Hold'em table

53s is a weak suited gapper with poor equity against continuing ranges, and I have nothing invested as the button. Folding avoids a marginal spot where I am often dominated or forced to fold to a 3-bet.

In a blind-vs-blind situation after the button folds, Q8s is comfortably ahead of folding/limping and benefits from opening with a standard raise.

The suited hand is weak, but calling 200 into a pot that will be 600 offers reasonable odds against a likely wide small-blind opening range, and I’ll have position postflop.

Flopped second pair with a mediocre kicker out of position; checking controls the pot size and allows us to realize equity.

I have only a weak backdoor flush possibility and no meaningful made hand or draw, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the preflop raiser.

I have two pair (Kings and Queens with an eight kicker) on a paired board; checking controls pot size and allows me to evaluate river action.

I have no meaningful equity with 9-high, and checking keeps the pot small while preserving a chance to improve on the river.

I have two pair, Kings and Queens with an 8 kicker, in a checked-down pot. Checking to realize my showdown value since few worse hands call a value bet.

With only nine-high, checking is unlikely to win at showdown. A 400-chip river bluff credibly represents a king, queen, or completed diamond draw and pressures the opponent’s capped checking range.

With action checking through flop and turn, second pair KKQQ8 is strong enough to call a 2/3 pot bet getting better than 2.5-to-1 pot odds.

T5o is too weak of a holding to open-raise profitably from the button in 3-handed play.

QJs is strong enough to raise from the small blind after the button folds; raising to 300 applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

26 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise, even heads-up from the big blind. Folding saves chips for better spots.

Q3 suited is playable on the button in a three-handed game, and raising takes advantage of position while applying pressure to the blinds.

42 suited is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open; folding avoids putting more chips in with a dominated hand.

Getting 2.67 to 1 pot odds in the big blind against a button open, J7s has enough equity and postflop playability to defend with a call.

Flopped a flush draw and gutshot straight draw out of position; checking to the preflop aggressor to evaluate action or consider a check-raise.

I have bottom pair with some backdoor improvement potential, but betting mainly folds hands I already beat and risks building the pot against better pairs and draws. I’ll take the free turn card.

I turned a jack-high straight with a redraw to a flush on a checked-through flop, so I am betting for value against pairs and draws.

I have a pair plus a draw to the Q-high flush, giving enough equity to continue at these pot odds. Raising risks inflating the pot against made hands on this connected board.

We completed our flush on the river after semi-bluffing the turn with an open-ended straight flush draw. We place a value bet targeting trips, straights, and two-pair holdings.

My hand is only two pair with a very weak lower pair, and the turn-and-river betting line is likely weighted toward a ten, an eight, or a nine. I’ll fold rather than pay off the river bet with a marginal bluff-catcher.

83o is too weak to open from the button; folding avoids putting chips in with a hand that plays poorly when called.

KQo is well ahead of an average BB defense range, so I raise to 3bb to build the pot blind vs blind.

A7 offsuit is a reasonable heads-up big-blind defend against a small-blind raise, and the call price is favorable enough to see a flop.

I have two overcards and a gutshot straight draw on a wet board that connects well with the big blind's calling range, making checking out of position prudent.

Ace-high has some showdown value and backdoor straight potential, but this connected, two-spade board favors the preflop caller. I’ll take the free turn rather than bluff into it.

Delayed c-betting the turn with two overcards and a gutshot straight draw after the flop checked through.

A-high has little showdown value against the delayed turn bet and no meaningful draw. Calling 400 would require over 22% equity, which is unlikely against the opponent’s betting range.

54 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in a standard 3-handed structure.

AJo is strong heads-up against the big blind, so raise for value and initiative rather than just completing the small blind.

KJo has enough equity versus a small-blind open after the button folds, and calling 200 into 400 is a reasonable price to see a flop heads-up.

A♦J♠ has useful overcard showdown value, but this low, connected flop favors the caller and gives me little draw equity. I’ll check and keep the pot manageable.

King-Jack has no pair or draw on 5-3-7, so checking back keeps the pot small and realizes overcard equity without bloating.

I have ace-high with limited improvement potential and no strong draw. Checking preserves the chance to realize equity without building the pot against a made hand.

King-high with no pair or draw has little value on this turn, so checking back controls the pot and realizes equity cheaply.

Ace-high has reasonable showdown value after the opponent checked flop and turn. A river bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands, so I’ll take the free showdown.

King-high missed the board entirely, so there is no value in betting. Checking back realizes the small showdown chance against a passive preflop raiser who may also have air.

As the button in a three-handed game, 9♣7♣ is playable enough to open-raise and apply pressure to the blinds. A modest raise to 250 keeps the pot manageable while giving me initiative.}

K3 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open, with the big blind still to act.

54s has good playability and implied odds, getting 2.7 to 1 to defend the big blind against a button open.

Check out of position with bottom pair and weak kicker on a broadway-heavy board to control the pot.

I have a strong club flush draw and position, so a moderate continuation bet can win the pot now while building it when I improve.

I have bottom pair with a weak kicker and no backdoors on a wet, broadway-heavy board facing a substantial continuation bet out of position. Folding is the disciplined play.