Hold'em table

J8 offsuit is playable as a button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 250 applies pressure to the blinds while preserving position postflop.

My hole cards are 8c2s, which is a very weak hand. Seat 1 opened to 250 from the button, and I am in the small blind. Calling 200 more with this hand offers poor odds and low equity, so folding is the correct play.

Q3 offsuit is weak, and calling 150 more out of position against a button open leaves me with a poor hand that is hard to play postflop. Folding is the better choice.

Calling 100 to see a flop with Tc Jh in position is reasonable; I can control the pot size and assess the board before committing more chips.

Pocket fours is a decent hand in a 3-handed pot. The button limped and I'm in the small blind, so raising for value and to take initiative is better than a passive call.

QTs has enough playability to call the 300-chip raise, but not enough strength to build a larger pot with a reraise.

Calling the 300 to see a flop with Tc Jh in position is reasonable; I'll keep the pot controlled and evaluate on the flop.

I have a low pocket pair on a Q-high flop in a three-way pot, and I'm out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the others do, since a bet would mostly be called by better hands.

Top pair can get value from weaker queens and draws. Betting half the pot also charges spade draws and overcards.

I have a gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw on a Q-high board. Calling keeps me in the hand with good implied odds while avoiding bloating the pot with a weak draw.

Pocket 4s on a Q-9-2 board is only a weak underpair. I checked, then faced a bet and a call, so I'm up against two players who both showed strength. Calling 600 into a 2400 pot is marginal with little equity, so I fold.

Top pair with a diamond flush draw and a gutshot is strong enough to bet for value and protection against the caller's draws.

Seat 3 folded on the flop, so it's heads-up against seat 1 who raised to 1600 on the turn. My Tc-Jh is a weak draw with backdoor flush and gutshot straight possibilities, but the pot odds (1600 to call into 4000) are poor and I have no pair or strong equity. Folding preserves my 9000 stack for better spots.

Pocket sixes on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand, so I raise to 3bb for value and to take position against the blinds.

Nine-four offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a three-big-blind button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

With Tc5s and a 300 raise, I have little equity and no made hand, so folding minimizes losses against a likely strong range.

Q8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5 big-blind raise keeps the pot manageable in position.

My hand (4d 3c) is weak and disconnected from the board. Facing a 250 raise from the button with only 200 to call, the pot odds don't justify continuing with this speculative hand.

A9o in the big blind against a button open to 2.5bb in 3-handed play is well ahead of the button's wide range, and the pot odds are good (150 to win 400). Calling is better than a speculative 3-bet.

Top pair-ish? No: Ace-high with a backdoor nut-flush draw and a gutshot-free board; I'm out of position heads-up against a button raiser. A small probe bet of about 36% pot, with the Ace as a blocker and some equity, can win the pot or take a cheap look, since the button's range is wide and the Q-2-7 board is dry.</br>

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop lead, but the weak kicker favors keeping the pot controlled in position.

Ace-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot-ish 9-8 on Q-2-7-8 board; the opponent called a flop bet as the button, so I'll take a small stab to bet for value from worse pairs and fold out hands like 9x/ace-high, rather than give a free card. A small bet keeps the risk low. =

Top two pair is strong against the small turn bet. Raising gets value from weaker queens and draws while charging diamond and straight draws.

Ace-high with a weak 9 kicker has little equity against a turn raise to 1200 after a flop call, and the pot odds (900 to win 3350... roughly 21%) are not enough since I'm often behind and have only a few outs. Folding is the disciplined choice.}

7c2c is a very weak hand with no playability. The big blind has already invested 100 and the small blind 50, so I'm not getting sufficient odds to call 100 with this garbage hand.

KJs is a strong hand in a 3-handed pot, and the button folded. Raising from the small blind builds the pot with a hand that plays well against the big blind's range.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in while preserving position postflop.

I have K-J of spades with a backdoor flush draw and two overcards to the 10 and 6 on an Ad Tc 6c flop. I raised preflop and act first heads-up, so a small continuation bet of about a third of the pot builds the pot, takes it down against weak holdings, and keeps my draw equity.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet, but the weak kicker makes raising unattractive.

I have a king-high gutshot (K J with A Q T on board gives a Broadway straight), so I'm drawing to the nuts. I'm out of position against a caller who showed interest, so I'll check and take a free card, since a bet risks a raise.Chat is off.

Top pair can get value from queens, tens, and club draws while charging those draws to see the river.

Ks Js makes the nut broadway straight on A-T-6-Q. I raise for value against a small turn bet that could be a draw or a weaker made hand.

My top pair has a weak kicker and no meaningful draw. The turn check-raise represents enough stronger hands that calling is unlikely to be profitable.

On the button in a 3-handed game, 6-5 suited is a strong enough hand to raise for position and to steal the blinds. A 3x raise is a standard size.

Q6 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act.

Seat 3 raised to 300 with position and initiative; my 7h9c is weak and unsuited, so folding minimizes losses against a likely strong range.