Hold'em table

J♥T♥ is a strong button-opening hand three-handed. A raise to 250 applies pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

KQo is ahead of a wide button opening range in 3-handed play; 3-betting builds the pot and gains initiative from out of position.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open and a small-blind 3-bet to 10bb. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, low-equity hand.

ThJh is a strong suited hand with good playability in position, and calling the 3-bet keeps the pot manageable while realizing equity postflop.

I missed the flop completely on a coordinated low board out of position, making checking the best line to control pot size.

I have two overcards and backdoor straight/flush potential, but little immediate equity and few clean outs against a continuing range. I’ll take the free card in position.

Turned top pair with a good kicker after preflop 3-betting; betting roughly half pot to extract value from draws and weaker pairs.

I have only two overcards to most of the board and no meaningful one-card draw. The turn bet demands too much equity to continue profitably.

54 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button even in 3-handed play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind with A8o. A small raise builds the pot with a hand that has decent equity and initiative.

A2 offsuit has enough equity and playability to defend the big blind heads-up against a small-blind raise, but it is not strong enough to 3-bet for value.

I have top pair on a dry flop and a small c-bet applies pressure while getting value from worse hands.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against the small flop bet, but my weak kicker makes a raise unnecessarily risky. I call and keep weaker hands and bluffs in.

I have top pair with a weak kicker on a connected turn, and the king is a scare card after the opponent called the flop. Checking controls the pot and lets me reassess on the river.

Top pair with a weak kicker has reasonable showdown value, but the connected turn board favors many strong holdings. I’ll take the free river rather than build the pot.

I have only ace pair with an eight kicker on a board full of straights and two-pair combos. With no bet facing me, checking is best rather than betting into a range that mostly continues with better.

I have top pair, but the connected board makes a value bet risky and worse hands may fold. I’ll take the free showdown.

Three-handed on the button, 35s is playable enough to open and take the initiative rather than limp or fold. A 3x raise keeps the price reasonable while folding out worse hands and defining the pot.

Q7 suited is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Holding 9s 4c in the big blind facing a 3x open from the button is a clear fold due to terrible playability and low equity.

From the button, a minimum open gives me a chance to take the blinds while keeping the risk small with a weak offsuit hand.

Holding pocket sixes in the small blind against a button min-raise with zero rake provides excellent pot odds and implied odds to see a flop.

Q4s is weak but suited, and calling 100 into a 500 pot gives 5:1 odds that justify seeing a flop rather than folding or inflating the pot out of position.

We hold an underpair on a highly coordinated flop against two opponents, making a check the clear standard play.

Queen-high with an open-ended straight draw has some equity, but the preflop raiser still acts behind. Checking realizes that equity cheaply rather than bloating the pot out of position.

I have an open-ended straight draw with eight likely outs and can take the pot down after both opponents checked. A modest bet gives the semi-bluff fold equity without risking too much.

I hold an underpair on an extremely connected board (9-T-J) multiway, facing a bet with a player still behind; folding is standard.

Open-ender only, about 17% to improve on the turn, which is short of the 25% needed to call 300 into 900. Out of position against the preflop raiser's c-bet on a wet board, folding is best.

76 offsuit is too weak to open even on the button in 3-handed play.

93o is too weak to continue out of position for another 50 after the button folded.

T3o is too weak and disconnected to open even from the button in a three-handed pot, so folding avoids a dominated, low-equity spot.

Q6 offsuit is weak, but completing the small blind costs only 50 into a 150-chip pot against the big blind. I’ll see the flop cheaply rather than inflate the pot.

I have 74s in the big blind facing a small blind completion, which has decent playability and can take a free flop in position.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on a paired flop, so checking avoids building the pot with a weak hand.

I have seven-high on a paired board with no equity, so taking a free turn card by checking back is the most sensible play.

I have only queen-high and no meaningful draw, but checking preserves showdown value after the flop checked through.

I turned two pair with Jacks and Sevens. Checking behind controls the pot size and preserves my showdown value without risking a check-raise.

I have a modest two-pair hand, but many hands that call a river bet—especially any 9x or 7x—would beat it. Checking preserves its showdown value against weaker hands.

I have two pair (Jacks and Sevens) with decent showdown value in a limped pot. Checking back to see showdown since worse hands rarely call a bet.