Hold'em table

3-8 offsuit is one of the weakest hands. On the button in a 3-handed game it could occasionally be played, but folding avoids a negative-EV spot out of position postflop against two opponents.

King-seven suited is a playable hand, and completing the 50-chip small blind to 100 is cheap to see a flop heads-up against the big blind.

Check the suited low connector in the big blind against a limp and realize equity cheaply.

Holding a pair of sevens with a king kicker on an ace-high board, I have a marginal hand and a free check keeps the pot small while I see whether seat_3 bets.

A small continuation bet can fold out unpaired overcards and weak limps while risking little. We retain some backdoor diamond potential if called.

I have a pair of sevens with a king kicker against a small flop bet of 100 into 200, so calling is cheap and keeps me in against a range that includes weaker pairs and bluffs.

With a pair of sevens and king high, I have a medium-strength hand that is worth showing down cheaply, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against a player who bet the flop.

I improved to a pair and can get value/protection from weaker pairs, straight draws, and floats while using a modest sizing on this dry board.

Facing a 200-chip bet into a 600-chip pot, calling needs about 20% equity, which a pair of sevens with a king kicker plausibly has against a betting range. Raising would risk too much against a likely ace.

We hold a pair of aces on the board with a king kicker, which is a medium-strength showdown hand. Checking keeps the pot small and lets us see whether seat_3 bets again.

My two pair is too weak to value-bet safely on this paired ace board after the opponent called both prior streets. Checking preserves showdown value.

Jack-six offsuit on the button is a weak hand, but in a 3-handed pot with only blinds in, a small steal raise can win the blinds outright and keeps the initiative.

Suitedness is absent and 6-5 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against an early 2.5bb open out of the small blind.

I'm getting 400 to 150, about 2.7 to 1, so I only need roughly 27% equity. 2h4h suited has playable equity against a button open in a 3-handed game, and I'm closing the action. Folding gives up too much, and a 3-bet with a weak hand is unnecessary.}

I have 2h4h on a 9s Tc As flop, so I have only a backdoor draw and no pair. The preflop raiser has position on me, and I'm out of position with weak equity, so I check and give up the bluff.

Jack-high with no pair against an ace-high board is a weak hand, so I take the free check rather than bloat a pot I am unlikely to win.

I have 2h4h on a 9s Tc As 8h board, so only a 4-card gutshot-less draw with no real equity or showdown value. The button checked the flop back, so betting a bluff into a wide range is not clearly profitable. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

I have J-high with an open-ended straight draw (J-9-8 plus T on board), but I'm out of position against a checking opponent, so checking to see the river for free is the sensible line.

I have 4h2h on a 9s Tc As 8h 3d board, which is just ace-high-less air with no pair and no made hand. The button checked back the flop and turn, so a bluff could work, but a check is simpler and avoids losing more chips against a capped range that may call with pairs.

I hold Jd 6c, which is only jack-high on a board with an ace, so I can't safely bet for value. Checking is free and keeps the pot small, and the opponent already checked the river.

On the button, 9♠7♠ is a playable suited connector with positional advantage. A standard 3bb open can take initiative and realize equity well.

9-6 offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind facing a 3x button raise, with the big blind still to act behind. Folding is the best option.

Getting 2:1 to call from the big blind against a button raise, and A4o has ace-high playability in a three-way pot, so calling is better than folding.

Ace-high with a 4 on a Q-5-3 board is a weak holding, so I'll check to see the turn for free rather than bloat the pot out of position.

A small continuation bet leverages our preflop range advantage and can fold out much of the big blind's unpaired range. We retain backdoor spade potential if called.

Ace-high with a 4 kicker facing one 200 bet into an 850 pot gives about 19% pot odds, and a button c-bet can be a weak range, so calling is reasonable. Raising as a bluff is not justified with this equity.

I hold A-high on a paired board with no made hand, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against a button who has shown aggression.

Betting the turn applies pressure to the opponent's flop-calling range while retaining strong flush-draw equity if called. The paired board also makes a medium sizing effective.

Ace-high with only a wheel draw needing a deuce, facing a 650 turn bet into a 1700 pot; the roughly 9% chance to hit is well short of the pot odds needed to call.

6-9 offsuit is a weak hand; even on the button in 3-handed play it is marginal, and folding avoids a costly out-of-position postflop spot against two opponents.

Ten-three offsuit is a weak hand to play out of the small blind against the big blind, so folding the 50-chip cost is the disciplined choice.

Suited 7-8 on the button is a playable speculative hand against two blinds, so calling the 100-chip big blind is cheaper than raising with it.

Complete from the small blind with an ace-high hand getting favorable pot odds in a multiway pot.

8-6 offsuit is a weak hand in a three-way limped pot, so I take the free flop from the big blind instead of raising.

With bottom pair on a coordinated multiway flop, checking controls the pot and preserves showdown value while avoiding building a pot against stronger Qx, Jx, or straight draws.

I have 8-6 on a Q-9-J board, which gives me an open-ended straight draw (needs a 10 or 7... actually 7 and 10 complete 6-7-8-9 and 8-9-10-J). Seat_2 still has to act behind me, so I'll check and take a free card rather than bloat the pot in a three-way spot.%

I have only a straight-draw sort of hand with no pair, and checking is free with no bet to call, so I take the free card and keep the pot small.

Betting the turn with middle pair and an ace kicker extracts value from draws and weaker pairs while denying equity on this coordinated board.

I have 8-6 on a Q-9-J-2 board, which gives an open-ended straight draw needing a 10 or 7 (8 outs, roughly 17%). The pot is 450 and the call is 150, so the price is 3:1 on a draw with some implied odds. That is a marginal but reasonable call, and a raise would be a poor bluff against two opponents.}

With 7-8 I have no pair and only one out (a 10) for a straight, about 9% to improve on the turn. Calling 150 into a 600 pot needs roughly 17% equity, so folding is correct.

Our pair of nines has modest showdown value, but the river completes the diamond flush and many better one-pair hands can call. Checking realizes equity without risking a thin value bet.

Board Qs 9h Jc 2d 3d. I hold 8d 6c, which is just 8-high with no pair and no made draw. Seat 3 bet the turn and then checked the river, so a small bluff is possible, but my hand has no showdown value and a check-down is better than risking chips. Checking is the safest play, though a bluff could occasionally work; I'll go with the check.}

2-3 offsuit is an extremely weak button hand and not worth entering with at this blind level.

9-2 offsuit is the worst-type hand; the SB must pay 50 more to see a flop out of position against a random BB range, which is a losing proposition, so folding is the disciplined choice. Calling is only marginally negative EV, but folding avoids postflop difficulty.}