Hold'em table

J2 suited is a reasonable button open in three-handed play. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds or play a pot in position.

A5 offsuit is a marginal hand, but calling 200 into a 400 pot is about 3:1 and the button's 2.5bb open may be a wide steal range. Calling keeps a playable hand in without bloating the pot out of position.

With A9s in the big blind facing a button raise and a small blind call, a 3-bet to 400 applies pressure and takes initiative with a decent suited ace.

Calling 150 into a 900-chip pot is inexpensive, and I have position with a suited hand. I’ll avoid committing much more without a strong flop.

I'm getting about 7:1 on a 150 call into a 1050 pot, and ace-five offsuit has enough playability to continue in this three-way pot.

I have only ace-high on a 9-6-3 board with no strong draw, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it out of position.

I have top pair with an ace kicker on a dry board. Betting for value and to protect against overcards.

J-high with no pair or meaningful draw has too little equity to call a 700-chip bet into two opponents.

I hold ace-high with no pair against a 700 bet into a 1900 pot, needing about 27% equity to call, and my only draw is a weak wheel backdoor, so folding is the better play.

QJo is a playable hand in position against two blinds, so I'm raising to build the pot and take the initiative.

Ad4d has enough equity and playability to call a button raise, and the price is good at 2:1. I'll keep the pot manageable out of position rather than 3-bet a marginal suited ace.

Calling 150 closes the preflop action into a 600-chip pot. The price is favorable enough to see a flop with a suited hand, though I’ll be cautious with weak pairs.

Ace-high with backdoor diamonds out of position; checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn against two opponents.

I have no pair or immediate draw in a three-way pot, so I’ll check rather than bluff into two opponents.

As the preflop raiser with an open-ended straight draw (Q-J on T-9), betting builds the pot and can win the hand now, and I can still improve to a straight on the turn or river.

Ace-high with only a backdoor flush draw is too weak to continue out of position facing a flop bet, especially with another player left to act. Folding avoids risking chips with marginal equity.

Eight-high has no pair or immediate draw on this flop. Calling out of position would rely too heavily on uncertain backdoor equity.

2s6h is a very weak offsuit hand, and calling 100 chips out of position against two live blinds is not profitable. Folding preserves chips for better spots.

K8 offsuit is strong enough to raise from the small blind against a lone big blind, with the button already folded.

Heads-up in the big blind, I get 2-to-1 on a call against a wide small-blind raise, and 6-3 offsuit has enough playability to defend.

This connected flop favors the big blind’s calling range. I have an open-ended straight draw and a king overcard, so I’ll check and avoid building the pot out of position.

We hold a pair of sixes with a 3-high heart backdoor and a gutshot to a straight. Seat_1 checked, so checking gives us a free showdown-oriented look at the turn without bloating the pot.

I have an open-ended straight draw and little showdown value with king-high. A turn bet can fold out some better unpaired hands while building the pot when I improve.

I have middle pair of sixes with a gutshot straight draw, and calling 400 into a 1000 pot gives reasonable pot odds against a turn bet that could be a semi-bluff.

King-high is unlikely to win against a pair, and the river completes a plausible straight. A substantial bet can pressure the opponent's weaker pairs and missed draws.

I hold two pair (sixes and threes), which beats many bluffs and weaker made hands. Calling 1100 into a 2500 pot needs about 31% equity, and a 79%-pot river bet from this line should be bluffy often enough to justify it.

T7 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, and a small raise preserves positional advantage without committing much.

Queen-four suited is weak out of position as the small blind against a button raise, and calling 175 into a 3-way pot needs about 32% equity, which this hand does not reliably reach.

Closing the action with 3:1 pot odds, J5o has enough equity against a likely wide button raise to justify a cheap call.

I have no pair and only a backdoor flush draw on a king-high board; checking keeps the pot small and lets me fold to a bet.

Bottom pair has showdown value but is too weak to build a pot on this coordinated flop. Checking in position keeps the pot manageable and lets me reassess on the turn.

Semi-bluffing with an open-ended straight draw on the turn; opponent checked the flop, likely weak, so betting can take down the pot or set up a river value bet if I improve.

Two pair is strong against a small turn lead. I’m raising for value from pairs and draws while charging them to see the river.

I have only a gutshot (5-J with 9-K-7-T needs an 8) and no pair; facing a large turn raise of 1100 into a 1900 pot, my equity is far too thin to continue.

Calling 100 chips from the button with suited 3-6 is a cheap speculative price in a 3-handed pot, and the blinds give good pot odds.

I only need 50 more into a 250 pot, so with 5:1 odds I'll complete and reevaluate after the flop.

Nine-eight offsuit plays well enough to see a free flop, but raising out of position against two limpers would inflate the pot with a marginal hand.

Bottom pair with a weak backdoor spade draw in a multiway limped pot; checking controls the pot and avoids putting chips in with a marginal hand.

Top two pair is strong on this draw-heavy flop. Betting 250 builds the pot against weaker made hands while charging flush and straight draws.

I have 6-high with no pair and only weak straight or flush potential, so facing a 250 bet on a 9-8-2 board I should fold.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker and no real draw, out of position facing a pot-sized bet. Folding avoids a marginal call with poor equity.

Pocket eights on the button are strong three-handed, so I raise for value and to take initiative against the blinds.

J6 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves chips.

Ace-six suited is a playable hand getting a good price on a 200-chip call from the big blind against a single button raise, so calling is preferable to folding or a bloated raise.

I have ace-high with a four-flush draw but no made hand, so I'll check and take a free card rather than bloat the pot out of position.

My 88 is only an underpair on a K-Q-K board, and the big blind's preflop call likely contains many Kx/Qx hands. Checking back controls the pot and avoids a costly check-raise.

I hold A-high with no made pair against a paired king board, and seat_3 checked the flop, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it with a weak hand.

Seat 2 has checked twice, showing no strength; a small turn bet can fold out overcards and weaker pairs while risking little.

I have only a 4-heart flush draw with ace high, so with one card to come I have about 19% equity against a 350 call into a 1000 pot, which is not enough.