Hold'em table

Button in 3-handed play with suited connector 54s is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise steals the blinds often and plays well postflop in position.

K2 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind with the big blind still to act.

J♦8♦ is a reasonable defend against a button open, and calling 150 offers favorable pot odds while preserving its suited postflop potential.

Check with J-high and limited backdoor potential; the paired board favors the preflop raiser's range, and there is no need to build a pot without a made hand.

A small c-bet on this dry paired board works well: the button range has the advantage here, and 54s has backdoor straight and flush equity. A cheap bet should fold out many of the big blind's overcards.

The small flop bet offers favorable pot odds, and J-high retains some equity through an overcard and backdoor straight and flush possibilities. Calling is preferable to raising with no made hand.

I have no made hand and only limited straight-draw potential on this paired board. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see whether the button checks back.

A pair of fives has showdown value but gets little value from worse hands and is vulnerable to a check-raise. Checking back controls the pot and realizes equity.

I have only J-high on a paired board, but checking is free and may win against missed low-card floats. A river bluff risks chips against the opponent’s likely pairs and stronger high cards.

We hold nines and fives with a 6 kicker. Villain checked the turn and river, which caps their range, so a small value bet can get called by 3x, small pocket pairs, weaker fives and some high-card hands.

J-high has little showdown value on this board, and the river bet can represent numerous made hands. I fold rather than pay off without a useful blocker or draw.

A9 suited is strong enough to open on the button, and a 2.5 big blind raise gives me initiative while keeping the pot manageable.

T♠2♥ is a very weak hand, and calling a raise out of position would be unprofitable.

J9o in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open is getting 150 into 400 (27% equity needed), so defending by calling is clearly profitable against a wide button range.

Middle pair plus a gutshot, out of position against the preflop raiser on a board that favors their range. Checking lets me realize equity and check-call a reasonable c-bet.

A small continuation bet can fold out some weak hands while risking relatively little. The ace-high hand also has backdoor flush potential.

Middle pair plus a gutshot to the ten (a straight with 8-10 or K-10) against a small c-bet of 180 into 550 means we're getting great odds. Calling keeps the button's bluffs in the pot and controls the pot size.

Middle pair plus a gutshot to the ten on a paired board; checking controls the pot and keeps villain's bluffs in, and a small bet from villain can be called.

Ace-high has some showdown value, and a turn bet is unlikely to fold out a queen or jack. Checking in position keeps the pot manageable and lets me reassess on the river.

Second pair with a weak kicker has showdown value. The villain's turn check-back caps their range, so checking lets missed draws bluff and avoids getting value-owned by better jacks or queens.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed straight draws. A bluff is unlikely to fold out enough pairs on this board to justify the risk.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 250 applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the size modest.

Q5o from the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position.

64 offsuit is weak and plays poorly out of position against a button raise. I’ll give up the big blind rather than invest another 150 chips.

K8o on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a raise to 2.5bb steals the blinds with a reasonable hand.

Four-deuce suited is too weak to defend the small blind against a 2.5 big blind open with the big blind still to act.

Calling the small additional amount in position relative to the button gives pocket threes a reasonable chance to flop a set; a three-bet would risk too much with a low pair.

With a small underpair on a dry flop, checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against the raiser’s stronger range.

On a dry Q94 board, K8 with a gutshot and an overcard is a good small c-bet in position against the big blind's check. This sizing uses our range advantage and can take the pot down cheaply.

The small bet gives favorable odds to continue with a pocket pair, which can still be ahead of unpaired hands and may improve to a set. Raising would risk too much with a weak hand.

With only a small pocket pair and no meaningful draw, betting into the preflop raiser after they called the flop would risk too much. I’ll check and see whether they check back or apply pressure.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a draw-heavy turn; a small bet gets value from Qx, 9x and draws while denying equity, without bloating the pot against better kings.

With only a small pocket pair on a king-high board, I have little chance to improve and the call price is too large against a flop bet followed by a turn bet.

K7 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

A8 suited is strong enough to 3-bet the button open, and raising from the small blind builds initiative while denying equity. 900 chips is a substantial but controlled out-of-position raise.

QJo facing an open and a 3-bet from the small blind, with the opener still to act behind me, is too weak to continue; it is dominated too often and plays poorly out of position.

K7 suited is often dominated by a small blind three-bet range, and calling 650 more is marginal even with position.

A7 offsuit is a profitable button open in a three-handed game. I’m raising to 2.5 big blinds to take initiative while keeping the sizing modest.

Three-handed, the button's opening range is wide, so 44 plays well as a 3-bet from the small blind. The raise has fold equity and avoids playing a flat call out of position with the big blind still to act.

A6 suited is too easily dominated by the small blind's large three-bet. Calling also leaves the button to act behind me.

A7 offsuit is too weak to continue against the small blind’s large 3-bet, especially with no strong postflop prospects. Fold rather than call or turn it into a costly bluff.