Hold'em table

Five-four suited is a reasonable button open three-handed, with position and good potential to make strong postflop hands.

K2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J8 suited in the big blind against a 2.25x button open is getting great pot odds (125 to win 375), so it's a clear defend. Flatting keeps the hand playable postflop.

Jack-high with no draw on a paired dry board favors the preflop raiser, so I check to them. I'll consider a check-raise or float depending on their action.

A small continuation bet pressures the big blind's unpaired hands on this dry board. My hand has little showdown value but some backdoor potential.

Getting 4:1 against a small c-bet on a dry paired board; J8 has backdoor straight equity and some overcard equity, so calling is better than folding.

J-high with only a gutshot to the 7 on a paired board; checking to the button gives a free card and keeps the pot small. Bluffing here is not well-supported since the button's small c-bet range is wide and will often continue.

The five gives me a weak pair with showdown value. Checking behind keeps the pot manageable and avoids a difficult response to a raise.

Jack-high has little showdown value against a button range that checked back the turn and is full of overcards and weak pairs, so a two-thirds pot bluff can fold out better high-card hands and small pairs.

My pair of fives is a weak bluff-catcher. The river bet comes on a card that completes several straights, and there are few obvious missed draws to justify a call.

A♣9♣ is a strong button hand in a three-handed game, so I’ll open for 2.5 big blinds to build the pot and apply pressure to the blinds.

T2 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise at this price, but not strong enough to three-bet for value.

Middle pair is worth continuing with, but there is little reason to build the pot out of position against the preflop raiser.

I have ace-high with useful backdoor equity, but no made hand or strong draw. Checking preserves showdown value without building the pot.

The flop checked through, and my jack can get value from weaker pairs and draws. A small turn bet also denies a free river card without building a large pot.

The small turn bet offers favorable pot odds, and ace-high can still be ahead of a wide range of stabs after the flop checked through. Raising would risk inflating the pot with a hand that has little improvement potential.

My jack has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking avoids turning it into a bluff.

A-high has reasonable showdown value after the turn call, while worse hands are unlikely to call a river bet and better pairs would continue. Check and preserve the chance to win at showdown.

J9o on the button 3-handed is a standard open; a raise to 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

64 offsuit is too weak to defend against the button’s raise, even with the big blind discount. Avoid investing more out of position with poor playability.

K8 offsuit is strong enough to open on the three-handed button, and a 2.5-big-blind raise uses position without overcommitting.

2♦4♦ is too weak to defend against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 150 to win 400 with a small pair in the big blind against a button open; calling for set value with deep stacks is profitable.

Small pair on a Q-high board out of position against the button's raising range; checking controls the pot and lets me realize equity or give up cheaply.

As the preflop raiser in position, I can make a small continuation bet on this dry flop. K-high has some equity if called.

Getting about 4:1 against a small c-bet, which is likely a wide range. The underpair has enough equity against overcards and air to continue.

A pair of 3s on a K-Q-9 board with a flush draw out has weak showdown value and gets called by better hands, so bluffing makes little sense. Check to realize equity cheaply and fold to significant pressure.

The king gives me top pair. A moderate bet can get value from queens and draws while protecting against river cards that could overtake me.

Pocket threes on a K-Q-9 two-tone board are well behind a button range that has now bet twice, and I have only two outs. Facing 550 into 1460, continuing isn't profitable.

K7 suited is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A modest raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping weaker hands in the range.

A8s from the small blind against a button open in 3-handed play is a strong hand; 3-betting to 10bb from out of position gains fold equity and keeps the initiative, while the ace blocker makes it a good 3-bet candidate.

QJo is often dominated by a large 3-bet range, and calling 900 chips with the opener still to act creates a difficult spot.

K7 suited is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet, and calling would leave a difficult out-of-position pot postflop despite being on the button.

A7o is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play; a standard 2.5bb raise to steal the blinds.

Pocket fours can profitably call a small button raise at this stack depth, mainly to look for a set. I prefer calling to building a larger pot out of position.

A6 suited has enough equity to continue against the small raise and caller, while a 3-bet risks building a large pot with a marginal hand out of position. Calling keeps the pot manageable.

Pocket fours are a weak underpair on this multiway flop, so I’ll check and avoid building the pot.

With only ace-high on a coordinated, two-club flop and multiple opponents in the pot, checking avoids inflating the pot without a strong reason to lead.

Checked to us on the button with the nut flush draw backdoor plus an ace overcard on a K-high board that favors the preflop raiser, so a small c-bet takes it down often and has equity when called.

A small pair on a K-J-3 flop has little chance to improve, and the bettor's range is strong enough in a three-way pot that calling is unlikely to be profitable.

The small bet gives a favorable price, and ace-high can still beat bluffs or weaker unpaired hands. Raising would risk too much with no meaningful draw.

With only ace-high and no meaningful draw, betting into the flop aggressor risks getting called by many better hands. Check and preserve showdown value.

Ace-high has some showdown value but almost no equity when called by a BB flop-calling range that is heavy on Kx, Jx, and draws. Checking back keeps the pot small and gives a free river.

With ace-high, checking preserves showdown value against missed draws. A river bluff is unlikely to fold the pairs that continued on the flop.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has showdown value against missed draws, but a bet would mostly get called only by better Jx/Kx/9x hands, so checking back is best.