Hold'em table

Nine-four offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two players at full stacks.

Complete the small blind cheaply with a connected hand and preserve a wide range; raising risks building the pot out of position against the big blind.

JTs is well ahead of a small-blind limping range, and I'll have position postflop, so I'm raising for value and initiative to 4x.

9♦7♥ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a sizable raise from the small blind would leave me out of position with poor prospects.

As the button in a three-handed game, 8♣7♦ is playable as an open; raising takes initiative and can win the blinds while keeping the sizing modest.

J6o from the small blind facing a button open is a weak, dominated hand that plays out of position with the big blind still to act. Folding is standard here.

T7 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with the small blind's dead chips in the pot.

Middle pair on a monotone flop has showdown value but is vulnerable; checking avoids building a large pot out of position.

Middle pair without a heart has modest showdown value, but this monotone flop favors cautious play. Checking back avoids facing a check-raise and lets me realize my equity.

With second pair and no heart on a four-heart board, I have some showdown value but little incentive to build the pot. Checking keeps weaker hands in and avoids a costly raise.

I have a modest pair but no heart on a four-heart board, so betting risks being called by a flush or better. I’ll take the free showdown.

With no heart, I can only play the board’s flush. Betting risks losing more to any opponent holding a heart, so I’ll check and take a split when possible.

The five-heart board already gives both players a K-high flush unless they hold a heart, which improves it. With no heart, betting risks losing to a better flush while potentially folding hands that would otherwise split the pot.

J9o on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open-raise; 2.5bb steals the blinds with a playable hand.

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

A♠3♣ is a reasonable defend against a button open, and calling 150 chips gets a playable price without inflating the pot with a weak offsuit ace.

Check with ace-high and a strong straight draw on a highly connected, monotone flop. This controls the pot and avoids betting into a board where the caller may have made a strong hand.

We flopped a king-high straight on a monotone board. Betting charges the many single-diamond draws and worse hands, and a moderate size keeps our risk in check if we run into a made flush.

I have only a gutshot to the straight, and the four apparent outs are not all clean on this three-diamond board. The bet is too large to continue with ace-high and no flush draw.

K7 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with position after the flop.

6-5 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting about 3.7:1 against a wide button open in a 3-handed game, J4o has enough equity to defend by calling rather than 3-betting or folding.

Middle pair with a weak kicker, out of position on a board that favors the button's raising range; checking controls the pot and keeps us in against bluffs.

Top pair is worth a value and protection bet on this draw-heavy flop. A 350-chip bet can get calls from weaker pairs and draws without building an oversized pot with a weak kicker.

Middle pair against a wide button c-bet range, and I'm getting about 28% pot odds. Calling is better than folding here, but my hand is too weak to raise.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a board where the Ad improves many of the button's c-betting hands. Checking controls the pot and keeps some showdown value.

The ace is unfavorable for my weak king, and the flop call leaves the big blind with plenty of stronger hands and draws. I’ll check back to control the pot.

Third pair of jacks has showdown value against a button that checked back the turn. Betting mostly folds out worse hands and gets called by better ones, especially now that the diamond flush has come in.

K7 has showdown value, but the river completes possible flushes and straights. Checking avoids a thin value bet that may be called mostly by better hands.

9♣2♠ is a very weak hand from the button, and calling or raising risks chips with poor equity.

Folded to me in the small blind with Q7o, which is a standard opening hand blind-vs-blind, so I raise to 3bb to take initiative rather than limp.

T3 suited is a marginal but defensible call against a small-blind open. The price is reasonable, and I’ll have position after the flop.

This dry, low board favors my preflop raising range, so a small c-bet of about a third of the pot gets folds from the big blind's many unpaired hands. Queen-high plus a backdoor spade gives the bluff some equity when called.

Top and bottom two pair is strong on this dry flop. Raising gets value from overpairs and top-pair hands while charging potential straight draws.

I have queen-high with no draw on T-3-2, and the big blind check-raised to 4x my c-bet. Calling 600 into 1600 needs about 27% equity, which Q7o doesn't have against a check-raising range.

A7o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear opening hand, so I'll open to 2.5bb to take the initiative and pressure the blinds.

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

The 150-chip call offers favorable pot odds against a button open, and 6-5 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind heads-up.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and no pair on a king-high flop, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see whether the button bets.

Middle pair plus an ace overcard on a dry K-high board. A small c-bet gets value from worse hands and draws, denies equity, and fits our preflop-raiser range advantage.};

Call with an open-ended straight draw: a 3 or 8 completes it, giving enough equity for the pot odds. Raising out of position risks building a pot without a made hand.

I have only a straight draw with no made hand, so I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot out of position.

With bottom pair and an ace kicker, my hand has showdown value but would be thin value if I bet into the BB's flop-calling range, which contains a lot of Kx. Checking back controls the pot and keeps their weaker hands and bluffs in.

I have no meaningful showdown value, and a small river bet can fold out missed overcard hands. The paired board also lets me credibly represent a ten or a king without risking much of the pot.

I have tens and sevens with an ace kicker and am getting better than 4:1 on a small river bet. That beats bluffs, 4x, and weaker 7x, so calling is clearly profitable, while raising would mostly get called by better hands.