Hold'em table

Raising to 2.5bb from the button with suited broadways is standard and allows us to take initiative with a strong playable holding.

76o is too weak to call a button open from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids playing a dominated offsuit hand out of position.

9♥4♦ is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability, and calling out of position against the button risks losing more postflop.

A2o is weak but playable as a button open in three-handed; a small raise applies pressure and can win the blinds uncontested.

9♠2♠ is too weak to defend against a 2.5-big-blind button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 2.67-to-1 pot odds in the big blind against a button open in 3-handed play, J6s has sufficient equity and postflop playability to defend.

I missed the flop mostly, holding only a gutshot straight draw without any heart on a monotone board. Checking to the preflop raiser is standard out of position.

Ace-high with no heart and no pair has little equity on this monotone board, so a flop bet is unlikely to be profitable. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to fold if seat_1 bets later.

I have an open-ended straight draw (plus gutshot with the Jack) on a three-heart board with no hearts in hand. Checking to see a free river card is better than betting and facing a raise.

Ace-high has some showdown value and no draw, so checking keeps the pot small against a player who has already checked twice.

The board has four to a straight (5-7-8-9) and three hearts. Worse hands without a 6 will almost never call a bet, while better hands or chops will continue, making a check best to realize showdown or induce a bluff.

Ace-high has a little showdown value after three streets of checks, and a river bluff mostly folds out worse while getting called by pairs. Checking is the higher-EV line.

On the button three-handed, T6 offsuit is weak but playable as a steal; a modest raise pressures the blinds while keeping the risk controlled.

QTs is a strong suited broadway in 3-max. 3-betting from the small blind puts pressure on the button's wide opening range and takes initiative.

82 offsuit is far too weak to continue against a raise and a three-bet. Folding preserves the stack for better spots.

T♦6♥ is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, especially out of position to the small blind postflop.

Opening ATo from the button is standard in 3-handed play to take initiative and build a pot with a strong holding in position.

9c6h is too weak to continue out of position against a button open; folding saves chips.

KQo is strong enough to defend against a button open, but calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

On this paired low flop, K-Q has no made hand or useful draw. I’ll check and preserve the option to respond to the button’s action.

C-betting approximately one-third pot on a paired board with range advantage and the nut club backdoor draw.

The small bet offers favorable pot odds, and my king and queen give me six potential overcard outs against many hands. Calling keeps the pot manageable without overplaying a weak draw.

The turn brings a third club, making a flush possible, and my top pair has no club. I’ll check to control the pot and see how the preflop raiser responds.

Holding the nut flush draw with Ace high in position, taking a free card to realize equity safely without bloating the pot or facing a check-raise.

Ace-high has virtually no showdown value after BB called the flop. BB checked turn and river, showing weakness, and may fold weak pairs to a half-pot river bluff.

My two pair is strong enough to continue against this modest river bet, and I need only about 25% equity to call. The checked turn leaves room for bluffs and weaker value hands in the bettor’s range.

42o is too weak to open from the button for a full big blind; folding avoids a dominated, low-equity spot.

Completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot, and suited 7-2 has enough potential heads-up to continue rather than fold or raise.

Check our option in the big blind with A6o to see a free flop in position.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is not strong enough to build the pot, so I’ll take the free card and keep my backdoor flush possibility.

Check back with Ace-high and a gutshot to take a free card in position.

I have two pair and the checked-through flop suggests a value bet can get called by weaker pairs while charging draws. A modest bet also protects against overcards and straight-completing cards.

We only hold Ace-high with an inside straight draw on the turn, and getting roughly 28% pot odds to call a 125-chip bet is not favorable enough with only 4 clean straight outs.

Pocket nines are strong on the button, so I’m raising for value and to narrow the field while using a standard-sized open.

73o is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

T6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.