Hold'em table

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot for value while encouraging weaker hands to continue.

J6 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

9-4 offsuit is a weak hand. Calling 150 more out of position against a button open is a losing play, so I fold and give up my 100-chip big blind.

9-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button, and calling a full big blind risks chips with a poor hand.

KTs in the small blind heads-up against the big blind is a strong hand, so I raise for value and to take the initiative with position disadvantage minimized by sizing.

Q4 suited is strong enough to defend against a small-blind open at 3 big blinds. Calling costs 200 into a 400-chip pot, and I will have position postflop.

Middle pair (tens) with a king kicker and a backdoor heart draw on Qc 2h Tc, heads-up and first to act. A value bet of about 2/3 pot builds the pot and charges queen-x and flush-draw hands.

Top pair is strong enough to call against a wide small-blind opening range, with a backdoor heart draw adding some equity. Raising would mostly isolate stronger hands while folding would give up too much against draws and bluffs.

I have top two pair (Kh Th on Qc 2h Tc Ks), which is very strong heads-up. Betting about two-thirds of the pot gets value from Q-x, K-x, T-x and draws, and it charges flush and straight draws.

The king reduces my hand to second pair with a weak kicker, and the substantial second barrel represents many stronger hands. With no meaningful draw and limited prospects for improving, folding is preferable to calling 900.

Pocket fours on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand. A 3x raise builds the pot with position and takes the initiative against two players who have yet to act.

Five-three offsuit is too weak to continue against a 3bb raise from the small blind. Playing out of position with the big blind still to act makes calling or bluff-raising unattractive.

A♠5♠ is a suitable defend against a button open, with strong flush and wheel potential. Calling 200 keeps the pot manageable while preserving those postflop opportunities.

I have a strong two-pair hand on a paired board, and checking lets the preflop aggressor continue or bet into me.

Pocket fours on a Q-A-Q board hold a medium-strength showdown hand. Seat 2 checked, so I bet a small amount to get value from worse pairs and pick up the pot from missed hands. A small bet also keeps my losses limited if I'm behind.

Top pair is likely ahead of many button continuation bets, but the weak kicker and paired board make a call preferable to building a large pot.

The turn gives me a very strong full house. Checking lets the button continue bluffing or value-bet a weaker hand, while a lead on this paired board could scare off hands I want to keep in.

Board is Q A Q A with my pocket 4s, so I hold the bottom of the possible two pair and beat only hands that miss the board entirely. Opponent checked the turn after calling the flop, which suggests weakness, so a modest value/protection bet of about half pot should get called by worse hands like small pairs and draws, while folding out some hands that would split or beat me.}

I have aces full of queens, an extremely strong hand on this board. Raise for value against worse trips or a full house while keeping the sizing callable.

Board is Q-A-Q-A and I hold 4-4, which plays as a weak pair under both pairs on the board. Seat 2 check-called the flop, then check-raised the turn to 1800 over my 600 bet, which looks like a strong hand such as an ace or a queen. Calling 1200 into a pot of 3650 needs about 25% equity, and I likely have less, so I fold.

A6 suited is a profitable button open three-handed, with ace-blocker value and nut-flush potential. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving flexibility in position.

K3 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K6 offsuit in the big blind getting 400+150 odds: pot is 400, call 150 needs about 27% equity against a button's wide 2.5x open; K-high has enough equity and a position disadvantage is acceptable at this price.

Board is Jd Th Jh and I hold K-high with a king and a heart for a backdoor flush draw, so I have little showdown value against a button raiser's range. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but no meaningful draw on this paired, two-heart flop. Checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids betting into the big blind's trips, pairs, and strong draws.

I hold Kh with a heart flush draw on a Jd Th Jh 9h board, and K-high is otherwise weak. The button checked the flop and could have a Jack or a straight draw. With a flush draw I'll take a free card instead of bloating the pot, and check keeps the pot controlled.

Ace-high retains some showdown value, while this coordinated, three-heart board connects strongly with the big blind’s calling range. Without a heart blocker or meaningful draw, checking avoids investing in a low-quality bluff.

Board is Jd Th Jh 9h 3d and I hold king-high with a heart (Kh) that missed the flush. Showdown value is marginal; the button checked twice, so betting would mostly get called by better hands or fold out worse, and checking is the safer choice.

Ace-high retains some showdown value against missed draws and weaker unpaired hands. With no heart or relevant straight blocker, bluffing is less attractive than taking the free showdown.

K♥9♥ is a playable button hand in a three-handed game, so I’ll open-raise to 2.5 big blinds for value and initiative.

K3 offsuit out of position in the small blind facing a button raise to 250 with the big blind still to act is weak and dominated often, so folding is the better play.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open to 2.5bb. Calling costs 150 into a 400-chip pot and avoids inflating the pot out of position with a potentially dominated ace.

With ace-high, no club, and no meaningful straight draw, this hand is too weak to lead into the preflop raiser. Checking preserves chips and lets me evaluate their action.

Bet small for value and protection with middle pair and a strong kicker, while charging overcards and club or straight draws. The checked-to action and button position make a modest bet preferable to checking back.

Ace-seven has no pair or meaningful draw on this coordinated flop. Out of position, its weak showdown value and poor equity realization do not justify continuing even against the small bet.

A9s on the button in 3-handed play is a strong opening hand, so I raise to 3bb to build the pot with position and a good suited ace.

K8 offsuit is too weak to continue profitably from the small blind against a 3bb button raise, with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids playing a frequently dominated hand out of position.

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 3x button raise, despite the pot odds.