Hold'em table

3c5c is a suited low connector on the button in a 3-handed game, so it is playable. Calling 100 to win a 250 pot gives a good price, and a raise is not clearly better.

Nine-deuce offsuit has poor equity realization from the small blind, even with favorable pot odds. Folding avoids playing a weak, disconnected hand out of position with the big blind still able to raise.

With 4h2c in the big blind and no call required, checking is best; the hand is too weak to raise and I want to see a cheap flop.

With 4-2 offsuit on an A-8-3 flop, I have no pair, no draw, and no reason to put chips in as the first player to act. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me fold to a bet.

I have a pair of threes and a gutshot-ish draw on an ace-high board. Heads-up against a big blind who checked, a small bet of about half the pot takes the pot often and charges worse hands, while keeping risk low.This is a modest value/protection bet.The small size keeps the pot manageable if I'm raised.

I have 4-high with only a weak gutshot and poor pot odds, so folding to the flop bet is best.

83 suited is too weak for a default button open against two unknown blinds. Its low card strength and poor connectivity make folding preferable without evidence the blinds overfold.

Button folded, so I complete the small blind with T7o for 50 more, seeing a cheap flop in a heads-up pot.

AKo is a premium hand in the big blind against a limping small blind, so I raise for value to build the pot and play it with initiative heads-up.

T7o is too weak to continue against a big blind raise after the button folded, and calling 300 more out of position has poor implied odds.

A6o on the button is strong enough to raise for initiative and pressure the blinds in a 3-handed pot; I can fold if re-raised.

Pocket tens are a strong hand in 3-handed play. Raising to 1000 from the small blind against a button open of 300 builds the pot and pushes out the big blind while I have a hand that plays well.

AQ blocks AA, QQ, and AK, making it a strong candidate to cold four-bet against a small-blind three-bet of a button open. This sizing pressures both ranges while avoiding a difficult multiway cold-call.

A6o is too weak to continue against a small-blind 3-bet and big-blind 4-bet, with both opponents showing strong preflop strength. Folding avoids risking more chips dominated.

TT is a strong hand against a 3-bet and a 4-bet in a 3-handed game, with ranges that are wide. Facing 2500 with 9000 behind, shoving puts maximum pressure on Seat 2, who has 7500 behind, and avoids difficult postflop decisions.

Calling requires about 37% equity, and AQ offsuit falls short against a typical five-bet shove range dominated by premium pairs and AK. Without evidence of frequent bluffs, folding preserves the remaining 75 big blinds.

Pocket fives on the button in a 3-handed game is a solid raising hand; a 3x open applies pressure on the blinds while building the pot with a decent hand.

73 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3bb open, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity realization out of position.

Getting 2.25:1 with a connected offsuit hand in the big blind; calling closes the action and keeps the pot manageable out of position.

I missed the flop with 6-7 offsuit and have no made hand, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn.

I have a pocket pair, 55, on a 4-9-K flop, heads-up and in position after the big blind checked. A small bet of about 60% of the pot gets value from worse pairs and draws and protects against overcards, since 55 is a medium-strength showdown hand.

I have 6-7 offsuit on a K-9-4 flop with only a backdoor straight draw and no pair or flush draw. Facing a 400 bet into 1050, my equity is too low and I should fold.

Q8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with position and good postflop playability. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure to both blinds without risking too much.

With 5h4c out of position against a button raise and the big blind still to act, folding is the clear play; calling 200 with a weak offsuit connector invites trouble.

3-5 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling 150 more out of position against a button open with a pot of 400 isn't worth it. Folding costs only the 100 already posted.

7s2s is the weakest possible starting hand from the button, and calling 100 into a 150 pot with no fold equity is not profitable. Folding avoids playing a dominated, low-equity hand out of position.

Jacks are a strong hand heads-up from the small blind against the big blind, so I raise to 400 for value and to build the pot.

Calling costs 300 into a pot of 500, and 64 suited has reasonable playability against a small-blind opening range. Position and deep remaining stacks help realize its straight and flush potential.

Pocket jacks on a Q-K-6 board with two spades is an overpair-to-nothing and is vulnerable, but it is still a decent hand heads-up as the preflop raiser acting first. A bet of about 62% of the pot gets value from worse pairs and draws and denies equity. Checking would give a free card to overcards and spade draws.}

Bottom pair plus a flush draw has ample equity to call 500 into 1300, with position helping realize that equity. Calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot against strong made hands or higher flush draws.

I hold pocket jacks on a Q-K-6-K board. I raised preflop and the flop and my opponent called both, so they likely hold a king or a queen. Betting about half the pot gets value from worse queens and pairs, and it charges draws. It also puts pressure on hands that may fold, and the risk is acceptable because I'm only exposed to a king.

Calling costs 900 to contest a final pot of 3600. The flush draw plus showdown value against bluffs makes continuing reasonable in position, though the paired board means some apparent outs may not be clean.

Board is Q K 6 K 2 with my pocket jacks, so I beat only a missed draw or a bluff-catcher. Seat 2 called three streets and will rarely call a bet with worse, so a bet mostly loses value; checking to showdown is better.

Our pair of sixes has showdown value against missed draws, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking also avoids bluffing with spades that block the opponent’s natural missed-flush-draw folds.