Hold'em table

4d 2h is an extremely weak unsuited hand that does not warrant opening even on the button.

With the button folded, J9 offsuit is a strong heads-up blind hand. Raise for value and initiative while putting pressure on the big blind.

Pocket nines are well ahead of the small blind's likely wide 3x-raise range 3-handed, so a standard 3-bet builds the pot with a strong-ish hand while I retain position postflop.

J9 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a substantial 3-bet, even at this price.

With 77 on the button in a three-handed game, raising is profitable and builds the pot while applying pressure to the blinds. I choose a modest 2.5× big-blind open.

Suited connector 76s with deep effective stacks and a multiway pot offers good implied odds; calling 200 to see a cheap flop is better than folding, though I'll release if I miss badly.

Closing the action with T9o getting 4-to-1 pot odds (calling 150 into 600) makes this a profitable multiway call.

I flopped top pair (sixes) with the best kicker plus an open-ended straight draw on 2-6-5, so betting ~2/3 pot builds the pot while I'm likely ahead and protects against draws.

I completely missed the flop with ten-high and face a two-thirds pot lead with the preflop raiser still left to act behind me.

My pair of sevens is an overpair to this low board and is likely ahead of many unpaired hands. The bet is large enough to avoid raising, but calling offers reasonable pot odds and keeps weaker hands in.

With a middle pocket pair on this paired, low board, checking preserves showdown value and avoids building a pot against the 6x, 5x, and stronger hands that may continue. I can still catch bluffs or worse hands on the river.

With a modest showdown hand, checking avoids value-owning into the opponent’s likely pairs while preserving wins against missed draws and overcards.

Q2 offsuit is far too weak to open even from the button three-handed with no antes; it is dominated by nearly every queen and flops poorly, so folding maximizes EV.

In a blind versus blind scenario, J9o has sufficient playability and pot odds to complete from the small blind.

With offsuit 7-2 and no raise to face, checking takes the free flop without building the pot with a weak hand.

Check with Jack-high and no made hand on a paired flop in a limped blind vs blind pot.

With only 7-high and no meaningful draw on a paired board, betting has little value; check and avoid building the pot.

Turn 8 gave us an open-ended straight draw after a checked flop; a 3/4-pot semi-bluff can fold out hands with showdown value or build the pot for when we hit.

I have no pair and only a gutshot straight draw, which is not enough equity to call this turn bet. A raise would be an unjustified bluff with little fold equity heads-up.

K5o is too weak to profitably open from the button in a standard 3-handed preflop strategy.

K7 offsuit is strong enough to complete from the small blind heads-up, but calling keeps the pot manageable while out of position.

T4o is weak, but I'm in the big blind with a free look at the flop against only the small blind's limp, so checking costs nothing and preserves fold equity for later streets.

With second pair on an ace-high flop, checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it with a marginal hand. I can reassess after the big blind acts.

I hold bottom pair (fours) with a weak kicker on an Ace-high board against a preflop limper; checking keeps the pot small and preserves my showdown value rather than bloating the pot out of position.

I have a modest pair with showdown value, but the ace-high board makes a thin turn bet unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I’ll keep the pot small and check.

I hold bottom pair (fours) with a ten kicker on an ace-high board; checking keeps the small pot controlled and avoids building it with a weak marginal hand against the only remaining opponent.

I have two pair, aces and sevens, and the opponent has checked the flop and turn. A small river bet can get value from weaker pairs while limiting losses if they have an ace.

Pocket eights are a strong hand to open from the button three-handed. A raise to 250 builds value while keeping the sizing standard.

Nine-two offsuit is one of the worst hands in hold'em, and facing a 2.5x raise from the button I have no equity or fold equity worth calling 200 more. Folding minimizes losses.

Facing a 2.5bb button open, A4o lacks sufficient playability and reverse implied odds out of position to profitably defend.

Three-handed, the button opens very wide, and J3s has decent suited playability against only two blinds. A small 2.5x open pressures the blinds while keeping risk low if raised.

Folding J5s from the small blind facing a button open, as it plays poorly out of position and with the big blind left to act.

Calling 150 offers favorable pot odds against a button open, and 8-6 can make useful straight combinations. I avoid reraising this weak offsuit hand out of position.

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

As the preflop raiser on a dry K-high flop with no showdown value, a small continuation bet leverages fold equity against the BB's wide check-call range; I fold if raised.

I have no pair, no immediate draw, and only remote runner-runner straight possibilities. The bet offers insufficient reason to continue.