Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two blinds.

Pocket fives are well ahead of a random big blind hand heads-up, so I'm raising to 3bb from the small blind for value and fold equity instead of limping.

K♦6♣ has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small blind raise, and calling keeps the pot manageable with a weak offsuit hand.

Out of position with an underpair on T-8-2 two-tone, a board that hits the BB's calling range well. Checking controls the pot and keeps some showdown value.

K-high has some showdown value, and this board gives me little equity to barrel with only a runner-runner flush draw. I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot as a bluff.

Board 8-T-2-9 with a club flush draw and straight completions is terrible for small pocket fives; I have little equity against any bet and some showdown value, so checking to control the pot is best.

The flop and turn checks show weakness, and I have a flush draw plus a gutshot straight draw. A modest turn bet can win the pot now while giving me a chance to improve if called.

Pocket fives on the very coordinated 8-T-2-9 two-club board beat almost nothing that bets the turn after the flop checked through. Any pair, straight or flush is ahead, and I have poor equity even against draws, so I fold rather than pay 400 into 1000.

In 3-handed play, 97o is a reasonable button open against two blinds, so a small 2.5bb steal is fine.

A♠3 offsuit is marginal but has enough equity against a button open to defend at the favorable price. Calling keeps the pot manageable while avoiding a speculative out-of-position 3-bet.}

The call costs 150 into a 600-chip pot and closes the preflop action. The suited hand has enough potential to continue at that price.

With top pair but a weak kicker in a multiway pot from out of position, checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me evaluate the action.

I missed this ace-high flop and have little immediate equity against two opponents, so I’ll check.

On this ace-high board our preflop-raiser range has the advantage, and a small one-third-pot bet with middle pair denies equity to overcards, draws and weaker fives, while keeping the pot manageable.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a small bet, but the weak kicker and multiway pot make a raise unnecessary.

Nine-three has no pair or immediate draw on this flop. Facing a bet and a call in a three-way pot, continuing is unlikely to be profitable.

I have two pair and should value-bet while charging heart and straight draws. A moderate turn bet can get calls from weaker aces and draws without building an unnecessarily large pot.

Getting about 3.1:1 with middle pair. A donk lead on the 3h turn includes plenty of heart and straight draws that we beat, so we have enough equity to call rather than fold or bloat the pot.

I have two pair, but the four-heart board and possible straight draws make a value bet risky after the turn raise and call. I’ll take the free showdown.

Second pair on a board where flushes and straights have come in. It still has some showdown value against missed draws, and a bluff is unlikely to fold out the better hands that villain's turn lead represents, so I'll check behind.

With 4♠6♦, this is too weak to open from the button facing the big blind. Folding avoids investing more with poor playability.

A5 offsuit is strong enough to raise against the big blind heads-up, giving me a chance to win the pot now while retaining good showdown potential.

J8s in the BB facing an SB 3x raise gets 2:1 on the call, and we will have position postflop, so calling is clearly profitable. A 3-bet would be too thin with this hand.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but betting out of position on this paired, two-diamond flop risks getting called by better hands. I’ll check and reassess if the big blind bets.

Trips with a decent kicker on a paired board; after the preflop raiser checked, a small bet gets value from overpairs, diamond draws and floats while keeping weaker hands in.

Ace-high has showdown value on this paired flop, plus a backdoor diamond draw. The small bet offers enough pot odds to continue.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but the turn gives me little reason to build the pot out of position. I’ll check and reassess if the big blind bets.

Trip eights with a jack kicker is well ahead of the preflop raiser's checking range, so I'm betting for value. The bet also charges the diamond, club and straight draws on this board.

Ace-high has no draw and too little equity against a second barrel of 750 into 1100. Calling out of position would leave a difficult river decision.

AJo is a strong button hand three-handed, so I open-raise for value while keeping the sizing modest.

54o out of the small blind against a button open, with the big blind still behind, is a clear fold. Calling out of position is unprofitable, and a 3-bet bluff with this hand is too thin.

QTs is a playable defend from the big blind against a modest button raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in without bloating the pot.

Top two pair is very strong on this relatively dry flop. Checking lets the preflop raiser continuation-bet and keeps weaker hands in the pot.

A small continuation bet uses my positional advantage and can win the pot now. I also have a gutshot straight draw and an ace overcard if called.

Top two pair is far ahead of most of the button’s small flop-betting range, so raise for value while charging straight draws and weaker pairs.

The small check-raise gives me a reasonable price to continue in position with a gutshot to the nut straight and an ace that may also be live. I can reassess on the turn.

The king is an unfavorable turn after the flop raise was called, improving some hands in the caller’s range and adding strong straight draws. I’ll control the pot and allow them to bet weaker hands or bluffs.

The turn gives me the nut straight. A sizable value bet charges draws and can get called by two-pair and weaker straight hands.

Call with two pair: the turn king improves some of the opponent’s likely range, but the price is reasonable and they can still be betting one-pair hands or draws. Raising would risk isolating against stronger hands.

My two pair is a reasonable showdown hand, but the opponent’s flop check-raise and turn call indicate a range that can include better two pair or straights. I’ll avoid a thin river value bet and take the free showdown.

AJ makes the nut straight on this board. A 3600-chip value bet gives worse straights, sets, and two pair a better chance to call than an all-in shove.

My two pair is strong enough to beat single-pair Kx and Qx value bets, and the price requires only about 30% equity. KQ, KT, sets, and J9 beat me, but folding would be too cautious against possible bluffs and thinner value.

T6o on the button in 3-handed play is a reasonable steal candidate against two blinds; a small open to 2.5bb puts pressure on them cheaply.

99 is a strong hand against a button open in a three-handed game, so I’ll 3-bet for value and to reduce the big blind’s chance of entering cheaply. I’m sizing up out of position while keeping the raise manageable.

A8 offsuit is often dominated by the small blind’s three-bet range. Cold-calling also leaves the button behind, so folding is the better choice.

T6o is too weak to continue against an SB 3-bet to 8.5bb, even in position; 600 to win 1800 needs about 33% equity, and this hand does poorly against a 3-betting range.

Q9 suited is a strong button hand in a three-handed game, so open-raise to take initiative and apply pressure to the blinds.

T7 offsuit is a weak hand to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open in 3-handed play is a clear defend with good pot odds (150 to win 400). Calling keeps the button's wide range in and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

Top pair with a weak kicker out of position against the preflop raiser's range; checking controls the pot size and lets the raiser keep betting their bluffs. I can then check-call a reasonable bet.

Q-high has limited immediate equity on a coordinated king-high board. Checking back preserves my chance to improve with backdoor straight or flush draws without inflating the pot.}

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw. The button checked back the flop, so its range is capped, and betting now gets value from weaker kings, jacks and draws while protecting my hand.

I have only a gutshot to a ten, and the four clean outs do not justify calling 380 into the current pot. My potential pair outs are unreliable against a turn raise.