Hold'em table

Five-four suited is playable from the button, and a 2.5 big blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping position if called.

K2o is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

J8 suited in the big blind against a button min-raise to 250 is getting good odds: 150 to call into a pot of 400 (about 27% equity needed). It plays well enough heads-up, so I call rather than fold or 3-bet.

I have jack-high with an 8 on a 9-9-3 board, and I'm first to act against the button, who raised preflop. A small bet of about a third of the pot can get a better hand like a 10 or a low pair to fold. It also builds a pot with backdoor flush draws, and I lose little if I'm called or raised.

The small flop bet gives me a reasonable price to continue in position. My suited connectors can improve on several turns, and I can reassess if the betting gets heavier.

Board is 9-9-3-5 and I hold J8 with a diamond backdoor. I bet the turn as a semi-bluff because the button only called the flop and my bet gets folds from unpaired hands. I keep it small because J-high has little showdown value.

The turn gives me a pair, and the 400-chip bet offers a reasonable price against a range that can include draws and weaker pairs. I'll call and reassess on the river.

I have only a pair of nines on the board with a jack kicker. The opponent called the flop and turn bets, so a bet would mostly be called by better hands and fold out worse ones. Checking keeps the showdown cheap.

My two pair has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands.

A9s on the button in 3-handed play is an easy standard open raise for value and position.

2-10 offsuit is a weak hand. Out of position against a button raise with a big blind still to act, calling 200 more is a losing play, so I fold.

J9 offsuit has enough equity against a button opening range to defend the big blind for 150 chips, but it is not strong enough to reraise.

Middle pair has showdown value, but this dry flop favors the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me evaluate their action.

The Q-J-7 flop hits the big blind's defending range well, so checking behind with Ace-high and backdoor equity controls the pot and takes a free card.

My jack has showdown value, but a turn bet is unlikely to get much value from worse hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable and leaves room for weaker hands to bluff.

I have Ace-high with reasonable showdown value in position. Checking behind keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity without risking a check-raise.

After two streets of checks, a small river bet can get value from weaker jacks and pocket pairs without risking much against a queen or a seven.

I hold only Ace-high on a board with paired sevens and two broadways; calling a river bet without a pair here lacks sufficient equity.

J9 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed pot is marginal, but it plays poorly out of position against two opponents and a 100 call to a 250 pot is only slightly profitable; folding is a low-variance choice, though calling is close.

With the button folded, Q5 offsuit is worth completing the small blind against the big blind, but not strong enough to build a larger pot out of position.

I have 64o in the big blind facing a limp from the small blind, so checking to see a free flop is the standard play.

Top pair with a queen kicker is likely ahead of many big-blind hands. A modest bet gets value from weaker pairs and diamond draws while keeping the pot manageable.

I have a pair of fours and an inside straight draw; getting over 2.5:1 pot odds makes calling the flop bet standard.

My weak pair has no diamond on a four-diamond board. After the flop call, checking avoids building a pot with a hand that is unlikely to get value from worse.

With four diamonds on the board and holding no diamond myself, betting risks running into a check-raise or calling flush, so taking the free card is prudent.

I have a weak pair and no diamond on a four-diamond board. Betting is unlikely to make a flush fold, so I’ll check and preserve showdown value.

With four diamonds on the board and holding only a pair of fours without a diamond, bluffing is risky as any diamond will call, so checking behind to realize whatever showdown value we have is the safest play.

K8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

42s is far too weak to defend out of position from the small blind against a button open.

Pocket threes in the big blind get a good price (150 to call into 400) against a button open. Calling keeps the pot small and lets me hit a set, while a 3-bet would be marginal and leave me in a bad spot against a 4-bet.

I have a low pocket pair (33) on a Q-9-4 flop and act first heads-up against the button's preflop raise. It has some showdown value but is vulnerable to overcards, so I check to control the pot size and keep bluffs in the button's range.

A small continuation bet can fold out some of the big blind's weaker hands on this dry board. I have position and a king overcard if called.

Pocket threes on a 9-4-Q board hold some showdown value and can improve to a set. The button's 180 bet into 550 is small, so the price is good. Calling 180 to win 730 is fine against a wide c-bet range, and a raise would risk too much.

Pocket threes are a weak showdown-value hand on a Q-K-9-4 board with two hearts. Seat_1 raised the flop, so betting risks getting called or raised by better hands. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it.

The turn gives me top pair. A moderate bet can get value from queens and draws while making them pay to see the river.

Pocket threes are only a bluff-catcher on a 9-4-Q-K board with two hearts and I have no read. Calling 550 into a pot of 1460 needs about 27% equity, but the button has bet the flop and turn and probably has a better hand, so I fold.

Opening K7s on the button in 3-handed play is standard for value and position.

A8s (Ad 8d) is a decent hand in a 3-handed game, but facing a button raise to 250 with the big blind still to act behind, calling is more sensible than a bloated 3-bet out of position. The price of 200 more is fine.

QJo has enough equity to call 150 into a 600-chip pot, but it is not strong enough to squeeze against both opponents.

I hold the nut flush draw with an ace-high (Ad is not a club, so this is just ace-high with a backdoor at best). The board Tc 4c Qc is very wet, so a small semi-bluff bet gets value from folds and builds the pot when called, but with a non-club ace I mainly have a weak showdown hand; a modest bet keeps the pot controlled.

Top pair with a reasonable kicker is strong enough to continue against one flop bet, but the monotone board and player still to act make a raise unattractive.

I hold King-high with no club on a monotone flop facing a bet and a call; folding is clearly optimal.

I have ace-high with the nut flush draw's blocker only (Ad, no club), on a Tc 4c Qc 9h board where a club flush is possible. I bet the flop and got called, so seat_1 likely has a real hand or a club draw. I'll check to keep the pot small and avoid bloating it with a weak holding.

Top pair and an open-ended straight draw have good showdown value, but the monotone flop and turn make a large pot risky without a club. Checking keeps weaker hands in and avoids facing a costly check-raise.

I hold 8-Q straight (8d with 9-T-J-Q on board), a strong value hand. Betting about 60% of the pot should get called by worse straights, sets, two pairs and weaker made hands.

Top two pair is strong enough to call at this price, even though the river completes several straights. Raising would risk too much against a range that can also contain flushes.

A7 suited-ace offsuit on the button in 3-handed play is a solid open; raising 3x takes the initiative against the blinds.

Pocket fours are worth seeing a flop at this price, with a chance to win a larger pot if I hit a set. I prefer calling to building a big pot out of position.

Getting 4.5 to 1 pot odds closing the action with suited Ace-six makes calling standard and profitable.

A low pocket pair on a K-J-3 flop has little value betting into two opponents. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me assess their actions.

Check to the preflop aggressor on the button with ace-high and no strong draw.

Both opponents checked on a K-J-3 flop, so a small bet with ace-high and a backdoor flush draw can win the pot now. It also lets me see how they respond, and I can fold to a raise.

Pocket fours have little chance to improve on this K-J-3 flop. Facing a bet with another player still to act, folding is best.

I have only Ace-high with no draw on a board with King and Jack against the preflop aggressor's c-bet.