Hold'em table

K2o on the button in a 3-handed game is playable. Calling 100 to win a 250 pot gives a good price, and a raise would put too much at risk with a marginal hand.

9d7c is a weak hand out of position in a 3-handed pot; folding the small blind is the profitable play.

J3 offsuit is too weak to raise for value out of position, and checking lets me see a free flop.

I have no pair and only weak backdoor potential, so I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

Heads-up on a Q-8-6 flop with king-high and a backdoor spade draw. Villain checked, so a small bet can win the pot now or pick up equity, and it costs little.

Jack-high has little chance to improve on this flop, and calling out of position against a bet is unlikely to be profitable.

A-T offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind and put pressure on the big blind.

Q-T offsuit in the big blind getting 2:1 against a small blind 3x open; the SB range is wide, so calling and playing postflop is reasonable.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but this flop gives the caller plenty of pairs and spade draws. Checking keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Heads-up on a J-6-4 board with Q-T, I hold overcards with a backdoor straight draw. The small blind checked, so a roughly 2/3-pot bet takes the initiative and can fold out weaker hands or build a pot when I improve.

Ace-high has limited ways to improve on this flop, and calling the bet out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

Q8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 250 puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

Pocket threes in the small blind facing a button open of 250. Calling 200 more gets good implied odds for set mining, and a 3-bet out of position with a weak pair is less appealing.

6h8h is a weak suited connector facing a raise and a call out of position; folding avoids bleeding chips with a marginal hand.

Pocket threes on an A-K-9 board with two diamonds is a weak showdown-value hand out of position against the button's preflop raise. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity without building a pot I'm likely behind in.

The ace-king flop favors my preflop raising range. A small continuation bet can fold out weaker hands while keeping the risk modest with queen-high.

Pocket threes hold a small pair on a K-9-A board. The button's 200 bet into 600 is a small continuation bet, so I get good odds (about 4:1) to call with a pair that can beat bluffs. Raising would mostly get called or raised by better hands, so I call.

Pocket threes are a weak showdown-value hand on a K-9-A-5 board against a button who bet the flop and has position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me possibly see the river cheaply, and a bluff-raise has little to gain.

Q-high has little equity when called, and the flop caller is likely to continue with pairs on this blank turn. Checking avoids investing more chips in a low-equity bluff.

Board is Kh 9d Ad 5h 5s and I hold 3s 3c, so I have a pair of threes plus the board's fives. That beats only weak hands and loses to any king, ace or nine. The button checked back the turn, which suggests a medium-strength hand. Betting would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones, so I check and take a cheap showdown.

Queen-high has some showdown value against missed draws. Betting would often fold hands I already beat while getting called by pairs.

A5s on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong enough hand to open for a raise, since it has good playability and blocker value and I have position.

T5o is a weak hand facing a 3x raise out of position; folding is clearly best.

T8 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, especially with the small blind folded.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking lets me see how the preflop raiser acts before committing chips.

On a dry 2-7-9 flop, a continuation bet of about 60% pot with ace-high, a backdoor wheel draw and a possible gutshot to the wheel is a reasonable semi-bluff against a big blind who checked.

An open-ended straight draw with a backdoor flush draw has enough equity to call. Raising out of position would build a large pot with eight-high.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but the paired turn doesn't favor a lead. Checking preserves the option to see a river or respond to a bet.

Ace-high on a paired 2-7-9-2 board is weak at showdown, but the big blind checked twice and likely has a weak range. A bet of about half the pot should fold out hands like underpairs and missed draws, and I keep some equity with the ace and a backdoor wheel draw.

The open-ended straight draw has eight river outs, and pairing an eight or ten may also be enough against some of the button’s betting range. The modest turn bet and potential river payoff make calling preferable to folding.

My straight draw missed, and the river ace favors the preflop raiser’s range. A lead bluff is unlikely to fold enough of the hands that called twice, so I’ll check.

I hold an ace with a 5 kicker, which is top pair on a paired board. The opponent checked every street and only called my bets, so they likely have a weak or medium hand. A value bet of about half the pot should get called by worse aces and pocket pairs, and I'm not worried about being outdrawn on the river.

My straight draw missed, leaving only ten-high with the board's pair. Calling a third barrel is unlikely to be profitable.

A6o on the button 3-handed is worth a standard open; raising for fold equity and position.

T5 suited is too weak to defend the small blind against a 3x raise with the big blind still to act.

J5 offsuit is a weak hand. Facing a button raise to 300 with 200 more to call, it is out of position against a wide button range, so folding is the disciplined choice.

A2 offsuit is a profitable button open three-handed, and a 2.5 big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

8c5h offsuit is a weak hand, out of position against a button open with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more is not worth it, so I fold.

King-seven offsuit is dominated by a button's 2.5x raising range; calling out of position with a weak kicker loses chips over time.