Hold'em table

Pocket sevens on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand, so I raise to 3bb for value and position.

Jd Ts is a playable suited broadway hand, and calling 250 more to see a three-way flop is reasonable versus the button's 300 open without bloating the pot out of position.

K9 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind, especially with the small blind already in and favorable pot odds. Calling keeps the pot manageable out of position without overplaying a dominated hand.

I have a pair of tens with a gutshot to broadway and the action is checked to me, so checking keeps the pot small and takes the free card.

I have a gutshot to the broadway straight but no made hand, and the preflop raiser still has a chance to act. Checking takes a free card without inflating the pot.

Pocket sevens on a Q-T-A board is a weak showdown hand against two opponents who both checked. A bet would mostly be called by better hands, so I take a free card and keep the pot small.

I have a pair of tens with a gutshot to broadway on a Q-T-A-2 board, a medium-strength hand that is worth a free showdown rather than a bet into two opponents.

I have a gutshot to the nuts with four jacks, but little showdown value and two opponents remain. Checking takes the free river without risking chips in a multiway pot.

Both opponents checked the flop and turn, so their ranges look weak. A small bet with 77 (a medium pair that is vulnerable to overcards) charges worse hands like Jx, Kx and small pairs, and denies equity. It also gets value from weaker pairs or draws.

I have a pair of tens with a gutshot to a broadway straight, and calling 500 into a 1400 pot is a reasonable price against a turn bet that could be a bluff or a semi-bluff.

I have only a gutshot straight draw with four clean-looking outs, giving too little equity to call 500 into the pot. With another player already calling, a bluff raise is unattractive.

With only a pair of tens and no realistic way to improve on this river, checking keeps the pot small and avoids facing a raise from the turn aggressor.

Holding 77 on a Q-T-A-2-Q board, I have a weak showdown hand that only beats a few bluffs. A bet would mostly fold out worse hands and get called by better, so I check for a free showdown.

K5 offsuit is a marginal hand, but from the button in a 3-way pot with only 100 to call, calling keeps the price cheap and leaves room to play postflop.

K4 offsuit is weak, but completing costs only 50 into a 250-chip pot after two limps. I’ll take the favorable price rather than raise out of position.

J5 suited is a marginal hand out of position in a three-way pot, so raising for value is thin. Checking takes a free flop.

King-high has little showdown value on a low, connected flop against two opponents, and I have no meaningful draw. Check and avoid building the pot.

Flop is 7h 3s 2c, a dry low board, and I have jack-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot-ish 5. Seat 3 checked and seat 2 hasn't acted yet. A small bet of 200 into the 300 pot can take it down or fold out hands like overcards, and it's cheap if called. }

I have King-high with no pair and no real draw on a 7-3-2 board, so calling 200 into a 500 pot against a flop raise is not profitable enough to continue.

K-high has no pair or immediate draw and is unlikely to improve enough to continue against the big blind’s flop bet. Fold rather than call with poor equity.

QJs is a strong button opening hand in a three-handed game. Raise to 2.5 big blinds for value and initiative.

T4 suited is weak, and I'd be out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act behind me. Calling 200 more is not worth it.

Facing a 150-chip call from the button, J9 offsuit has enough playability in a three-way-small pot to call the price from the big blind rather than fold or bloat the pot out of position.

Two pair, jacks and nines, is strong on this board, so I bet about half the pot for value and to deny cheap equity from the button.

Top pair with a strong kicker is too good to fold, but the connected board and lead make a raise unnecessarily risky. Call to keep bluffs and weaker Jx in the pot.

I hold top pair with a jack and a pair of nines, which is strong two pair on a board with some straight-draw texture. I'm betting for value since seat_3 has already shown interest by calling the flop.

Top pair with a queen kicker is strong enough to continue against a turn bet, and the pot odds are favorable. Raising risks isolating against stronger made hands on this coordinated board.

Holding Jh 9d with two pair on a board with straight possibilities, checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids facing a raise from a hand that beats mine.

Top pair with a strong kicker has reasonable showdown value, but the connected board makes a straight plausible and worse hands may not call a river bet. I’ll take the free showdown.

Q8s on the button in a 3-handed game is a profitable steal/raise against two blinds; a small raise to 2.5bb applies pressure with position.

4-6 offsuit is a weak hand facing a button raise from out of position with two opponents, so folding avoids a costly marginal call.

K5 offsuit has enough equity to defend against a button raise at this price, while a 3-bet would be unnecessarily thin out of position.

K-high has little equity on this flop and no meaningful draw. Check and avoid putting chips in without a strong reason.

Top pair (queens) with a decent kicker, heads-up in position on a fairly dry flop after the BB checked. A bet of about 64% pot gets value from worse queens and draws and denies equity to overcards.

K-high has little showdown value and only a backdoor heart draw. The 350-chip call needs substantial equity, so folding is preferable against the flop bet.

Folding 8-4 offsuit on the button is too tight here, since the pot is unraised and only 100 chips are needed to see a cheap flop with position. Calling keeps the loss small and leaves room to play postflop.

Complete the small blind for just 50 more with a suited connected hand, keeping the pot small while retaining reasonable postflop potential.

5d3d is a weak hand in a three-way limped pot, so I check my big blind option and see a free flop rather than bloat the pot out of position.

With a weak pair and a gutshot draw in a multiway pot, checking keeps the pot controlled while preserving my chance to improve.

I have middle pair (threes) plus a gutshot/open-ended draw: 5-3 with 2-6 on board makes a 4 for a straight (4 gives 2-3-4-5-6). Betting small for value and protection in a multiway pot after the small blind checked.}

I have no pair and only a weak gutshot (needs a 5), so calling 200 into a 500 pot is not justified by the odds against a betting opponent.

I have top pair on a low, mostly unconnected board, plus a four-out straight draw. Calling keeps weaker bets and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessary raise with a weak kicker.

The ace is a favorable card for my opponent’s range, and my pair of sixes has modest showdown value. I’ll check rather than inflate the pot or bluff into that range.

I have a wheel straight (A-2-3-5 plus a 6 on board gives 2-3-5-6-A... actually 5d3d with 2,3,6,A gives A-2-3-5 plus 4 needed), so currently a pair of threes with a gutshot to a straight. Villain checked twice after calling, showing weakness, so a modest value/semi-bluff bet of 400 into 700 is reasonable.

Calling gets a reasonable price with a pair of sixes and a gutshot to the wheel. Raising would risk too much against likely aces or stronger pairs.

My pair of sixes with a weak kicker is unlikely to get called by worse after the opponent bet both flop and turn. I’ll check and take the showdown value rather than inflate the pot.

Bottom pair of threes is only a marginal showdown hand. The opponent called two bets, so they likely hold a better pair or an ace and would call a bet with the better hand. Checking keeps showdown value at no cost.

8-2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the button facing the big blind; folding avoids investing more with poor equity and playability.

Q6o in the small blind against a big blind only, with the button folded. Completing costs 50 more to win a 150 pot, which is about 3:1 odds. That is enough to see a flop with a hand that has a queen-high, so I call instead of folding or raising.

Seat_1 only completed the small blind, so I can check my big blind option for free with the weak 5-3 offsuit hand rather than bloat the pot.

Heads-up on a dry 7-2-6 flop with a pair of sixes (second pair) and queen kicker; a small bet of 100 into 200 gets value from worse pairs and draws and protects against overcards, while I'm first to act out of position.}

With 5-3 on a 7-2-6 board I only have a gutshot and a weak backdoor, about 8-9 equity, which doesn't justify calling 100 into a 300 pot.