Hold'em table

Holding 96o on the button in 3-handed play is too weak to open raise profitably against reasonable blind defense ranges. Folding is standard.

With the button folded, A4 offsuit is strong enough to raise from the small blind against the big blind.

JTs suits well against a small-blind 3x open in a 3-handed game. Calling 200 more to win a pot of 400 gives a good price, and I keep position advantages and playability postflop without bloating the pot out of position.

Top and bottom pair is strong heads-up on a flush-draw board. Betting 400 gets value from aces and draws while charging them to continue.

I have a backdoor flush draw and two overcards to the 8, so I have some equity. Calling 400 into a pot of 1000 is priced at about 29%, which is reasonable against a small blind's c-bet range. A raise would risk too much with a weak hand.

Top and bottom pair is strong heads-up. I’m betting for value from aces and draws while charging spade draws to continue.

I have only jack-high with a backdoor-ish gutshot to a straight (needs a 9 or Q for T-J... actually just a weak draw) on an A-8-4-2 board. Facing a 1000 bet into 1400, I need about 29% equity; a gutshot has around 8-9% and there is no reliable showdown value, so folding is best.

Q2 offsuit is a weak, easily dominated button hand. With both blinds still to act, I prefer to wait for a better opening spot.

JTo is a decent hand heads-up from the small blind against the big blind, with the button already folded. A raise to 3bb takes the initiative and builds the pot when ahead.

Holding AJs in position against a small blind open, a 3-bet to 9bb extracts value and takes initiative.

JTo out of position facing a 3-bet to 9bb, needing to call 6 more into a 12 pot, is a marginal hand that plays poorly and is dominated by much of the 3-bet range, so folding is reasonable.

Q2 offsuit is a weak hand, and the button in a 3-handed game is a fairly good spot, but it plays poorly against two players who can still act behind. Folding avoids a marginal, dominated spot.

In a blind versus blind situation, JTo has sufficient equity and playability to raise and attack the big blind.

K8 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind 3x raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in the pot while I have position postflop.

As the preflop raiser, an Ace-high board heavily favors my range, so a small continuation bet of 1/3 pot applies pressure on weak floats.

King-high with no club has little chance to improve on this monotone, ace-high flop. Calling the bet would likely require another difficult decision on the turn.

75 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button even in 3-handed play. Easy fold.

J6 offsuit is worth completing from the small blind for 50 more chips, but not strong enough to build a larger pot out of position.

Q5o is a decent hand heads-up against a limped small blind, so a modest raise builds the pot and takes the initiative while I have position on nobody but the button has folded.

J6 offsuit is too weak to call the raise out of position.

On the button in a three-handed game, 7♦4♦ is playable as an open-raise. Position and suitedness make a small raise preferable to limping.

A2 suited-ish offsuit (As2h) is a marginal hand in the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act; calling 200 more is reasonable in 3-handed play, avoiding a bloated pot out of position with a weak kicker.

64o is too weak to defend out of position against a raise and a call.

Ace-high on a paired 3-5-3 board with a wheel draw (A-2 plus the 5 and 3 for a gutshot to the 4). I'm first to act heads-up against the button's raising range. A small bet of about half the pot takes it down often and builds the pot when I'm ahead or have outs.

The gutshot and backdoor flush draw give me ways to improve, and I have position against a half-pot bet.

Board is 3s 5c 3d 5h, so I have two pair (fives and threes) with an ace kicker, and the ace plays as my fifth card. Any 4 or higher pocket pair beats me, and the opponent called my flop raise, so I'm checking to control the pot and keep the bluffs in.

I have little showdown value, but a turn bet is unlikely to fold out the hands that called the flop. Checking takes a free chance to improve on the river.

Board 3-5-3-5-K gives me two pair, fives and threes, with an ace kicker. That is a marginal showdown hand, so I check rather than bet into a possible king.

My best hand is the board, so I can often chop with unpaired hands. A bet is unlikely to fold out a better hand and risks being called by one.

8-3 offsuit is one of the weakest starting hands, and being on the button against two blinds doesn't justify calling or raising with it.

Holding 42o out of position against the big blind is an easy fold with virtually zero equity and poor playability.