fold, and keeps my equity when called.

Two overcards with position get the right price against a small flop lead, so calling keeps the pot manageable while retaining equity and showdown value.

Board 5c 9h 3h 5s with only king-high and a gutshot-less hand; I'm out of position against a caller who showed some strength, so checking to control the pot and keep showdown value is best.

Jack-high has no pair or draw on a paired board, and seat_2 already showed strength by betting the flop. Checking keeps the pot small and realizes a free river.

Board 5c 9h 3h 5s 4h with a possible flush and straight; I hold K-high, which usually loses to any pair. Opponent checked back the turn, so their range is capped and weak. A small bet of 500 into a 1250 pot can get better hands like 9x or 6x to fold, since K-high rarely wins at showdown. Checking would give up equity from bluff-catching only with a hand that rarely wins.

Jack-high with no pair, flush, or straight on a paired board is far too weak to call a river bet. Folding avoids putting more chips in with almost no showdown value.

K4 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, combining positional advantage with flush potential and a king blocker. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds without committing too much with a weak kicker.

2-7 offsuit is the worst starting hand, and I'm out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act, so I fold and give up the 50-chip small blind.

J9 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a button open; folding avoids a dominated, low-equity spot.

8-7 suited-ish connector (offsuit here) on the button in a 3-handed game is playable; calling 100 to win a 250 pot gives a good price and position. Raising is marginal, so I take the cheap flop.

Q9 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position multiway; even a cheap complete leaves me dominated and poorly placed postflop.

52 offsuit is too weak to raise out of position against a button limp. Checking lets me see the flop without investing more chips.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker has some showdown value but cannot comfortably build a pot out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me assess the button's action.

Heads-up on a dry K-6-2 flop, the big blind checked. I have a backdoor straight draw with 8-7 and some fold equity, so a small bet of about 60% of the pot is a good stab from the button.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker and no club has poor equity realization out of position against a 60%-pot bet. With only weak improvement prospects and many difficult turns, folding is preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

Pocket sixes is ahead of a random button open range and plays well as a raise to build the pot and fold out dominated hands. A 3x open is a standard size with position still to come postflop.

Q9 suited has enough equity and playability against a typical button opening range to defend for 250 more in this rake-free game. Calling keeps the pot manageable while avoiding an unnecessarily large out-of-position pot.

5d8h offsuit is a weak hand. Calling 200 into a 700 pot gives decent odds, but I would be out of position against two players with a raise and a call, so folding is the safer play.

Check to the preflop raiser on an ace-high board that favors their range. Q9 has only a gutshot and no backdoor flush draw, so there is little reason to lead out.

Pocket sixes are an underpair on A-T-8 with no draw, and seat_1 checked. Checking realizes showdown value without bloating the pot.

I turned a queen-high straight and can get value from aces, two pair, and draws. Betting about three-quarters pot builds value while charging hands that could improve on the river.

Pocket sixes have no pair or draw on an A-T-J-8 board, and a 550 turn bet is too expensive to continue with almost no equity.