Hold'em table

On the button, 5-4 suited is playable with position and can make strong draws. A 2.5 big-blind open gives me a chance to win the blinds without overcommitting.

K2o is a very weak hand out of position facing a button raise, making it an easy fold.

J8 suited in the big blind getting 400 into 150 (about 2.7:1) against a button open of 2.5bb, with the SB already folded, is a profitable defend and plays reasonably postflop with position disadvantage.

Jd8d on a 9-9-3 board is a weak hand with little showdown value against the button's preflop raising range. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the next card cheaply.

A small continuation bet can fold out unpaired overcards on this dry board, while the backdoor heart draw gives some potential to improve.

Jd8d on 9s9h3c has only jack-high with backdoor draws, but the price is good: 180 to call into 730, about 20% equity needed. The button's small c-bet range is wide, so calling and realizing equity is better than folding or bluff-raising.

I have jack-high with a weak backdoor draw on a paired board, so I have little showdown value and no reason to build the pot. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but a turn bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

Board 9s 9h 3c 5d 6c gives me a jack-high straight-less hand with 8 kicker: J8 plays as a pair of nines with J kicker. The button checked back the turn, so their range is capped and often weak. A small value bet of about half pot can get called by worse nines or Ax-type hands and fold out better bluff-catchers only rarely, so it is a thin value bet.</br>

The river bet is about half the pot, and my pair of fives can beat missed overcards and other bluffs from a wide flop-calling range. Calling is preferable to turning it into a raise.

Opening A9s on the button in 3-handed play to 2.5bb for value and initiative.

T2 offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind facing a button raise, with a big blind still to act behind me. Folding is best.

J9 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise at this price, though it is not strong enough to value three-bet.

Middle pair on a dry flop has showdown value, but betting out of position against the preflop raiser risks building a pot against stronger hands. Checking keeps weaker hands in and lets me evaluate their bet.

The Q-J-7 board connects heavily with the big blind's calling range, so checking back with Ace-high and backdoor draws controls the pot and realizes equity.

Middle pair has showdown value, but a turn bet is likely to get called by better hands. Checking keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot.

We have Ace-high with showdown value in position, and betting accomplishes little against hands that checked twice.

My jack has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called often by worse hands. Checking also gives the button a chance to bluff.

Ace-high has decent showdown value against missed floats and draws after checking down flop and turn.

J9 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed pot is a reasonable hand, and calling 100 to win a 250 pot gets a good price with position. A raise is marginal, so I take the cheap flop.

Calling 50 more offers good pot odds against a button limp, while raising with Q5 offsuit would build a pot out of position with a weak hand.

I am in the big blind with a weak offsuit holding facing two limpers, so taking a free flop is the best option.

Top pair with a queen kicker is often ahead in this limped pot, but the monotone flop gives opponents many draws. A modest bet gets value and charges those draws.

We hold middle pair and a gutshot straight draw with no diamond on a monotone board, facing a bet with the button still to act behind us.

J-high with a backdoor-free hand on a monotone 4d2d5d board (I hold Jd, so I do have the jack-high flush draw... actually only one diamond, needing two more). Facing a bet of 200 into 500 requires about 29% equity; a single diamond gives no flush draw and only jack-high, so fold is close, but calling would be a marginal, low-equity spot.</br>

K8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5-big-blind raise keeps the risk modest.

42s is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

I'm in the big blind with 33 against a button open to 2.5bb, and calling 150 into a 400 pot gives about 2.7:1 odds. That price is good enough to see a flop and hope to hit a set, and 3-bet bluffing is unnecessary with a hand this weak.}

Pocket threes on a 9-4-Q board is a weak showdown-value hand, and I act first out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity without building a pot I'm likely to lose.

A small continuation bet on this dry, queen-high board can fold out some of the big blind’s unpaired hands at modest risk. The king is an overcard if called.

Pocket threes on a 9-4-Q board is a marginal bluff-catcher, and the price is good: 180 to call into a pot of 730 needs about 20% equity. The button's small continuation bet is wide-ranging, and I have some chance to improve to a set, so I call rather than fold or raise.

Pocket threes on a 9-4-Q-K board is a weak showdown-value hand. Villain bet small on the flop, so checking to control the pot and keep bluff-catching options is better than betting into a range that has many overcards and pairs.

Top pair can get value from queens and draws. Betting also charges hands with live outs rather than giving a free river card.

Pocket threes are just an underpair on a 9-4-Q-K board, and facing a 550 bet into 910 (about 27% equity needed) with a bettor who has bet every street, I'm likely behind and have few outs, so folding is the disciplined choice.

Raising with K7s on the button in 3-handed play to steal blinds and take advantage of position.

A8s is a reasonable hand in a 3-handed game against a button open of 2.5bb. I'm calling 200 more from the small blind, getting decent pot odds, rather than folding or 3-betting out of position.

QJo has enough equity to defend the big blind for 150 chips against a button raise and small-blind call. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that can be dominated if reraised.

I have the nut flush draw with an ace and a backdoor-free overcard. Betting about half the pot in a 3-way pot builds the pot and can fold out hands with equity, and I still have plenty of outs if called. .

Top pair with a reasonable kicker is strong enough to continue against this small flop bet. Raising on a monotone board would build a large pot without a club.

I hold king-high with no club on a monotone club flop, facing a bet and a call; folding is clearly optimal here.

I have ace-high with a nut flush-draw blocker only (Ad, not a club), on a very wet board with three clubs. Seat_1 called my flop bet, so I'll check to keep the pot small and see the river rather than bluff into a likely drawing or made hand.

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw has good showdown value. Checking in position lets me realize my equity without building a larger pot on a three-club board.

Ace-high on a Tc 4c Qc 9h Js board is weak and can't beat the many made hands (straights, flushes) that a flop caller could hold. Checking behind the turn check gives a bluff little fold equity against a caller, and a thin bet gets called only by better hands, so I check to showdown.

Queens and jacks can get value from weaker two-pair hands and single-pair hands. A small river bet limits exposure to straights and flushes.

I hold only ace-high with a backdoor diamond on a board of Tc 4c Qc 9h Js, which has a possible straight (K-Q-J-T-9 needs K, 8-Q... ) and I actually hold 8-9-T-J-Q straight with 8d! Correction: 8-9-T-J-Q is a straight, so I should raise or call. Calling is safer, but the straight is strong, so I call. .

A7s on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong enough hand to open. A small raise puts pressure on the blinds and gives me position.

Pocket fours can profitably call a small button open with deep stacks, offering set value without inflating the pot out of position.

Getting 4:1 pot odds closing the action preflop with a suited Ace, calling is clearly profitable.

Pocket fours have little value on this king-jack flop against two opponents. Checking avoids building a pot out of position.

I hold Ace-high with no draw on a board favoring the button raiser. Checking to see what the preflop aggressor does is the standard play.

On J-3-K rainbow-ish with the button, I hold ace-high with a backdoor flush draw. Both opponents checked, so a small bet can take the pot or get a fold from hands like queen-high or a weak pair. I'll size it at about half pot. ,

Pocket fours have little chance to improve on this K-J-3 flop, and I still have another player behind me. Calling the bet out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

I completely missed the board with A-high and no backdoor potential against the preflop raiser's c-bet.