Hold'em table

K2o is too weak to open from the button in a three-handed pot; folding avoids investing chips with a poorly connected offsuit hand.

5h3c is a weak hand with no playability. Seat 3 has a significant range advantage as the big blind, and calling 50 to see a flop with such a disconnected hand is not profitable.

I have Ts6s, a weak speculative hand, and face a 100-chip raise from the big blind. With no prior action to gauge strength and a 100bb effective stack, folding minimizes loss on a marginal hand.

Button folded, heads-up vs BB with suited connector J8s; a small raise applies pressure and builds the pot with a playable hand.

Pocket sevens is ahead of a small-blind open often enough, and I have position heads-up. Calling keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity without bloating it out of position value.

Dry 7-5-2 board favors my preflop raising range; a small continuation bet applies pressure even though I missed with Js8s.

I have a set of sevens on a dry rainbow flop, so I raise for value rather than slow-play. A raise to 850 builds the pot while still getting called by overpairs and weaker made hands.

J-high with no pair, no real draw against a big raise on a dry board; folding is clearly best.

Weak offsuit hand (J4o) not worth playing from the button facing a raise-limited field; folding preserves chips.

84o is too weak to complete or raise out of position against the big blind after the button folds. Folding limits the loss to the small blind already posted.

T9o is a standard button open in three-handed play. A 2.5bb raise takes the initiative with a playable hand rather than calling or folding.

I have As Kc, a strong hand. Seat 1 raised to 250, and I'm in the small blind. I'll raise to 400 to build the pot and apply pressure.

8-5 offsuit facing a raise and a 3-bet is a clear fold, no equity to justify continuing.

T9o is not strong, but the SB only 3-bet to 4bb and I am in position. Calling 1.5bb into this pot is too cheap to fold.

I have a backdoor flush draw with Kc and As on a 3h-7c-3d board, but no made hand. Checking keeps my options open for the turn and avoids building a bigger pot without a strong holding.

T9o has no pair, draw, or showdown value on this dry paired board, and the preflop 3-bettor checked. Checking back is better than bluffing into a strong range with no equity.

The board is paired with three 3s, giving me a weak King-high. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a big bet with a marginal hand.

T9 has no pair and only a weak kicker on a triple-three board against a preflop 3-bettor who has checked twice. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids betting into a range that usually has me dominated.

Board is 33334, a four-of-a-kind with a kicker. My As kicker is the best possible hand, so there is no need to bluff or build the pot; checking is optimal to let opponent bluff or call if they have a weaker hand.

Board trips with only a ten kicker lose to any pair and most 3-bet high-card hands, and worse unpaired kickers will not call a bet. Checking down realizes the small pot without turning a dominated hand into a bluff.

With Q7o on the button facing a 100bb raise from the BB, the hand lacks sufficient equity and post-flop playability to justify calling or re-raising.

Cheap price to see a flop heads-up with a suited jack, decent equity against a random BB hand.

AQs is well ahead of a small-blind limp, so I raise to 4bb to build the pot and isolate rather than give a free flop.

J5 offsuit facing a raise from the BB with only one opponent left is not worth defending; folding is cheap since I've only invested the small blind.

Q6 offsuit is weak from the button facing a raise-in situation; folding preserves chips for better spots.

Button folded, so J5s is playable heads-up against the big blind. Completing for 50 keeps the pot small with a suited jack rather than folding equity or bloating with a weak raise.

I'm in the big blind with 3c Qc and no one has raised; checking keeps my option open and avoids putting chips in with a mediocre hand.

J5 has no pair, draw, or board connection on A-2-T, so checking is best with a free option.

Checking back is the safest play with a weak Queen-high on a dry flop, keeping the pot small and avoiding building a bigger pot with a mediocre hand.

Jack-high with no pair or draw has little equity, so I check the turn rather than bluff into a dry board.

Checking is the highest EV play here: I have a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot straight draw, but no made hand, so I want to see a free river card and preserve my stack. Raising would only get called by better hands and fold out worse ones.

I have second pair with a weak kicker on an ace-high board after both streets checked through. Checking realizes showdown value without bloating the pot against a likely better ace or stronger jack.

The board is dry and unpaired with no obvious draws, and my Queen-high with a backdoor flush draw is weak. Checking is the safest play to avoid building a bigger pot with a marginal hand.