Hold'em table

On the button in a 3-handed game, 54s is a standard open, so I raise to 2.5bb to steal the blinds and keep playability.

K2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open with the big blind still to act.

A suited ace is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 3bb builds value and applies pressure to the blinds.

T2o is a very weak hand out of position against a button raise, so folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity.

In 3-handed play the button's open range is wide, and calling 200 into a 450 pot gives good odds with J9o. Defending by calling is standard here.

Middle pair plus a gutshot out of position against the button's range on a Q-high board; check and plan to call a reasonable c-bet.

Betting our nut-flush draw plus gutshot and two overcards applies pressure while retaining strong equity when called.

Middle pair plus a gutshot to the ten (Q-J-9 plus 7) against a small c-bet from the button. We're getting 350 into 1000, so this is a clear continue; calling keeps his bluffs in and controls the pot size.

I have middle pair with a gutshot to the ten, and the board paired on the turn. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply against a button that c-bet the flop.

With ace-high on a paired coordinated board after being called on the flop, checking preserves showdown value and realizes our river equity without bloating the pot.

Second pair with a weak kicker has showdown value but gets little value from a bet. Checking lets missed draws bluff, and I can bluff-catch a reasonable bet.

Ace-high is unlikely to win at showdown after the flop call. A substantial river bet can credibly represent a queen or strong made hand and pressure medium pairs and missed draws.

Second pair facing a roughly 63% pot bet after the turn checked through; my call needs only about 28% equity. The button's range still includes many missed draws like KT, T9, and 98, plus weaker pairs.

J9o is a playable hand on the button with good pot odds, so I call to see a flop cheaply.

The button limped, so I'm getting 50 into a 250 pot, and Q5o has enough equity to complete at those odds. Being out of position with a weak hand, calling is better than raising.

Check the big blind with a weak, disconnected 6-high hand and realize equity in a multiway limped pot.

A middle pair with no diamond on a monotone, straight-heavy board in a three-way limped pot has weak equity and plays poorly against raises. Checking controls the pot size and keeps the option to reassess on the turn.

With bottom pair and an open-ended straight draw but no diamond on a monotone board, checking controls the pot and avoids facing a difficult raise multiway.

The turn put four diamonds on board and I hold none, so my pair of fives has little showdown value. Betting into two opponents rarely folds out better hands, so I'll check and give up if anyone bets.

A small turn stab can take down this checked-through multiway pot while risking little. We retain some equity with a pair plus straight-improving cards if called.

A min-bet into 300 gives 4:1 odds, and my pair of fives may be ahead of a wide range of weak holdings that lack a diamond. Calling is cheap, while raising on a four-flush board would isolate me against better hands.

A pair of fives on a four-diamond board without a diamond has showdown value but can't bet for value. Checking keeps the pot small, and I'll decide against a river bet if one comes.

I have a seven-high straight, but the four-diamond board makes betting for value too risky against a checked flush. Checking realizes my showdown value.

K8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open-raise; a 2.5x size steals the blinds with position.

2d4d is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open, especially with the big blind still behind.

Calling 150 to see a flop with a pocket pair is profitable given the pot odds and implied odds against the button's open raise.

I have a small pair with no strong draw on a board that likely favors the preflop raiser, so I check to see the turn cheaply.

This is a small c-bet in position on a Q-high board that favors my button opening range. K8 has a backdoor straight draw, an overcard to the 9, and some fold equity against the big blind's weaker holdings.”}

K7 suited is a profitable button opening hand in a three-handed game, with position and suitedness adding playability. A 2.5bb raise applies pressure while risking little.

QJo in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open is getting good odds (150 to win 400) and is well ahead of a wide button range, so calling is clearly profitable. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that plays well postflop rather than 3-betting it.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a monotone board where I have no club, out of position against the preflop raiser; checking controls the pot and keeps the button's bluffs in their range.

A small continuation bet leverages the preflop initiative on this board and can fold out unpaired hands. Kh7h retains overcard and backdoor-heart equity when called.

Top pair with a gutshot draw on a monotone board is getting 750:200 odds, so calling is clearly right. Raising would mostly fold out worse hands and get called by flushes and better draws, so I'll keep the pot controlled.

Top pair plus an open-ended straight draw is strong, but on this three-club board, which now also connects with the 9, a check keeps the pot controlled out of position. I plan to call a reasonable bet.

A turn bet represents the many club combinations and strong queens in my range. After the small flop call, this can still fold out unpaired overcards and weaker one-pair holdings.

Top pair plus an open-ended straight draw (K or 8) gets a good price at 650 into 1600. Calling keeps the pot controlled on this three-club board, where raising would mostly fold out worse hands and get called by flushes.}

Our two pair is vulnerable on a four-to-a-straight, three-club board. Betting mostly gets called by straights and flushes that beat us, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the villain bluff.

I made a king-high straight on the river after being checked to. A moderate value bet can be called by worse made hands and some chops while limiting exposure to flushes.

Top two pair on a coordinated board. The river bet is small, so calling 1100 to win 4450 needs only about 25% equity. Villain's value range includes plenty of worse Qx and bluffs alongside flushes and straights, so a call beats both folding and raising.

A7o is strong enough to open from the button, and raising to 3bb applies pressure while isolating the blinds.

Against a wide three-handed button open, 44 plays well as a small-blind 3-bet. Raising takes the initiative and avoids playing a multiway pot out of position with the big blind behind.

A6 suited has useful equity and strong nut-flush potential at this price against the 3-bet, while retaining playability in a potentially multiway pot.

Facing a 3-bet and a cold call, A7o is likely dominated and has poor postflop playability, so I fold despite the decent pot odds.

The K-J-3 two-tone board hits BB's cold-call range hard, and 44 has little equity and poor bet-to-fold value out of position. I'll check and play the rest of the hand as a bluff-catcher or give up.

With ace-high and no club on this coordinated board versus the preflop aggressor, I take the free card rather than bluff into a strong range.

Pocket 4s on K-J-9 two-tone is weak but has some showdown value against a range that checked back the flop. It gets little value from betting and folds out only hands we already beat, so check and keep the pot small out of position.

After villain checks twice, a modest turn stab can fold out unpaired broadways and realize pressure on capped holdings. Our ace also provides some showdown value if called.

44 is effectively a bluff-catcher on a K-J-9 two-tone board. The villain's 3-bet-calling range is full of Kx, Jx, overpairs and 9x. We also have poor playability against river barrels, so the small price doesn't justify continuing.