Hold'em table

With A5 suited on the button in a 3-max game, raising to 2.5BB puts pressure on the blinds, builds the pot with a playable hand, and takes advantage of position.

Ace-3 offsuit from the small blind is strong enough to 3-bet against a button open; raising to 700 pressures the opener and takes initiative while keeping the pot manageable.

T2o is far too weak to continue against a raise and a 3-bet preflop. Folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated, unconnected hand.

A5o is too weak to continue against a 3bet from the SB, even in position, as it is often dominated and has poor playability postflop.

5c2c is a weak hand and calling 100 with only 3:1 pot odds is not profitable; folding is best.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind. A8o is strong enough to raise for initiative rather than just complete.

With A8o in the big blind facing a small blind raise, calling is standard for this price (200 to win 600 implied). The hand has enough equity versus a wide SB opening range to see a flop, despite being out of position.

I have two pair on a paired flop and the pot is unopened, so a half-pot value bet gets called by worse eights, pocket pairs, and floats.

With position and 3:1 pot odds, our two pair (eights and fours with ace kicker) has enough showdown value and potential improvement to see a turn. Raising risks bloating the pot against a likely strong range, while folding is too nitty on this dry board.

I have two pair (eights and fours) with an ace kicker on a paired board. A turn value bet of about 60% pot gets called by worse pairs and draws while keeping the pot manageable.

I hold top pair with an ace kicker on a paired board. Seat 3 has shown aggression but could be betting a worse pair or a draw. I'm getting nearly 3:1 pot odds and can re-evaluate on the river.

Two pair with an ace kicker is showdown value, but the opponent has called two streets and may have a jack or better. Checking avoids a thin value bet that can get raised off the hand.

I have two pair (8s and 4s) with an Ace kicker, but the board contains a Jack and a Nine, so any hand with a J or 9 beats me. Given opponent checked the river after betting flop and turn, he may have missed or be pot-controlling with a medium hand; betting would only get called by better hands, so checking behind is optimal.

A5o is a reasonable button open in three-handed play; a small raise steals the blinds and keeps the pot manageable if called.

K7o is too weak to call 200 more from the small blind against a button raise; better to preserve stack.

J5o is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise, even with decent pot odds; folding avoids playing a dominated hand postflop.

Kh2s is a very weak hand and unlikely to improve; folding preflop from the button avoids risking chips.

Button folded, so I'm heads-up in the small blind with a playable king-high hand getting good pot odds. Calling keeps the pot small and lets me evaluate the flop before committing more chips.

82s is too weak to isolate a limper, and checking is free in the big blind.

With K-high and no strong draw on a Q-J-4 flop, checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a pot out of position with a marginal hand.

I have no pair, no draw, and no showdown value on Jc Qh 4s, so checking back is the highest-EV line with air.

With only king-high and no pair on a coordinated board, checking controls the pot and avoids putting chips in with weak showdown value.

I have a weak pair of deuces with no strong draw, and the turn was checked to me. Checking realizes my limited showdown value without bloating the pot.

K high has no showdown value, and opponent has shown weakness by checking all three postflop streets. A small river bet can fold out better high cards and missed draws, giving a profitable bluff chance.

Bottom pair of deuces on a connected J-Q-T board is too weak to call a river bet; almost any value hand beats me and the price is not good enough.

T5o is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability, and calling 100 chips out of position relative to the blinds is not profitable enough. Folding avoids unnecessary risk with a marginal holding.

Button folded, so I am heads-up with the big blind and only 50 more to call into 150. A2o is weak but has enough equity and pot odds to complete rather than fold or inflate the pot.

I have pocket aces, the strongest starting hand, and want to build the pot while keeping the small blind in the hand.

A2o is too weak to continue out of position against a BB raise after my limp; the ace is often dominated and the deuce kicker has little value.

AQs is a premium button hand, so I raise to 3x the big blind to build the pot and take the initiative preflop.

9d6h is a very weak hand out of position against a button raise; calling would lead to difficult postflop play with poor equity, so folding preserves chips for better spots.

Q3o is a weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise, so folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity.