Hold'em table

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

Holding a pocket pair in a blind-versus-blind confrontation, open-raising to 3bb builds the pot and applies pressure on the big blind.

K6o in the big blind facing a 3x small blind raise in a 3-handed pot. The price is 200 to win 500, so it is a profitable defend against a wide range and I keep position-independent showdown value.

Holding a low underpair out of position on a wet flop, checking is best to control the pot size.

Heads-up on a dry 8-T-2 flop with king-high and a backdoor flush draw, the SB checked, showing weakness. A small bet of half the pot can win the pot now or pick up equity from overcards and backdoor draws.

I hold an underpair on a wet flop of 8s Tc 2c and have very little equity or playability out of position against a half-pot bet.

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

Ace-x suited-ish (A3 offsuit) is a decent hand heads-up against the big blind after the button folded; raising for value and to take initiative from the small blind.

Nine-three suited is a marginal hand, but against a small-blind raise it has enough equity and postflop position to defend at this price.

Top pair with an ace and a backdoor wheel draw on a dry-ish A-7-5 flop, heads-up and out of position. Betting about 2/3 pot for value and protection against overcards and straight draws.

Nine-three suited missed this flop and has only weak backdoor draws. Calling the 400-chip bet out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

4-6 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling from the button with two players left to act behind me is unprofitable, so I fold and give up nothing.

With the button folded, A5 offsuit is strong enough to raise against the big blind and contest the pot.

Calling 200 with J8s in the big blind against a small blind open, closing the action with position and solid playability.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this paired board, so I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have flopped trips with a strong kicker on a dry, paired board; checking back traps SB's preflop range and allows them to bluff or catch a piece on the turn.

Ace-high has some showdown value, and betting this turn is unlikely to make many better hands fold. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

I turned trips with three eights and the opponent has checked twice, so I am betting two-thirds of the pot for value.

The small turn bet offers reasonable pot odds. Ace-high can still beat draws or bluffs, and an ace on the river may improve the hand.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws. Betting without a club blocker risks getting called by pairs or flushes.

We hold three of a kind on a board where no straights or flushes are possible, beating all one-pair and two-pair holdings such as top pairs like AK and KQ. Betting a bit over half pot targets calls from these broadway holdings.

Ace-high beats only bluffs, and this river bet is unlikely to be bluffing often enough to justify an 800-chip call.

AJo is a strong button opening hand three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise builds the pot while retaining position.

54o is too weak to call a button open out of position with the big blind still to act.

QTo in the big blind getting 400 into 150 (about 2.7:1) against a button open of 2.5bb is a clear defend. Position is a disadvantage, so calling is better than a 3-bet bluff.

Top and bottom pair (Qh Ts on Qs 5d Tc) is a strong hand heads-up out of position against a button raiser. I bet about 64% of the pot for value and to deny equity to draws and overcards.

In position, I can call with a gutshot to the nut straight and two overcards, then reassess on the turn.

Top two pair (Queens and Tens) on a Q-T-K-5 board with two spades is strong; I bet for value and to charge flush and straight draws, since the button only called the flop.

I have the nut straight on the turn. Raising for value can get calls from weaker straights and other strong hands.

Two pair (queens and tens) on Q-5-T-K. Calling 2000 into a pot of 4850 gets about 2.4:1, so I need roughly 29% equity. Villain's raise range includes sets, straights (AJ) and strong Kx hands, but it also includes bluffs and draws, and my two pair beats plenty of it. Calling keeps the decision manageable, so I won't raise.}

Two pair, queens and tens, on Qs 5d Tc Ks 3h. Seat_1 raised the turn, which fits a straight (J9 or AJ), a set, or KQ, and the ranges that beat me are plausible. But I called the turn raise and I'm first to act, so I'm betting for value at about 36% pot. Worse hands like Qx, Tx, and some Kx could call, and the size limits the loss if I'm raised.

I have the nut straight. Raising all-in maximizes value against lower straights and other strong hands.

I hold two pair, Queens and Tens, on a Q-5-T-K-3 board. The pot lays about 4.9-to-1 (4100 to win 15950+4100), so I need only about 17% equity. Seat_1 raised the turn and shoved the river, which looks strong (Kings, sets, or Q-K), but two pair still beats enough of the bluffs and weaker value hands to justify calling.

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

Pocket nines is a strong hand heads-up against the big blind after the button folded, so I raise for value from the small blind.

A8 offsuit is strong enough to defend against a small-blind raise, and I’ll have position after the flop.

Pocket nines on a J-2-J board is a strong overpair-to-the-deuce holding heads-up; I bet about half pot for value and to deny equity to overcards and Jx-less hands.

Ace-high has showdown value on this dry paired board, and the small flop bet gives me a reasonable price to continue.

Pocket nines on a J-2-J-Q board is a medium-strength hand, and I have been betting the flop as the preflop raiser. A modest bet of about 40% of the pot gets value from worse pairs and 10-x hands, and it denies equity to overcards and clubs. It keeps the pot manageable if the opponent has a jack or a flush draw.

Ace-high has little equity against the opponent’s likely pairs and jacks, and calling a second bet without a draw is unlikely to be profitable.

Q9s on the button in a 3-handed game is a solid open. Raising to 2.5bb takes the initiative and puts pressure on both blinds.

T7 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting favorable pot odds of 150 to win 400 closing the action in the big blind with KTo against a button open.

Check to the preflop aggressor with top pair, mediocre kicker to control the pot size and protect our checking range out of position.

Heads up in position on K-8-7 with a backdoor flush draw and straight draw (Q9 with 8-7 gives gutshot-ish, plus a 9-8-7 connection). A half-pot bet takes advantage of the check, can win the pot outright, and has equity when called. .

I have top pair with a ten kicker on a relatively dry king-high flop, making a call against a standard half-pot continuation bet clearly profitable.

I have top pair with a mediocre kicker and a gutshot straight draw out of position; checking is standard to control pot size and allow the aggressor to act.

I have Q-9 on a 7-K-8-J board, so I hold a open-ended straight draw (any 10 or... actually a 10 makes Q-J-10-9-8) plus a backdoor spade draw. Seat 2 checked, so a half-pot semi-bluff bet builds the pot with fold equity and I still have good equity if called. Position on the button helps too. .

I have top pair with a gutshot straight draw facing a half-pot bet, giving me excellent pot odds to continue to the river.

I hold top pair with a ten kicker on a connected board, which functions well as a check-call or showdown hand rather than betting for value.

Board 7-K-8-J-6 gives me a queen-high straight (9-Q with 7-8-J... actually 7-8-9-J plus 6 makes 6-7-8-9 and needs 10), so I have a 9-high straight draw missed; Q9 makes 6-7-8-9 straight. Villain checked all streets, so a value bet is best.

I hold top pair on a board where the river completes some straight possibilities, but getting over 4.4-to-1 pot odds against a small river bet from the button warrants a bluff-catch.