Hold'em table

Pocket sevens are a strong starting hand in a three-way pot, so I'm raising to build the pot and take initiative rather than just calling.

JTo has reasonable equity against a button open in a three-handed game, and calling keeps the pot manageable. I’ll avoid a marginal out-of-position 3-bet with the big blind still to act.

K9s in the big blind getting 3.5-to-1 pot odds (200 to call into 700) is a clear call. Position is poor and the hand is not strong enough to 3-bet, so I'll just see a flop.

I have a modest pair with a gutshot, but the ace-high flop is likely to connect with the preflop raiser. I’ll check and keep the pot small multiway.

I have a gutshot straight draw to Broadway (K-9 on Q-T-A) with only king-high, so it is a weak showdown hand against a preflop raiser and a caller. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card.

I hold a pocket pair of sevens below an ace-high, queen-high board, so I have a weak showdown hand. Checking takes a free card and avoids building a pot with a hand that may be behind.

I have a pair of tens and an open-ended straight draw, but the ace-high board and three-way pot make a turn bet risky. Checking keeps the pot small while letting me realize my draw equity.

I hold K-high with a backdoor club draw on a Q-T-A-2 board, which gives me a gutshot to a Broadway straight (J needed). Two opponents are still in and the hand is checked around, so I take the free card and avoid bloating the pot with a marginal hand.

I hold a pair of sevens with no improvement on the Q-T-A-2 board, so the hand is weak and checking keeps the pot small while seeing a free river card.

With two queens on the board, my tens make queens and tens, but this is a marginal hand in a three-way pot. After everyone checked the flop and turn, I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk a value bet being called by a better hand.

Everyone checked every street, so ranges look weak. My queens with ace-king kickers beat unpaired hands and small pairs, so a small value bet should get called by worse hands.

We have two pair (queens and sevens) on a paired board, which is strong against a river bet that could be a value bet or a bluff. Calling 400 into a 1300 pot is a good price and keeps us in against a range that includes worse queens.

I have two pair with queens and tens, which is strong enough to bluff-catch against this small river bet. The call is also supported by the pot odds, even though an ace or a queen would beat me.

K5 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising puts pressure on the blinds and takes advantage of positional edge.

K4 offsuit is weak out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more would be a losing play.

Facing a 150 call into a 400 pot, I have about 27% pot odds needed, and suited J5 has reasonable playability against a wide button range, so calling is better than folding.

I have Jack-high with only a backdoor flush draw, so I am not strong enough to bet out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn card.

I have only king-high with a weak backdoor straight possibility, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the big blind’s range.

I have only a jack-high flush draw with one heart on board plus two in my hand, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

With only king-high and no meaningful draw, betting risks chips against pairs without much equity. I’ll take the free river and preserve showdown value.

I have J-high with no made pair or flush, and checking is free, so checking is the only sensible action and avoids investing more chips.

K-high has some showdown value against missed hands, while betting is unlikely to fold many better hands after the big blind checked through every street.

QJs on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand, so I raise to 3bb for value and position against the blinds.

Ten-four suited is weak and out of position against a button raise, and the price of 250 to call is too high for the hand's equity in a three-way pot.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and the pot odds make calling preferable to folding. I’ll avoid a marginal 3-bet out of position.

I have top two pair on a connected flop, so I’m betting for value and protection against straight draws and overcards.

Top pair with a queen kicker plus a backdoor flush draw is a solid hand. Calling 450 into a 1100 pot is clearly profitable, and it keeps the bluffs in and the pot manageable out of position of the bettor.

Bet for value and protection with top two pair. The turn adds straight draws, so charging hands with a ten, eight, or five is important.

Top pair with a queen kicker plus a backdoor spade draw is a bluff-catcher. Calling 950 into a pot of 2500 needs about 28% equity, and the pair plus overcard outs against a barreling range justify it. I keep the pot small instead of raising.

The river completes several plausible straight draws, especially any hand containing an 8. My two pair is still strong enough to show down, so I’ll check rather than risk a value bet into a stronger range.

I have top pair (jack) with a queen kicker on a straight-possible board (9-7-6-5 plus J). Seat 2 bet flop and turn, then checked the river, which looks like a missed draw or a medium-strength hand. A thin value bet risks being raised off my hand by better holdings like a straight, so I check and take the free showdown.

