Hold'em table

Pocket deuces are a standard button open three-handed. Raising can win the blinds immediately while preserving positional advantage and set potential when called.

Six-five offsuit plays poorly out of position, especially with the big blind still to act. Calling a 2.5-big-blind open is not worthwhile.

A7o has strong equity against a button 2.5x open heads-up and good pot odds to defend the big blind by calling.

With bottom pair and ace kicker on a K-Q-7 board out of position, checking controls the pot and lets the preflop raiser reveal strength before committing more.

This dry, high-card flop favors my preflop raising range, making a small continuation bet effective. It can fold out some better pocket pairs and deny equity to unpaired hands while risking little.

Bottom pair with ace kicker getting good pot odds against a small one-third pot flop bet heads-up; opponent's button raising range includes many bluffs and draws we beat.

With third pair, ace kicker and the nut-heart blocker out of position, checking controls the pot and preserves showdown value against the preflop raiser's likely K/Q range.

Pocket deuces have little equity against the flop-calling range, and this turn offers no useful draw or bluff blockers. Check back to preserve chips and retain a chance to improve or beat a missed draw.

Two pair Kings and sevens with Ace kicker has showdown value but loses to any King, Queen, or higher pocket pair. Checking avoids building a pot against better hands and may induce a bluff from Ace-high hands we beat.

Pocket deuces still beat missed straight draws, giving us some showdown value. A bluff would mainly target better pairs, which may call after our turn check, so taking the free showdown is preferable.

Nine-eight offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. Raising to 250 chips applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

J7o is weak offsuit facing a 2.5x button raise; calling out of position from the small blind has poor equity realization.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 2.5bb button raise, with poor playability and equity realization out of position. It also lacks useful blockers for a three-bet bluff.

Q7o is strong enough to open on the button in 3-handed play, and raising leverages position against the blinds.

AQ suited is a strong value three-bet against a button open. Raising to 1100 compensates for being out of position and discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

T3 suited is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

Q7o is dominated and weak against a large small-blind 3-bet to 1100; calling 850 needs too much equity even in position.

65 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, combining blind-stealing potential with good postflop playability in position. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure without overinvesting.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

In the big blind heads-up versus a wide button 2.5x open, T7o has enough equity to defend needing only about 27% to call 150 into 400.

With the Ten of spades on a three-spade flop I have a flush draw plus fold equity on a scary monotone board; leading for about two-thirds pot can fold overpairs without a spade while retaining outs if called.

We have only six-high and a gutshot with no spade on a monotone flop. Facing this sizable bet, our limited and potentially compromised outs do not justify calling, and we lack useful blockers for a bluff raise.

J2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably here without a read on the blinds.

Completing the small blind for 50 into 150 with 76o heads-up against the big blind offers a good price despite being out of position.

84 offsuit is too weak to raise routinely against the small blind's limp. Checking takes a free flop and preserves the advantage of acting last postflop.

With 7-high, no pair and only runner-runner straight possibilities on a dry 9-2-4 board, checking out of position preserves chips and avoids bluffing into the big blind's wide range.

A half-pot bet gives middle pair protection against overcards while potentially getting calls from weaker pairs and straight draws. The small sizing keeps the pot manageable with a weak kicker.

With 7-6 on a 9-2-4 board I have no pair and no immediate straight or flush draw, only weak backdoors, so I lack the equity to call even a half-pot bet.

Q-T offsuit is a strong button hand in 3-handed play, well ahead of a wide defending range. Raising to 2.5bb takes initiative and builds value while keeping weaker hands in.

A6 suited is a reasonable three-bet candidate against a wide button opening range, with an ace blocker and nut-flush potential. This sizing pressures both opponents and compensates for playing out of position.

T9 offsuit is too weak to call a large three-bet with the original raiser still to act.

QTo is dominated by a large SB 3-bet range and lacks the equity and playability to call 8.5bb more, even in position.