Hold'em table

On the button in an unopened three-handed pot, K2 offsuit is a reasonable steal. A 2.5-big-blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

9-7 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open to 250 with the big blind still to act is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position in a three-way pot, so folding is best.

J3s offsuit is far too weak to call 150 more against a 2.5x raise heads-up; folding is clearly best.

J6 suited is a marginal hand out of position postflop against two players. Calling 100 to win 150 is close, but the hand plays poorly, so I fold and avoid a tough spot.

Ace-high strong hand heads-up; raise for value and fold equity against the big blind.

QTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind open, and calling keeps the pot manageable in position.

I hold top pair (ace) on an A-high flop heads-up; a half-pot bet builds the pot against the BB caller's likely weaker range.

Q-T has no pair or spade on this two-spade flop. Facing a 400-chip bet, its weak draws and uncertain overcard outs do not justify a call.

Q8s is playable on the button 3-handed; a small raise builds a pot with position and can take it down preflop.

With deep stacks, the small pair is worth a call for its set potential against the button's raise.

Getting 3.5-to-1 pot odds (200 to call into a 700 pot) with a suited connector, closing the action in the big blind. A call is cheap and I'll have a playable hand against two opponents.

My underpair has little value on an ace-high, multiway flop, so I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have 8h6h on a Kh 9d Ad board, so I only have a backdoor flush draw and a weak gutshot-ish draw. The button raised preflop and the pot is multiway, so I'll take a free card rather than bluff.

Q-high with no draw on an A-K-9 board; both opponents checked, so I take a free card rather than bluff into two players.

Pocket threes are weak on this multiway ace-high board. Checking avoids investing more chips with little showdown value or fold equity.

I have 8h6h on a Kh 9d Ad 5h board, which is only a gutshot with a backdoor-ish heart draw and no showdown value. Two players already checked the flop, so betting a bluff into two opponents is risky. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

Q-high with no draw on K-9-A-5; everyone checked flop and turn, so I have little showdown value. Checking is free and avoids building a pot I likely lose.

With a weak pair in a three-way pot, betting is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold. Checking preserves the chance to reach showdown for free.

Board K-9-A-5-5 checked through; I hold 8-6 high with no showdown value. Seat 1 checked, and the button has shown only passivity so far. A small bluff may take down the pot.

Q-high with no draw missed the K9A55 board entirely; seat_2's river bet likely beats me and calling 500 to bluff-catch with queen-high is unprofitable.

The river bet is small enough that my two pair can profitably bluff-catch against missed draws and other unpaired hands. Checking through the flop and turn makes a strong value hand less certain.

A5 offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

T5 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act, so folding is the disciplined choice.

Ten-eight suited is too weak to defend a 2.5x raise out of position heads-up; folding preserves chips.

A6 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a solid hand. Calling 100 to see a flop with position is reasonable, and it avoids bloating the pot out of position against likely stronger holdings.

T5s in the small blind is a cheap, playable suited hand; completing for 50 keeps pot odds good with position on the BB next street.

J-5 offsuit is too weak to raise out of position against two limpers, but I can see the flop for free.

I flopped trip tens with top pair on board; checking keeps the pot small and invites a bet I can raise, maximizing value while disguising strength.

Middle pair with a weak kicker is not strong enough to bet for value on this connected flop against two opponents. I’ll check and reassess if the button bets.

I hold ace-high with a backdoor nut-flush draw on a connected J-T-K board, and both opponents checked. I'm last to act with a gutshot to a Broadway straight (Q needed), but a bet gets called or raised by better hands, so I take the free card.

I hold trip tens on the J-T-K-6 board; everyone checked the flop, so I'll bet for value and hope someone connected with the board.

My weak second pair faces a pot-sized turn bet on a connected board, with another player still to act. Calling is unlikely to be profitable.

I have a pair of sixes on a J-T-K-6 board, with a gutshot to the nut straight (Q gives A-K-Q-J-T). The pot is 600 and I must call 300, so I get 2:1 on a small stab from a player who checked the flop. The pair plus the gutshot is worth a call, and a raise would just get me into trouble.

I only hold a pair of tens on a scary JTKQ board; seat_2 called my turn stab, so I take the free showdown rather than value-bet into a likely better hand.

A-K-Q-J-T on the board with my Ace gives me the nut Broadway straight. Seat_3 checked, so I bet about two-thirds of the pot for value, hoping a worse straight or a pair calls.

My pair of tens with a five kicker is nearly the bottom of my range on this board; seat_2's river raise after calling the turn signals a made straight or two pair, so calling 600 into a small edge is losing play.

A2s is a raising hand from the button 3-handed; I take the initiative and can win pre-flop or post-flop with the ace.

Eight-five offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a three-big-blind button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K7 offsuit is a marginal hand, but the button's 3x open is wide and I get 2.25-to-1 pot odds (200 to win 450) heads-up. I'll defend the big blind with a call and avoid bloating the pot out of position.

I hold king-high with a backdoor flush draw on an ace-high board, out of position against the preflop raiser. The hand is mostly a bluff-catcher, so I check to keep the pot small and see what the button does.

I hold top two pair (A2 on AQ8) and the flop checked through; a modest bet builds the pot while I'm likely ahead of seat_2's range.

Top-pair king on an Ad Qh 8h board is weak, but the pot offers about 3:1 and the button's c-bet range is wide, so I call 650 with a king-high hand that has some backdoor outs rather than fold or bloat the pot.

The board is 8h Ad Qh 8d and I hold Kh with a 7c, so I have only king-high with a backdoor-less nothing. Seat 3 bet the flop, so checking to control the pot and keep bluff-catching options is better than betting into a range that likely holds an ace or queen.

I hold two pair (aces and eights) on this board; seat_2 checked the turn, so I'll bet for value while protecting against draws like K-J or a heart flush.

Board is 8h Ad Qh 8d and I hold K7 with only king high. The button has bet the flop and turn, so I'm likely behind a pair, an ace, or a strong draw. Calling 900 into a 2850 pot with no real showdown value or good draw isn't worth it.