Queen-eight suited is a playable button hand in a three-way pot, and calling 100 to see a cheap flop is reasonable.

Calling costs only 50 into a 250-chip pot, giving favorable immediate odds. 4-6 offsuit is weak, so I’ll avoid raising and proceed cautiously postflop.

K5 offsuit is a marginal hand in a three-way limped pot. Checking the big blind option sees a free flop, and raising would build a pot out of position with a weak kicker.

I have a weak pair on a two-heart flop in a multiway pot, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids building one with a marginal hand.

King-high with no pair on a Qh 6h 2s flop has little value and a flush draw is possible. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the turn for free, and seat_1 still has to act behind me.

Top pair with an eight kicker on a dry board, and both opponents checked to me, so a value bet of about two-thirds pot builds the pot and charges draws.

A small pair is a reasonable bluff-catcher against a button stab after two checks, and the price is manageable. Raising would isolate us against stronger Qx and draws.

Holding Kc5h on Qh6h2s, I have king-high with a backdoor flush draw and two overcards' worth of outs. The price is 200 to win a 700 pot, about 3.5 to 1, so calling is reasonable. Raising would mostly get called by better hands, so I just call.

With only a weak pair of sixes in a three-way pot after a flop bet and two calls, checking keeps the pot small and avoids value-owning myself.

I have king-high on a Qh 6h 2s 9c board, which is weak with two opponents still in. Seat 1 raised the flop and is still to act behind me, so I check and take a free card rather than bluff into a likely stronger hand.

I have top pair with queens, but both opponents called a flop raise and checked the turn, so a bet could run into a better hand. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see whether anyone bets.

With only a weak pair of sixes and a poor kicker, a river bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands after two opponents called the flop. Check and take the showdown value.

King-high on a Q-6-2-9-3 board has almost no showdown value against the button's flop raise and two opponents. A bet would only get called by better hands, so I check and hope to win cheaply.

Checking is free and our pair of queens is a showdown hand that is worth keeping, while betting into two opponents who both checked the river risks a bigger loss.

84 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, especially with both blinds still to act.

6c5c is a decent suited connector in the small blind. Completing costs only 50 more to win a 200 pot (4:1 odds) heads-up against the big blind, so calling is profitable.

I am in the big blind with a option to check for free after seat_3 limped, and 5-3 suited is too weak to raise profitably here.

I have a pair of sixes with a gutshot-to-straight-flush-ish draw (5-6 with 2-3 on board gives an open-ended-ish draw to a wheel), so I'm betting for value and protection in a heads-up pot where the big blind checked, which signals weakness.}

I hold a flush draw plus a gutshot straight draw against a single 150 bet into a 350 pot, so the pot odds of about 30% make calling profitable.

I flopped an open-ended straight draw and picked up a straight with the turn Ace: 6c5c with board 2h 6d 3h As gives A-2-3-5-6, which is not a made straight yet since I need a 4. I have a pair of sixes plus a gutshot-to-wheel draw (any 4 makes a straight), so I'll bet for value and protection, sized small at about 70% of the pot.

I hold only a pair of threes with a gutshot to a straight, and the turn raise to 350 is a large price against a line that has been aggressive since the flop. Folding avoids a likely dominated or behind spot.

2-8 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling from the button out of position against two players is not worth it. Folding costs nothing.

Heads-up against the big blind after the button folded, I'm getting about 3:1 on a 50-chip call, which beats the roughly 25% equity needed even with a weak 6-queen hand.

I have a very weak offsuit hand and can see the flop for free from the big blind, so there is no reason to raise.

I hold a pair of sixes on a 7-2-6 board, a modest made hand, and checking keeps the pot small while I see whether seat_2 bets.

Both opponents checked, so a small stab can win the pot immediately. If called, I retain a gutshot straight draw.

I hold a pair of sixes with a queen kicker on a 7-6-2 board, which is strong enough to call a single 100-chip bet heads-up against a range that includes many bluffs and weaker pairs.

I hold a pair of sixes with a Queen kicker on a board with a king and several low cards, which is a medium-strength hand. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it against a possibly stronger range.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and no pair; checking takes a free river while avoiding a costly bluff into a flop caller.

I hold a weak pair of sixes with no showdown-value upgrade on this board, and checking is free with no bet to call, so checking is the best option.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but worse hands are unlikely to call a river bet and better pairs may. I’ll take the free showdown.