Hold'em table

QTo is a solid opening hand from the button 3-handed; a standard 3bb raise builds the pot with position and applies pressure on the blinds.

K2o is far too weak to defend out of position against a 3bb open raise.

54 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 3x button raise, despite the pot odds.

On the button 3-handed, Q9o is a reasonable hand to open with for a min-raise in position.

AK suited is far too strong to merely call from the small blind. I’m making a substantial three-bet for value while charging the button and big blind to continue.

J5s is far too weak to call a 3-bet facing 650 more with an early-position squeeze over a button open; folding is clearly best.

Q9o is not strong enough to continue against a 3-bet from the small blind.

8♠4♣ is too weak to play from the button, even with the small blind already posted and no raise to face.

Heads-up in the SB, J6o has decent equity against the BB's random hand and I only need 50 more to see a flop with position.

Holding 63 offsuit in the big blind facing a small blind limp, taking a free flop by checking is optimal.

I hold jack-high with no real draw on a K99 board, so betting has little fold equity against a big blind who already showed weakness but could still have a 9 or king. Checking keeps the pot small with the worst hand and lets me reassess cheaply on later streets.

Holding six-high on a paired board after SB completed preflop, taking a free card is standard.

I only hold J-high with a gutshot (any ten), so with both opponents having shown weakness I take a free card rather than bluff into a paired board.

I have six-high with no showdown value, but checking behind costs nothing and keeps the pot small.

I hold two pair (nines and sixes) on a paired board, and both opponents have shown weakness by checking every street. A small river bet extracts value from one-pair hands like K-x or Q-x that will likely call.

On a 9-9-K-Q-6 board, my two pair of nines and sixes with a King kicker is essentially a bluff-catcher that loses to any Queen, King, nine, or straight, making a fold reasonable against a 75% pot bet.

King-Jack suited is a premium hand in 3-max, especially on the button. I'll raise for value and position to build the pot with a strong holding.

K9s has solid playability and equity against a button open, making a flat call reasonable with zero rake despite being out of position.

Pocket eights are strong enough to continue against the button’s raise and the small blind’s call, but calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

We are out of position in a three-way pot with a gutshot straight draw and backdoor flush draw; checking to the preflop raiser is standard.

With 88 on a Q-J-6 flop in a multiway pot, my middle pair has showdown value but is vulnerable to a raise. I’ll check and see how the preflop raiser responds.

I flopped top pair with a strong kicker after raising preflop, and both opponents checked, signaling weakness. A continuation bet of about 60% pot builds the pot against worse jacks and protects against draws.

I only have a gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw out of position with another player yet to act behind me, making calling a 550 bet unprofitable.

Pocket eights are a reasonable bluff-catcher against this modest flop bet, and calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the pot. Raising would mostly isolate me against stronger hands.

With 88 on a J-Q-9 board, I have some showdown value but little reason to bet into the preflop raiser after calling the flop. I’ll check and avoid building a pot against stronger hands.

I hold top pair (jacks, K kicker) on J-6-Q-9 rainbow with no draws; a bet only gets called by queens, nines, two pair, or sets that beat me, while worse jacks may fold, so checking back for showdown is best.

With pocket eights on a Q-J-9-6-3 board, I have modest showdown value but little reason to bet for value. I’ll check and avoid turning my hand into a bluff.

AJo is well ahead of random hands and plays excellently from the button 3-handed; raising to 2.5x BB for value and initiative.

Q2 suited is too weak to defend out of position against the button's raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

T7o is weak but I'm already in for the blind and only need 150 more to see a flop heads-up with 400 in the pot, so calling is cheap and folding is too tight.

I have ten-high with only a gutshot to the 8 on a coordinated board against the preflop raiser; checking is free and lets me fold or re-evaluate rather than build a pot with little equity.

I have Ace-high with two overcards on a connected low board that hits the big blind's calling range; checking back controls the pot and realizes equity in position.

I only hold ten-seven with a pair of threes on board; the preflop raiser checked back the flop, so betting risks running into strength with nothing at stake. Checking keeps the small pot free and preserves my fold equity for a later street.

Ace-high has decent showdown value and position; checking behind keeps the pot controlled and allows us to see the river for free.

T-high missed the board; with both of us checking throughout, a bluff into one station rarely works and checking costs nothing.

We hold Ace-Jack high with reasonable showdown value in a pot checked down all the way, so checking to realize our showdown equity is standard.

43 offsuit is too weak to continue profitably from the button, even with the blinds already posted.