Hold'em table

76 offsuit is below the threshold for a profitable opening hand on the button in 3-handed play.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to raise from the small blind heads-up against the big blind.

A8s is a reasonable hand in the big blind, and calling 200 more to win a 400 pot (getting 3:1) against a small-blind raise to 3bb is clearly profitable, so I call and keep my position without inflating the pot.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this paired flop. Checking avoids building a pot out of position with a hand that has little improvement potential.

Ace-high with the nut-ish kicker on a KK6 board; villain checked, so a bet of about two-thirds pot targets weaker Kx-less hands and picks up a pot that is often unclaimed. Ah also gives a backdoor flush draw and blocks a nut flush possibility.

Ace-high has some showdown value against a bet after my check, and the price is reasonable. Raising would risk more against kings and made pairs.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but betting into the player who bet the flop is unlikely to get called by worse. I’ll check and reassess if they bet.

Ace-high on a paired K board with a possible 8 kicker; opponent checked twice, showing weakness. A bet of about 43% of the pot targets weaker holdings like small pairs and draws, and denies equity. Checking back is a reasonable alternative, but a bet has value here.

The small turn bet gives me a reasonable price to continue with ace-high against possible draws and bluffs. I can reassess on the river.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws. The river completes the heart flush, and without a heart blocker, a bluff is unlikely to work often enough.

Board K K 6 4 9 with Ah 8s: I have ace-high, which is a weak showdown hand, but the SB checked every street and only called my bets, so it likely holds some weak pair or a draw. A 800 value/bluff bet is unlikely to be called by worse, so it works more as a bluff. However, checking gives a free showdown with ace-high, which beats missed draws. I lean toward checking to keep showdown value.

The 800-chip bet gives me a relatively cheap bluff-catch with ace high. I lose to many value hands, but the big blind can have enough missed straight draws and other bluffs to justify a call.

J4 offsuit is a weak button hand that is often dominated when called. With no reads on the blinds, folding avoids a marginal spot.

J4 offsuit is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position. Getting 3-to-1 (50 to win 150) is tempting, but the hand would be out of position on later streets and has poor equity against a random big blind, so I fold.

8-6 offsuit is a weak hand, and from the button against two players who could both still have strong hands, the call isn't worth it. Folding costs nothing, whereas the marginal hand would often be dominated or hard to play out of position postflop.

95o is too weak to play from the small blind against the big blind.

Opening standard 2.5x from the button with suited broadways.

K2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with a frequently dominated hand.

Q5 offsuit is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position against a button open. Calling 150 to win 400 is about 27% pot odds, but the hand has poor equity and playability, so folding is the better choice.

A pocket pair is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise can win the blinds or take the hand to the flop in position.

6-high offsuit-ish junk (T6o) from the small blind facing a button open and a big blind still to act; calling 200 out of position with a weak hand is unprofitable, so I fold.

Defending the big blind with QTo getting attractive pot odds against a button open in 3-handed play.

Flopped top pair with a decent kicker out of position; checking to the preflop aggressor to control the pot and evaluate their continuation bet.

With an underpair on a queen-high, two-heart flop, I have some showdown value but little reason to build the pot. Checking in position keeps weaker hands in and lets me reassess the turn.

Betting top pair for value and protection after the flop checked through.

Pocket threes have little room to improve, and calling the turn bet would leave a difficult river decision against a range containing many better pairs.

4-2 offsuit is one of the weakest starting hands. Even on the button in a 3-handed game, calling out of position against two players isn't profitable, so I fold.

Holding 73 offsuit out of position against the big blind is an easy fold.