Hold'em table

Ace-ten offsuit is a clear button open in three-handed play. A raise to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot and applies pressure before the blinds.

7-2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting attractive pot odds of 2.67 to 1 in the big blind against a button open, JTo is a standard defend.

Flopped top pair with a good kicker out of position against the preflop raiser; checking is the standard play to let the aggressor continuation bet.

I have top pair with the ace kicker on a dry flop after the big blind checked. A half-pot bet gets value from worse pairs and draws while keeping the pot manageable.

We have top pair with a good kicker against a half-pot continuation bet, making this an easy standard call.

The Ace on the turn is in the opponent's preflop opening range, demoting our pair of tens to second pair. Checking to control the pot size is the standard play.

I have top two pair on a board with a heart draw, and the opponent checked to me. A two-thirds pot bet extracts value while charging draws.

The turn Ace is an unfavorable card that hits the button's range hard, and second pair with a mediocre kicker cannot comfortably continue against a large second barrel.

KTo is a strong enough button hand to open in a three-handed game; a 2.5 BB raise applies pressure while keeping weaker hands in range.

Q5o is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise out of position.

K2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, disconnected hand.

Q2o is far too weak to open from the button, even in 3-handed play.

K3 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against the big blind for another half-blind.

T9o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative rather than limp or fold.

6♣5♦ is a weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act. I’ll avoid continuing from the small blind.

Getting attractive pot odds of 27% heads-up against a wide button opening range, K8o has sufficient equity to defend the big blind.

I missed the flop completely with King-high on an Ace-high board, so checking to the preflop aggressor is standard.

I have second pair on an Ace-high flop and position after the big blind checks. Checking back keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity rather than betting into a range that often has an Ace.

I hold King-high on a paired ace board after flop went check-check. Checking to see the river or evaluate opponent's turn action is standard.

I have only a weak pair of nines on a double-ace board, so pot control is better than betting into a range that can easily have an ace.

I have King-high with some showdown value against missed unpaired hands that checked flop and turn, so checking to see a cheap showdown makes sense.

I have aces and nines with a ten kicker, which has showdown value, but the passive three-street line means a bet is mostly called by trips or better and folded by worse. Checking realizes the pot.

KQs is a strong button-opening hand in a three-handed game. Raise to 300 for value and initiative.

Holding 7d 3c in the small blind facing a 3x open from the button is an easy fold.

K2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding avoids paying 200 more with a dominated, disconnected hand.

8c 3d is too weak to play even from the button in a 3-handed game, so folding is clearly best.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against the big blind after the button folds, so I give up the small blind rather than invest more.