Hold'em table

Opening QTo from the button is standard in 3-handed play to attack the blinds and take positional advantage.

King-two offsuit is far too weak to call a 2.5x raise from the button out of position, and 3-betting is out of the question. Folding loses only the 50-chip blind.

Calling 150 into a 400-chip pot gives a favorable price to defend the big blind heads-up. 5-4 offsuit is weak, so I’ll avoid raising and proceed cautiously postflop.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is a marginal showdown hand on this board; checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act. I can respond to a bet based on its size and later cards.

C-betting in position with gutshot straight draw and overcard on a dry board after the big blind checked.

Bottom pair is weak, but the bet is modest relative to the pot and calling can continue against a wide c-betting range. Raising would risk building a pot with a vulnerable hand.

I have two pair, but it is vulnerable and my opponent can still have stronger hands. Checking keeps their bluffs and weaker bets in their range while avoiding an unnecessary large pot.

I hold Queen-high with a gutshot straight draw; taking a free card in position allows me to realize my equity without bloating the pot against a calling range.

The ace on the river improves many hands in the opponent’s flop-betting range, so betting my low two pair risks value-owning myself. I’ll take the showdown value and check.

With Queen-high having virtually zero showdown value and holding key blockers to top pairs (Q and T), betting 700 targets weak pairs like 8x, 4x, and underpairs to fold on an Ace river.

I have two pair, fives and fours, which beats one-pair hands and bluffs. The river bet is a manageable size, so I’ll call while accepting that stronger two pair or a set can beat me.

With A♠K♠ against the big blind after the button folds, raise for value and to build the pot. A raise to 300 is a solid size while keeping weaker hands in.

J5s is too weak to defend profitably against a full 3x open from the small blind, despite being in position.

84 offsuit is too weak to profitably enter against both blinds, even with position.

J6o is too weak to complete or raise from the small blind against the big blind.

Opening from the button with KJo to take initiative and leverage position.

Pocket eights are strong against a button’s wide opening range, and a 3-bet can win the pot now or build value while reducing the button’s positional advantage.

Holding KJo on the button, we have position and direct pot odds of 2:1 against the big blind's 3-bet, making a call profitable against a standard 3-handed defending range.

88 is an underpair on a Q-J-high flop, and checking out of position keeps the pot manageable while preserving showdown value.

I have second pair with a King kicker and a gutshot straight draw; checking back controls the pot size and realizes equity in position.

With 88 below the board’s likely pairs and no strong draw, checking preserves showdown value and avoids inflating the pot.

I have second pair with a gutshot straight draw and good showdown value; checking behind controls the pot size and realizes my equity.

My pocket eights have some showdown value on this board, and the opponent’s checks keep weaker hands in their range. Betting risks being called by better pairs without much benefit.

I have second pair with a king kicker after opponent 3-bet preflop and checked all three streets. Checking behind realizes showdown value safely against missed broadways and weaker pocket pairs.

Ace-jack suited-ish strength on the button; raising builds the pot with position and applies pressure to the blinds.

Q♦2♦ is too weak to defend out of position against a 3x button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. A 3-bet bluff with this hand is also unattractive.

T7o has poor equity and reverse implied odds out of position facing a 3x open.

43 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, and limping offers poor equity realization against both blinds.

93o is far too weak to complete or raise from the small blind, so folding is the standard play.