Hold'em table

AQ offsuit is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds a pot with a likely equity advantage while retaining position postflop.

K3o is far too weak to call a 2.5x raise out of position with a third player yet to act. Folding is clearly best.

Seat 1 raised to 250 and seat 2 folded, leaving me the big blind with Jh Kd. I need to call 150 more to continue, and this hand is strong enough to see a flop without overcommitting preflop.

I have a backdoor flush draw and overcards to the board, so I want to see the turn cheaply. Checking also keeps the pot controlled while seat_1 remains the aggressor.

This connected, two-spade flop favors the big blind's calling range, and AQ without a spade has little reason to build the pot. Checking preserves showdown value and lets us see a free turn in position.

Board is paired with an Ace and I hold Kd-Jh, so I want to control pot size and avoid building a big pot with a marginal hand. Checking keeps me in position and lets me react to seat_1's action on the river.

Top pair with a strong kicker is worth betting for value after two checks. This sizing extracts value from weaker aces and draws while charging them to see the river.

I have a strong open-ended straight draw with Jh Kd on a 5s 9h 8s Ac board, and calling 375 into a 925 pot is a reasonable price to see the river. I'll keep the pot controlled and decide on the river based on the card and opponent's action.

Board is paired with two 5s and an Ace, so my Jh-Kd high-card hand is weak; checking is safest to avoid building a pot with a marginal holding.

Bet for value against weaker aces and bluff-catching pairs after the river pairs the board. The missed draws may fold, but AQ is strong enough to extract another bet from worse hands.

Seat 1's river raise to 700 is a bluff attempt on a paired board where my Jh Kd has no made hand; calling is +EV given the pot odds and the risk of him bluffing with a missed hand.

52 offsuit is the worst starting hand; folding to the BB is clearly correct even at 1bb to call.

9c6s is a weak hand that struggles against the small blind's range, and the pot odds don't justify a call or raise with such disconnected cards.

Calling the big blind with 8s9h in position is reasonable; I want to see a flop cheaply and avoid building a big pot out of position with a speculative hand.

Completing costs only 50 into a 250-chip pot, giving sufficient odds with Q7 offsuit against a button limp. The hand is too weak to raise profitably out of position without stronger opponent reads.

Q7s is marginal; free flop from the BB with no raise is fine.

Two pair is strong enough to bet for value against queens, weaker pairs, and draws. A sizable bet charges the many straight and flush draws on this wet, three-way flop.

Top pair queens on a coordinated board; calling the small flop bet keeps the pot controlled while my hand is likely ahead of a single raise range.

I have a gutshot straight draw to a 6 and a backdoor flush draw on a Q-7-9 board. Calling 250 into an 800 pot is a reasonable price to see the turn and potentially complete my straight.

The turn completes several straight draws after two opponents called a large flop bet. Checking keeps the pot manageable with two pair and lets me assess their sizing and actions before committing more chips.

I hold two pair (queens and sevens) on a wet board with straight and flush draws; betting for value and protection is best since seat_1 checked and seat_3 has shown passivity.

I have a straight draw with 8s9h on a Q-7-9-8 board, giving me the 6-10 straight possibility. Calling 600 into a 1650 pot is reasonable to keep the draw alive without overcommitting.

Two pair has enough equity to call 600 into 2250 against ranges containing draws and weaker made hands. Raising risks isolating us against straights, sets, and higher two pair on this coordinated board.

Two pair has showdown value, but betting into two opponents risks isolating against better two pair, sets, and straights. Checking keeps missed draws in their ranges and lets me evaluate any river bet.

My two pair is vulnerable to any Ax, and after three players called turn bets, betting the river mostly folds worse and gets called by better. Checking is the safe line.

I have an open-ended straight draw with 8s 9h on a Q-7-9-8-A board, giving me a gutshot to a 6 for a straight, but no made hand. Checking allows me to realize equity without risking more chips on a marginal hand, and I can still win if a 6 or 10 appears on a future hand (though this is the river).

A7 offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional advantage if called.

J8s is marginal but calling 200 more into a 400 pot with position is cheap; folding is too tight against a 2.5x open.

I have a pocket pair of threes. Calling is better than raising to keep the pot small and avoid building a big pot with a marginal hand before the flop.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated board; I have position and can check back, keeping the pot small and avoiding bloating it out of position relative to the preflop raiser.

I have a pocket pair of threes with a set on the board, but the pot is small and the opponent checked. I'll check to control the pot and induce bluffs or see a cheap turn.

Ace-high with little backdoor potential is a weak bluff candidate against two opponents. Checking behind preserves showdown value and realizes equity without risking a check-raise.

Weak hand (J8o) on a paired board with everyone checking; no value or fold equity worth betting into.

I have a set of threes on a board with a pair of tens. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids scaring out a weaker hand, since the opponent checked twice on the flop and turn.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but betting into two opponents is unlikely to get calls from worse or reliably fold out better. Checking preserves that value and lets us reassess the river in position.

I only hold a pair of eights with a jack kicker on a paired board; checking is safest with two opponents who showed preflop strength.

I have a pair of threes on a paired board with a ten and nine, which is vulnerable to overcards and two-pair hands. Both opponents checked twice on the turn, suggesting weakness, so I'll check behind to control the pot and avoid bloating it with a marginal hand.

Ace-high retains some showdown value after both opponents checked every street. Bluffing into two players risks calls from pairs, while checking realizes our remaining equity for free.

Ace-high suited on the button is a standard open-raise; I take initiative and can fold to heavy resistance.

With Ks9h in the small blind facing a 300-chip raise from the button, the pot odds don't justify continuing with a weak suited king. Folding preserves my stack for better spots.

Seven-deuce offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb button raise, especially out of position. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity and playability.

I have 8d2d on the button facing a 100 big blind raise with no callers; this is a weak hand that does not justify a call or 3-bet from out of position.

Completing the small blind costs only 50 into a 150-chip pot. Q5 offsuit is playable heads-up at this price, but too weak to build a large pot out of position routinely.

J3o is weak but I'm already in the big blind with no one to call; checking is free and I can fold to pressure.

Queen-high has little immediate value on this connected board, with only backdoor straight and flush potential. Checking out of position preserves chips and lets us reassess against the big blind's action.

Top pair jacks heads-up; small bet for value and protection against draws on a connected board.

Queen-high with only backdoor draws is too weak to continue against a three-quarter-pot bet out of position. Calling requires 30% equity, and our equity realization is poor on this connected board.