Hold'em table

2-5 offsuit is a very weak button opening hand and not worth entering with against two blinds.

A5o is a strong hand blind-vs-blind once the button folds, so I'm raising to 3bb for value and initiative.

QJs plays well in position against a small-blind raise. Calling keeps weaker hands in the pot without building a large pot preflop.

As the preflop raiser I hold the ace-high advantage, and the ace plus wheel gutshot gives me backdoor equity on this dry-ish board. A small one-third-pot c-bet works well here heads-up.

The small bet gives me a good price to continue with a flush draw and two overcards. Calling keeps weaker hands in and lets me use position on the turn.

The 7s gave me an open-ended straight draw, but the board now has three spades, which hits much of the big blind's calling range. Checking keeps the pot controlled out of position. I can still realize my equity if they bet small.

I have a strong queen-high flush. Betting 700 into 1000 gets value from weaker flushes and other made hands while charging hands drawing to a higher flush.

My open-ender has only about 6 clean outs, roughly 14% equity, since the 3s and 8s complete a four-flush. I'm out of position on a board where villain's turn stab hits many flushes, so implied odds don't justify calling 700 into 1700.

K7o is a standard button open in 3-handed play; raising to 2.5bb applies pressure on the blinds.

J8 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

J6 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button open at this sizing, especially out of position.

T8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with position and strong playability postflop.

J-high suited with a weak kicker is not worth defending from the small blind against a button open, especially with the big blind still behind.

J8 suited in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open: I only need to call 150 into a 400 pot, so the price is good. A playable suited hand like this is an easy defend.

J8 offsuit with a gutshot (needs a 7) and one overcard, out of position against the preflop raiser on a board that favors their range. Checking lets me realize equity, and I can call a small c-bet.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws. A modest bet also charges draws without building an oversized pot with a weak kicker.

Getting 3.2:1 against a small c-bet, J8 has an overcard, backdoor straight potential and some playability, so it is a reasonable defend in the big blind.

We have only jack-high with no real draw facing a button player who c-bet the flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us give up cheaply if they bet again.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws. A modest turn bet also charges heart draws while limiting the pot against stronger hands.

I have only jack-high with no real draw against a double barrel. Calling 450 into a 1,500 pot needs about 23% equity, and I don't have it.

7-3 offsuit is a very weak button hand; folding avoids entering a likely dominated multiway pot.

Blind vs blind with suited 94, a raise to 3x has fold equity and playability; SB vs BB ranges are wide, so a raising strategy works fine.

With position against the small blind, 6♣2♣ has enough equity and playability to defend for 200 more chips.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a wet board. A small one-third-pot bet gets value from draws and weaker pairs and denies equity from overcards, while keeping the pot manageable out of position.

Bottom pair has enough equity to continue against a small flop bet, especially with position on the raiser.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a very coordinated 6-7-8-9 board, where any 5 or T makes a straight and a flush draw is also out. Checking controls the pot out of position and keeps weaker hands in.

I have a weak pair with some showdown value on a connected board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river.

Trip nines is strong against a range that checked back the turn, which likely caps it away from many straights. A small value bet can get called by 8x, 7x and pocket pairs.

The small river bet gives me a good price to call with two pair. I can beat missed draws and some lower pairs, though I lose to many value hands.

73o is too weak to open from the button in 3-handed play against two players left to act; folding is the standard play.

With J6 offsuit in the small blind, completing for 50 chips keeps the pot manageable against the big blind.

Check the weak 8-high holding in a limped blind-versus-blind pot and realize equity without inflating the pot.

Middle pair is often ahead of the big blind's checked preflop range. A half-pot bet gets value from weaker hands and charges overcards without building a large pot.

We have no made hand, no meaningful draw, and poor showdown value versus the flop lead. Folding preserves chips.

6-2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button.

QTs is a strong heads-up blind-versus-blind holding and benefits from applying pressure with a standard raise.

Blind vs blind against a wide SB 3x open, K3o is getting 2:1 with position, so it's a profitable defend. It isn't strong enough to 3-bet for value.

A small continuation bet pressures unpaired overcards while leveraging our preflop initiative. Q-high with the club retains useful equity when called.

Middle pair plus a backdoor king-high flush draw, facing a small bet: calling 200 into an 800 pot needs only 20% equity. Calling is clearly profitable and keeps the pot controlled.

I have a club flush draw and little showdown value on this coordinated board. A half-pot bet can fold out some missed high-card holdings while retaining strong river equity.

Getting 3:1 with a weak pair plus a king-high club flush draw. Calling is reasonable against a half-pot barrel given the showdown value and implied odds.

The board makes a straight for everyone, but any opponent holding a 6 has the higher straight. A minimum river bet can make non-6 hands fold and surrender the pot while risking very little when called or raised by a 6.

The board is a wheel straight, so I play the board and at worst chop unless villain holds a 6. Calling 100 into a 2100 pot is trivially correct, while raising only gets called by hands that beat me.