Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two opponents.

Pocket fives are well ahead of a big blind's range in a blind-vs-blind spot, so raising for value and initiative beats completing. A 3x raise keeps it simple out of position.

K6 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable big-blind defend against a small-blind raise, especially with the button already folded. Calling keeps the pot manageable and avoids bloating it with a weak hand out of position.

A small c-bet with our range advantage denies equity to the many overcards and draws in the big blind's calling range, while 55 keeps some showdown value. The bet stays cheap if we get check-raised.

The small bet gives a reasonable price, and my king overcard plus backdoor club-flush potential provide some equity. Calling also keeps me in position to respond on the turn.

Pocket fives are badly outdrawn on this connected, three-club turn after the big blind called our flop bet, and betting again folds out worse hands while getting called by better ones. Checking keeps the pot small and gives a cheap showdown chance.

Bet 600 into the 1,000-chip pot as a semi-bluff: the four-club board gives me a strong flush draw, plus straight-draw equity, and the opponent checked the turn.

Pocket fives are badly behind on a coordinated 8-T-2-9 board with a flush draw completed and many straights possible. They have few clean outs, so calling the turn bet isn't justified even at 27% pot odds.

In 3-handed play on the button, 97o is a reasonable open to steal the blinds, since only two players are left to act. A 2.5bb raise keeps the price of the steal low.

A3 offsuit is a reasonable defend against the button’s small open, but is not strong enough to build a large pot out of position with the big blind still to act. I’ll call and keep the pot manageable.

Calling 150 into a 600-chip pot offers favorable pot odds. My suited hand can make a flush, though I’ll need to play cautiously out of position.

With weak top pair in a multiway pot and out of position, checking controls the pot and avoids building it against stronger aces. I can respond to a bet or evaluate a free turn.

I have no pair or immediate draw in a multiway pot, and the preflop raiser has yet to act. Checking avoids investing more with a weak hand.

Checked to the preflop raiser multiway on an ace-high board. A small one-third-pot bet uses our range advantage, gets thin value and protection with middle pair, and denies equity to overcards and gutshots.

Top pair has enough showdown value to continue against a small bet, but the weak kicker and multiway pot make raising unattractive.

With no pair or immediate draw on an ace-high flop, calling a bet and a call is unlikely to be profitable.

I improved to two pair and should charge Ax and the heart/straight draws while extracting value. A roughly half-pot lead is appropriate on this draw-heavy turn.

Middle pair with a 9 kicker beats the draws and weaker pairs in villain's turn lead. Calling 650 into a 2550 pot needs only about 25% equity, and we also have outs to improve, so a call is reasonable while raising would fold out worse hands.

The river completes a four-heart board and a possible straight, making a value bet with two pair too risky. Check and take the showdown if the opponent checks back.

A pair of sevens has some showdown value but is weak on a board where many straights and flushes completed. A bluff is unlikely to fold out the Ax hands that led the turn, so I'll check back and take the free showdown.

Six-four offsuit is too weak to continue profitably from the button, even with only the blinds to call.

With A5 offsuit heads-up against the big blind, raising gives me a chance to win the blinds immediately while retaining reasonable equity when called.

Getting 3:1 in the big blind against a small-blind open to 3x, J8 suited has plenty of equity and playability, and we will be in position postflop. Calling is better than folding or turning it into a 3-bet bluff.

A small continuation bet puts pressure on unpaired overcards while risking relatively little on this paired flop.

We hold trip eights with a jack kicker, which beats almost all of the SB's small-bet range. Raising builds the pot for value and charges the flush draws on this two-diamond board.

The small flop raise offers good pot odds, and ace-high can still be ahead of flush draws or bluffs. I’ll call and reassess on the turn.

Ace-high has little value against the flop raise, and the turn ten does not improve my hand. Checking avoids building a larger pot out of position.

Trip eights with a jack kicker are well ahead of overpairs, tens, and the many flush and straight draws in the opponent's range after they check. Betting about 65% of the pot gets value and charges those draws.

Ace-high has little chance to improve on this paired turn, and the flop raise followed by a sizable turn bet makes a call unprofitable.

AJo is a strong button hand three-handed, so I open to 2.5 big blinds.

54o from the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold: it plays poorly out of position and I'd only be calling 200 to win 400.

QTo is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button open, and calling offers favorable pot odds without inflating the pot with a marginal hand.

Top two pair is far ahead of much of the button’s range, so bet for value and protection on this somewhat connected flop. A 350-chip bet is a solid size into the 550-chip pot.

The gutshot and ace overcard give me ways to improve, and position lets me reassess on the turn. Calling is preferable to building a large pot against a flop lead.

The king is a poor turn card for my two pair because it improves many hands in the preflop raiser’s range. Checking controls the pot and avoids value-owning myself against stronger two pair or better.

I have the nut straight on the turn. Betting 1000 builds the pot against pairs and draws while charging hands that could improve on the river.

My two pair is strong enough to continue at these pot odds, though the king improves some of the opponent’s hands and completes possible straights. Calling keeps worse value bets and bluffs in while avoiding a risky raise.

I have two pair and the river is a relative blank, so I’ll make a modest value bet that can be called by weaker kings or queens without overcommitting against stronger two pair or a set.

I have the nut straight on a board with no possible flush. A raise to 4000 seeks value from weaker straights and strong made hands without making the price as daunting as a shove.

The river raise is large and strongly represents a straight or better two pair, both of which beat my queens and tens. I don't expect enough bluffs to justify calling the price.

On the button in 3-handed play, T6o is a reasonable steal candidate against two blinds, and a small 2.5x open pressures them cheaply. Limping would be the worse choice.

Pocket nines are strong heads-up against a button open, and a substantial 3-bet puts pressure on the opener while reducing the big blind’s chance to enter cheaply. I choose 900 to build the pot with a hand that can continue against many responses.

A8 offsuit is often dominated by the small blind's large three-bet range, and the button can still act. Calling 800 chips is unlikely to be profitable.

T6o is too weak to continue against a small-blind 3-bet to 9bb, even in position. Calling 650 into 1250 with a dominated, low-equity hand is unprofitable.

Q9 suited is a profitable button open in a three-handed game. Raise to 250 to apply pressure while keeping the sizing moderate.

T7 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo in the big blind against a button 2.5x open is a clear defend, getting 150 to win 400. Calling is better than 3-betting because it keeps the button's weaker hands in.

Top pair with a weak kicker, out of position against the preflop raiser: checking lets the button keep betting its bluffs and plan to check-call, while I avoid building a big pot against better kings.

A small continuation bet can fold out missed hands while leveraging my backdoor spade draw and overcard to the lower board cards. The sizing keeps the risk modest on a board that can connect with the big blind's range.

Top pair with a weak kicker on K87 facing a small c-bet from the button. Calling keeps his bluffs and weaker hands in, and I stay out of trouble against better kings.

Top pair with a decent kicker plus a gutshot to a straight. Betting about half pot gets value and protection against a wide range that small-bet the flop.

I have no made hand and only four likely outs to a straight, far short of the pot odds needed to call. Against this turn bet, folding preserves chips.