Hold'em table

KJo is a strong opening hand on the button in a three-handed game. A raise to 250 pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

8cTh is a weak hand out of position against a button raise; folding preserves chips for better spots.

KTo in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open is getting good odds (150 to win 400), and it is too strong to fold but better as a call than a 3-bet against a wide button range.

With a gutshot plus a broadway backdoor on an ace-high board, out of position against the button raiser, checking is standard. We can continue against a small c-bet.

Middle pair with a strong kicker has showdown value, but an ace-high flop favors the big blind's continuing range. Checking back controls the pot and keeps weaker hands in.

The button checked back on an ace-high flop, which weakens his range. A small turn stab can fold out his weak pairs and air, and I still have a gutshot to broadway plus a king overcard if called.

Second pair with a strong kicker has enough equity to call this small turn bet on a dry board. Raising would mostly get called by better hands.

K-high has little showdown value against a range that checked back the flop and called the turn, which is mostly weak Ax, Jx and 8x. A roughly 70% pot bet should get many of the Jx/8x hands to fold, and our king blocks AK.

King-jack is a reasonable bluff-catcher on this runout. The river bet can include missed draws and weaker jacks, and the pot odds justify a call.

K9o is a marginal hand but in 3-handed with position postflop, raising to 250 puts pressure on the blinds and allows us to take down the pot or play a flop in position.

Q5o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a clear fold: it plays poorly out of position and the big blind could squeeze behind us.

The suited hand has enough playability to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with the small blind's dead chips in the pot.

With seven-high and only a narrow backdoor straight possibility, betting into the preflop raiser is unlikely to be profitable. Checking costs nothing.

We have king-high with no draw on a queen-high board. Checking controls the pot and lets us see the turn in position.

I have little showdown value, and the button's flop check suggests some weakness. A modest turn bet can win the pot without a showdown.

I have only king-high with no draw on this board, and facing a bet on the turn, folding is the standard play.

Three-handed on the button, J6o sits at the bottom of a wide stealing range, so a small open applies pressure on the blinds cheaply.

7-3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

AKs is a very strong hand in 3-handed play. 3-betting to 7bb builds the pot, denies equity from the button's wide opening range, and takes the initiative for the rest of the hand.

J6o is a weak button open that doesn't defend well against a big blind 3-bet, especially out of a likely strong range. Calling 480 to win 1450 needs about 33% equity, and this hand realizes too poorly to justify it.

Nine-eight offsuit is playable from the button three-handed. I’ll open to 2.5 big blinds to take advantage of position.

3h 8s is a very weak hand from the small blind with a raise and call ahead; folding is clearly the best option.

52o is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5x button open, even at 150 to win 400 (27% equity needed), since it plays poorly postflop.

On the button with J8o, a raise to 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds, leverages position, and can win the pot immediately or build a pot with fold equity on later streets.

53s from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a weak out-of-position spot. Folding is cleanest; 3-betting as a bluff is possible but marginal.

K9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and calling costs 150 into a 400-chip pot.

On this dry, low flop, I have two overcards but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to the button's action.

C-bet on a dry paired board to fold out overcards and take down the pot.

The small continuation bet gives me a reasonable price to continue with king-high and two overcards on this low, paired board.

Top pair with a king kicker is worth continuing with, but checking keeps the button's weaker hands and bluffs in while controlling the pot.

With J8o and no pair or draw on a paired board, I have no reason to bet. Checking behind keeps the pot small and gives me a free river card.

My full house is very strong here. A 700-chip bet can get value from weaker full houses, overpairs, and other bluff-catchers.

J-high has no showdown value and we lack blockers to the many full house or trips combinations. The pot odds (28.6%) are not justified against a polarized river bet on a double-paired board where our opponent's check-call flop, check turn, lead river line is heavily weighted toward value.

Three-handed on the button, T6o sits near the bottom of a wide opening range, so a small steal raise is a reasonable mix that pressures both blinds.

Nine-three suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.