Hold'em table

King-two offsuit is too weak even from the button against two players; folding is standard.

Button folded; I'm in the small blind with 9-7 offsuit, which is marginal. Completing costs only 50 more to win a 200 pot (4-to-1 odds), so a call is better than folding.

J3 offsuit is too weak to raise for value, and checking lets me see a free flop in position against the small blind.

Open-ended straight draw (9-7 on 8-6-Q) plus a pair-ish equity with two overs... actually a 10 or 5 completes the straight. Heads-up against a checked-through BB range, a small bet gets folds and builds the pot with a strong draw.

Jack-high with no pair and only weak backdoor potential is not worth calling the flop bet.

J6 suited is a weak hand out of position postflop against two opponents, so I'll fold rather than pay 100 to see a flop. Three-handed it's playable but marginal, and folding avoids a likely dominated spot.

A-T offsuit is strong heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 300 builds value and gives me the chance to win the pot preflop.

QTo is decent enough to defend the big blind against a 3x raise, with position on the raiser postflop.

A small continuation bet can fold out some missed hands while risking little on this jack-high flop.

Q-high with no draw on a J-6-4 board; seat_3 bet into the caller, and my hand has little equity. Folding is cheapest.

Q8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5 big blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

In the big blind with 8h6h, I'm getting 400 to 150 (about 2.7-to-1) against a button open that could be wide. The hand is suited and connected, so it plays well postflop. Calling is better than folding or bluff-raising here.

I have 6h8h on a Kh 9d Ad board, so I only have a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot. The button was the preflop raiser and has position on me, so I'll check and see what they do.

As the preflop raiser, I can represent strong aces and kings on this board. A small continuation bet may win the pot now while limiting the cost when called.

Getting about 5.05:1 on a call (730 pot, 180 to call). I hold a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot (6-8 with 9 gives a weak straight draw), and the small continuation bet on an A-K-9 board is wide. Folding gives up too much, and raising into a likely strong range is unprofitable.

I have a gutter straight draw plus a backdoor heart draw on a K-9-A-5 board (6h 8h). Seat_3 bet the flop small and could be betting a wide range, but I have no showdown value and a bluff has little fold equity, so I check and see a cheap river.

I have little showdown value, but the flop caller can have many hands that continue on this turn. Taking the free card is preferable to bluffing without a meaningful draw.

My hand is just the paired board with no improvement, so it loses to any ace, king or nine. Opponent called the flop and checked the turn, so a bluff would run into too many calling hands; I'll check and see a free showdown.

Q-high has some showdown value against missed draws. After the flop call, a river bet is unlikely to fold enough paired hands to justify a bluff.

A5o with the button is a standard open-raise; I take initiative and can fold if pressured.

T5 offsuit is a weak hand. Facing a 3x button open from the small blind, with the big blind still to act behind, it is not worth 250 more chips, so I fold.

T8 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, but not strong enough to favor a three-bet.

I have an open-ended straight draw on a dry flop. Checking lets me see how the preflop raiser acts before committing more chips out of position.

Heads-up with ace high vs a preflop caller who checked the flop; a small stab likely wins the pot and can get value from weaker pairs.

An open-ended straight draw gives me strong equity, and a check-raise can also win the pot immediately against a button continuation bet.

I only have ace-high on a 2-7-9 board and got check-raised big; my hand has almost no equity against a raise that size.

A6 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong enough hand to open, since the ace blocks strong holdings and the hand plays well. A 3bb raise puts pressure on both blinds.

T5 suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3bb button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J5 offsuit is dominated against a 3x open from the button; calling 200 more with a weak unsuited hand is unprofitable.

Ace-deuce offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big-blind raise applies pressure while preserving position.

85o is dominated trash facing a 2.5x open from the button; folding is clearly best.

K7o is a marginal hand, but I'm in the big blind getting 400 into 150 (about 2.7 to 1) against a wide button open in a 3-handed game. Calling is clearly better than folding, and a 3-bet would be too loose.

I have second pair with a king on an ace-high board, heads-up and out of position. A small bet of about half the pot gets value from worse aces-less hands and denies equity, and keeps the pot manageable if I'm behind.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet, but my weak kicker makes raising unattractive. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while preserving positional advantage.

The board is 8h Ad Qh 8d and I hold Kh 7c, so I have only king-high plus a backdoor-ish pair on board. The button called my flop bet, so they likely hold an ace or a queen. I check to control the pot and avoid bluffing into a calling range.

Top pair is ahead of many queens and draws that may have led the flop. A modest turn bet gets value and charges draws without committing a large portion of the stack.

I hold Ah-free top-pair-ish K-high with a 7 on an 8-A-Q-8 board, so I have only king-high. Wait: board has Ad, so my Kh plays as a weak bluff-catcher. The pot is 1650 and calling 500 needs about 23% equity; the button's turn bet after my check could be a bluff or a wide range, so a call is reasonable. Raising would turn a marginal hand into a bluff against a range that often has an ace or queen.

Board 8h Ad Qh 8d 2c: I have Kh with a 7, so just ace-high-ish king kicker with the board pair. The opponent bet the turn, so they likely have an ace or a queen. Checking to get to showdown cheaply is better than bluffing or a thin value bet.

I have aces and eights on a river that missed the heart draws. A modest value bet can get called by queens and weaker pairs.

I have only king-high on an 8-A-Q-8-2 board and checked the river. The button bet 850 into a pot of 2150, so I need about 28% equity to call. This line (flop call, turn raise, river bet) mostly represents an ace or better, and my hand beats only a pure bluff, so I fold.