Hold'em table

I'm on the button with J-8 offsuit and face a 100 big blind raise; this is a weak hand that doesn't play well out of position, so folding is the disciplined preflop play.

We have a suited connector and are getting good odds to see a flop heads-up; calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

With J3s in the big blind and only the small blind completing, checking is best to see a cheap flop and avoid bloating the pot with a weak hand.

I have only 8-high with no made hand and no strong draw, so I take the free card and keep the pot small.

With bottom pair and a weak kicker on a coordinated board, checking controls the pot and avoids getting raised by better hands or draws.

I have bottom pair plus a flush draw on a checked-down board. Betting 150 for value and to take the pot down, with equity if called.

With the button folded, this is a heads-up SB vs BB spot; raising to 3x applies pressure and takes initiative with a hand that has decent playability, and I can fold to a 3-bet.

I have 3s7s, a speculative hand that benefits from seeing a flop. The pot is 400 and I only need to call 200 more, which is reasonable for implied odds. Folding is weak, and raising with this hand risks too much without a strong holding.

The K-high flop favors my preflop raising range, and a half-pot continuation bet can fold out the big blind's missed hands and take down the pot without showdown.

My hand (3s 7s) has no pair and only backdoor flush potential on a flop with a king and a pair of fours. I'm out of position and facing a raise, so folding is the correct play to avoid losing more chips.

T4o is too weak to continue for a call or raise in this spot; folding avoids investing chips with a dominated offsuit hand out of position postflop.

Calling 50 with Ts-5h in position is reasonable; I can see a flop and potentially realize equity without overcommitting preflop.

Checking lets me see a flop with a modest suited hand while keeping the pot small and preserving my stack.

I have a backdoor flush draw and gutshot with Ts-5h on a J-2-K flop, but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a big pot with a weak holding against a likely strong range.

I have bottom pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated board; checking is the safest way to see a free turn card and control pot size.

Board is paired with two diamonds and I hold a weak Ten-high with backdoor flush potential. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a bigger pot with a marginal hand.

Opponent checked both flop and turn, suggesting weakness. A small bet can take the pot now and charge any diamond draws.

I have a weak Ten-high with backdoor flush potential; calling 100 into a 300 pot on the turn is reasonable to see the river without overcommitting. Folding would be too cautious given the pot odds, and raising would be too aggressive with this hand.

Board is paired with two Jacks and I hold only a weak Ten-high. Checking avoids building a pot I'm likely to lose and preserves my remaining stack.

I have only bottom pair on a paired jack board, so checking preserves my chips and lets me see a showdown. Betting would likely only get called by better hands, so there is little value in bluffing.

8s 4h is a weak offsuit hand with no synergy. Facing a 100bb raise from the big blind with the button empty, folding minimizes expected loss.

Calling 50 into a 150 pot gives good pot odds heads-up, and 7-5 offsuit has enough equity against a random big blind hand to make the call profitable.

With J8o in the big blind and a limped small blind, checking keeps the pot small with a marginal hand and avoids building a pot out of position.

I have no made hand on a paired board, so checking is the safest way to see a free turn card.

I have two pair (kings and eights) on a paired flush-draw board, and the small blind checked. Betting for value and to charge draws is best.

Calling 1bb with a suited connector in position is cheap and offers good implied odds, so I take the flop rather than inflate the pot with a marginal hand.

Closing the preflop action costs only 50 into a 250-chip pot, giving excellent odds with a weak but playable three-handed hand. Raising with J6o risks too much against a limped button.

I'm on the button with 8d Kh, a marginal hand. Since the pot is unopened and I can check, I'll see a flop cheaply to avoid risking chips with a weak holding.

With J-high and only backdoor draws on a K-high flop, checking from the small blind avoids investing chips out of position with a weak hand.

Top pair with a strong kicker on a dry board; checking preserves the lead and allows me to control the pot size while keeping bluffing options open.

With Jc6h on a Kc7cTh4s board, I have no pair and no strong draw, and all opponents checked the flop. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into three-way action with a weak hand.

The board is paired with a King, and I hold the King high, giving me a strong top pair. With no bets on the turn and a dry board, checking preserves my range and pot control while allowing the opponent to bluff or value bet.

With a weak pair of sevens and a coordinated board, I'll check to see the river for free and avoid building a pot with a marginal hand.

We have only J-high with no showdown value, but bluffing into two opponents on a paired river is not profitable since they will often call with any pair or ace-high. Checking preserves chips and avoids a negative EV bluff.

Board is paired with two clubs and two hearts, and my Kh gives me top pair but vulnerable to the possible flush. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a bigger pot with a marginal hand.

With a weak pair and a paired board, checking is prudent to avoid value-betting into a better hand. Everyone checked, so I'll see a free showdown.

Three-handed button with Q8o is a reasonable open; raising applies pressure on the blinds and gives me position with initiative. A standard 2.5x raise is enough to fold out weaker hands while controlling risk.

With Q8o on the button facing a 250 raise, the hand is too weak to call or reraise; folding preserves my stack.

I have weak suited cards but am getting excellent pot odds of about 2.7 to 1 to call the small raise, so seeing a flop is profitable.

I have a flush draw on a dry board but am out of position. Checking lets me see the turn cheaply and potentially hit my flush, while avoiding committing chips with a weak made hand.

I raised preflop and the BB checked on a dry J-high flop; a small continuation bet can fold out unpaired overcards and weaker hands while risking little.

I have 5-high with no draw and face a 200 chip bet into a 750 pot, so continuing has poor expected value.