Hold'em table

Standard opening raise on the button with a medium pocket pair.

KQo is strong enough to three-bet against a button open. Raising from the small blind also avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

7c3c is far too weak to call a 10.5bb 3-bet from the small blind, especially against an early position raiser. Folding preserves stack for better spots.

Pocket eights have sufficient equity and playability in position to profitably call the SB 3-bet.

A small continuation bet applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable. I have two overcards, a gutshot, and a heart blocker.

Facing a continuation bet on a monotone 9h-Th-3h board with 8c8s, we hold an underpair with no heart redraw and minimal equity to continue.

Pocket eights are a strong opening hand on the button in a three-handed game. A raise to 250 builds value while keeping the sizing manageable.

6cJc is too weak out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act; folding preserves my stack for better spots.

K7s is well above the threshold to defend the big blind against a standard button open getting attractive pot odds.

I have King-high with backdoor equity out of position; standard play is to check to the preflop aggressor.

Bottom set is a very strong hand on a board with several straight draws. Betting 400 builds the pot and charges those draws.

I have only King-high with minimal backdoor equity on a wet board that heavily favors the preflop raiser's range. Calling a sizeable c-bet is unprofitable.

A2o is weak but on the button in a 3-handed game, a small raise can often steal the blinds without risking much, and we can fold if re-raised.

With zero rake and getting attractive pot odds against a button min-raise, KTo has plenty of equity to defend from the small blind.

Calling 100 into a 500-chip pot gives Q5 offsuit sufficient pot odds to see a flop, though I’ll play cautiously out of position.

Check out of position in a multiway pot with a gutshot straight draw to see what the preflop aggressor does.

Middle pair with a weak kicker is worth continuing cautiously in a multiway pot, but not strong enough to lead into two opponents on this board.

I have top pair with a weak kicker on a draw-heavy board. Betting small for value and protection, as both opponents checked and likely have weaker hands or draws.

Gutshot straight draw out of position with one player left behind does not have enough equity or implied odds to call a half-pot c-bet.

Second pair is strong enough to continue against a small button continuation bet, but the weak kicker makes raising unattractive.

With second pair and a weak kicker, I prefer to control the pot out of position and reassess if the preflop raiser bets.

We have top pair weak kicker on a two-tone connected board. Villain checked the turn, so checking back controls the pot, realizes our showdown value cheaply, and avoids getting check-raised off the hand. We can reevaluate on the river.

Second pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands. Checking avoids building a pot against an ace or a stronger queen.

I have top pair with a weak kicker, and the board is dry. Opponent checked the river showing weakness, but betting would likely only get called by better hands, so I check to realize my showdown value.

53 offsuit is well outside our standard opening range on the button.

Pocket queens are a strong heads-up hand, so I raise for value against the big blind.

KQo is strong heads-up against a small-blind open, so I will 3-bet for value and take initiative while out of position.

Pocket queens are strong against a big blind three-bet. I’m four-betting for value.

KsQh in position 3-handed has ~30% equity against a tight 4-bet range, and pot odds of 29.6% make calling slightly profitable; folding is too tight.

The dry, jack-high flop favors my queens in this four-bet pot. A small bet can get value from jacks and lower pairs while leaving room for a shove from worse hands.

With two overcards getting nearly correct pot odds against a strong range, calling to see the turn is slightly profitable given the 21% needed equity.

Queens are an overpair on a dry board, and the remaining stack is small relative to the pot. Shoving gets value from worse made hands while denying overcards a free river.

With only K-high on a J-5-2-7 board and facing an all-in from a very aggressive opponent, my equity is far too low to call off my tournament life. I have no pair and only a few outs against likely overpairs or jacks.

Q9 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Ace-eight suited is strong enough to 3-bet from the small blind against a button open; taking the initiative helps offset positional disadvantage.

Folding J8s in the big blind facing an open and a 3-bet.

Q9 suited can defend against this relatively small three-bet, especially with position after the flop.

Paired flop is unlikely to have hit opponent's range, while I can represent an overpair. Betting half pot applies pressure and can take down the pot immediately.

Q-high has little immediate equity on this paired flop, and calling a three-bettor's continuation bet with only a backdoor flush draw is not worth the price.

4h7c is a very weak offsuit hand and I am facing a 100 call with no guarantee of closing action; folding avoids risking chips with poor equity.

Holding the worst starting hand in Texas Hold'em (32o) out of position makes folding standard despite favorable direct pot odds.