Hold'em table

On the button with K8o, a min-raise to 200 is a low-cost attempt to steal the blinds while retaining the option to fold to a 3-bet. It leverages position and keeps the pot small with a marginal hand.

Q5 offsuit is weak, out of position against a button open with a big blind still to act. Calling 150 more is not profitable.

Getting 3.5:1 against a button min-raise, Q9o is an easy defend from the big blind. Calling is better than 3-betting here.

Middle pair with a gutshot (Q makes K-Q-J-10-9? no—Q needs 10-8 or K-10; actually holding Q9 on 7-J-9, a 10 gives Q-J-10-9 plus 8 or K... ) is a medium-strength hand out of position, so I check to control the pot and plan to call a reasonable c-bet.

With K8o on J97r, I have no pair or draw, and this board favors the big blind's calling range. Checking back lets me see a free turn and avoid being check-raised, preserving my stack for better opportunities.

A middle pair of nines is mostly a bluff-catcher once the ace lands, and a bet would mainly get called by aces. Checking keeps the pot small and gives the button room to bluff after checking back the flop.

Opponent has checked flop and turn, showing weakness. The ace is a good card for my preflop raising range, so I semi-bluff to represent an ace and try to take down the pot.

Second pair facing a small 40%-pot stab after a flop check-through needs only about 29% equity. The bettor's range has plenty of air and weaker hands, so calling is profitable.

A pair of nines has some showdown value but cannot bet for value against a range full of aces, and turning it into a bluff wastes that value. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me judge a river bet by its size.

I have a 7-J straight and seat3 checked the river to me. Betting about half pot can get value from top pairs and two pairs while I can fold to a raise.

Second pair of 9s on a four-to-a-straight board with an ace loses to nearly all of villain's value hands: Ax, Jx, Tx, 8x and KQ. Even at 27% pot odds, a call has too little bluff-catching equity.

9h2h is a weak offsuit-ish hand from the button in a 3-handed game; folding avoids a marginal spot, though it's close given the positional advantage.

Blind vs blind, T3s is wide enough to open from the SB, and a 3x raise takes initiative while folding out the BB's weak hands.

J3o is a very weak hand, especially out of position against a raise. Folding avoids losing more chips with poor equity.

T8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard opening hand, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds.

54s is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially out of position; folding avoids losing more chips with a marginal hand.

8-2 offsuit is the worst starting hand. Calling 150 to win 400 is not worth it when I'd be out of position against the button's raise.

J7o is a marginal hand, but on the button in a 3-handed game, raising allows me to take the initiative and potentially steal the blinds.

KQo is a decent hand in 3-handed play, but out of position against a button open with a big blind still to act, calling 200 is safer than 3-betting. Folding gives up too much equity at this price.

Getting 4:1 on a call (150 into 600) with A3o in the big blind against a button open and SB flat; calling is clearly profitable, and a squeeze with a weak ace is less attractive multiway.

I hold king-queen with an open-ended straight draw on a 7-J-8 board, which gives me gutshot outs (Ten, Nine) plus overcards. I'm first to act in a three-way pot of 750, so a bet of about 2/3 pot builds the pot and can win it now while I keep plenty of equity if called.

A3 offhand misses the J-8-7 board, leaving only weak backdoor draws, and we face a 2/3-pot lead with the preflop raiser still to act behind. Folding is clearly best.

We have top two pair on a board with straight and set possibilities; a moderate raise to 1500 gets value from one-pair hands and draws while keeping the pot manageable if Seat 2 has a monster.

KQ on J-8-7 has a gutshot to the nut straight (T-9 needed... actually 9-T makes the straight) plus two overcards and backdoor potential, so I have enough equity to call 1000 into a 2750 pot (about 27% needed) rather than fold or bloat the pot with a raise against a likely strong 3-bet range. .

I have king-high with a gutshot (Ks Qc on 7s Jd 8h As needs a 10 for the straight) and a backdoor-ish draw only. Seat 1 re-raised my flop raise, which shows strength, so I check and take a free card rather than bluff into a likely ace or jack.

I have two pair but the Ace on the turn may have improved opponent's hand, so I check to control the pot and see a cheap showdown.

I hold K-high with a gutshot-type missed draw; the board is 7-J-8-A-2 with Ks Qc, and I have only king-high. Both opponents checked the turn, and seat_1 also raised the flop so likely has a hand, but checking the turn suggests weakness. My hand has no showdown value, so a bluff of about half the pot is reasonable, as the opponent's range includes many missed draws and weak pairs that may fold.}

We have top two pair (Js and 7s) on a board with possible straights and backdoor flush. The opponent's river bet is polarizing, but we are getting 3:1 odds. Although many value hands beat us (AJ, A8, J8, sets, straights), there are enough missed draws and bluffs to make a call profitable. Raising would only fold worse hands and get called by better, so calling is the best option.

A8o on the button in a 3-handed game is a solid open. A raise to 3bb takes the initiative and gets position against the blinds.

97o from the small blind facing a button 3x open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold. Calling out of position with a weak offsuit hand is unprofitable.

With suited connectors like 85s, we have decent playability and the pot odds of 2.25:1 are reasonable. Despite being out of position, the button's raise range is wide in 3-handed play, so calling to see a flop and potentially hit a strong draw or two pair makes sense.

I have 8-high with no club and no draw on a mono-club board with two broadway cards. Checking to see a free turn or fold to a bet is best.

On a K-Q-4 board with three clubs I hold the ace of hearts and 8 of clubs, so I have no flush draw but do have ace-high and a backdoor-free bluff. Seat 1 checked in the big blind and is heads-up with me in position, so a bet of about 60% of the pot should take the pot often enough, though I have little showdown value if called.

I hold 8h5h with no pair, draw, or backdoor flush on a monotone KcQc4c flop. Facing a 400 bet from the preflop aggressor and out of position, folding is the only viable option.

Q9o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open; a 2.5bb raise applies pressure to the blinds.

Holding 43o from the small blind with no position against a button raise is too weak to continue; folding preserves my stack.

2-3 offsuit is the worst starting hand, and calling 150 more out of position against a button raise isn't profitable, so I'm folding and giving up the 100 big blind.