Hold'em table

On the button in a three-handed pot, 8-7 offsuit is playable as an open. A 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the investment modest.

Folding T5 offsuit in the small blind against a button open raise is standard as it is far too weak to continue out of position.

Getting 400 into 150 (about 2.7-to-1) in the big blind with a pocket pair against a button open of 2.5bb in 3-handed play; calling to see a flop and hit a set is profitable and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

Pocket threes on an A-T-4 flop is a weak showdown-value hand against the button's preflop raise. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the button does, rather than betting into a range that contains many aces.

The ace-high flop favors my preflop raising range. A small continuation bet can fold out unpaired hands while limiting the cost of a bluff.

Pocket threes hold a small pair on an ace-high board, so I want to see the turn cheaply. Calling 180 into a 730 pot gives about 4:1 odds, and a raise would only get called or beaten by better hands, so calling is the best option.

Pocket threes are a weak showdown-value hand on a three-heart board with an ace and king. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply, and betting would mostly get called or raised by better hands.

With seven-high, no meaningful draw, and no heart blocker on a turn that completes the flush, betting into the flop caller is unlikely to be profitable.

Pocket threes are a weak showdown hand on an A-K-T-9-4 board with three hearts. Villain bet the flop and checked back the turn, so a river bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones. Checking is the safer play.

Eight-high has little showdown value. A river bet can fold out missed draws and some weak pairs after the turn checks through.

Pocket threes are only a bluff-catcher on a Td 4h Ah Kh 9d board. The opponent's passive turn check followed by a 650 river bet into 910 looks value-heavy, so I need about 29% equity to call and probably have less. Folding is the safer play.

Opening from the button with JTo in 3-handed play is standard to apply pressure and utilize position.

6-9 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act behind, so folding is the best choice.

K5 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small button raise, especially with the small blind's chips already in the pot.

King-high has little immediate value on this paired flop. Checking keeps the pot small while preserving the chance to improve.

I have trip jacks on a wet board with flush and straight draws; a small value bet of about one-third pot extracts value and protects against draws.

The small flop bet offers a good price to continue with a king overcard and backdoor draws against the button's broad range.

The ace favors the preflop raiser's range, and king-high has little value as a turn bet. I can check and reassess if they bet.

I hold trip jacks with a ten kicker on a coordinated board where the turn Ace completed open-ended straight draws like KT and improves potential full houses; checking back provides excellent pot control in position.

King-high has limited showdown value. A river bet can pressure missed draws and weaker pairs, while my king blocks some strong hands that could call.

Holding three of a kind on a paired board, we have a clear bluff-catcher and beat all two-pair combinations that may bet for value, while chopping with weaker Jacks.

56o on the button in a 3-handed pot is playable at a price of 100 to call into a 150 pot. Suited connectors are better, but calling keeps the pot small and lets me see a flop with position.}

A7 offsuit is strong enough three-handed to raise against a button limp and pressure the big blind.

K2o is far too weak to defend against a raise from the small blind with another player still to act.

56o is weak and would be out of position... actually in position on the button, but facing a 4.5x SB raise, calling 350 more with an offsuit connector is marginal with a fold-heavy payoff; folding is the safe choice.

Q8 suited is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5-big-blind raise puts pressure on both blinds.

J9s has excellent playability and blocker value to 3-bet as a semi-bluff from the small blind against a button open.

T2 offsuit is a weak hand facing a button open and a small blind 3-bet to 1000, so calling 900 more out of position is clearly unprofitable. Folding costs only the 100 already posted.

Q8 suited has enough playability in position to defend against the small blind's three-bet at this price.

C-betting one-third pot on an ace-king-high texture that strongly favors our preflop three-betting range to deny equity and take down the pot.

Q8 suited has no pair or immediate draw on this A-K-3 flop. Facing a bet from the preflop three-bettor, continuing is unlikely to be profitable.

Q7o is too weak to open profitably even from the button in 3-handed play.

Q7o in the small blind heads-up against the big blind, getting 2.5 to 1 pot odds (50 to win 150 after the button folded). It is a marginal hand, but the price is good enough to complete rather than fold or bloat the pot out of position.

Nine-five offsuit is too weak to build a pot against a small-blind limp. I can see the flop for free in position.

I have only a weak backdoor-type hand (Q high with a gutshot to J for Q-T-K... actually a gutshot needing a J) on a K-8-T flop, and I'm out of position against the big blind who checked preflop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card. .

The small blind checked, and my nine-high hand has little showdown value. A small bet can take down the pot without committing much.

Qs7h on a Kd8cTc board has only queen-high with a gutshot-less draw (Q needs J,9 for straight: J gives K-Q-J-T only with 9 too), so it is weak. Calling 100 into 300 needs about 25% equity, and against a bet from a heads-up range this hand is likely behind with poor outs, so folding is reasonable.

K5 suited-less (offsuit) on the button in 3-handed play is a reasonable steal; a K-high hand has decent playability and blinds are wide, so a small raise applies pressure. ,

Q8 suited is strong enough to defend against a 2.5-big-blind button open, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Getting 4-to-1 direct pot odds closing the action with suited ace A3s, calling is standard and very profitable multiway.

With queen-high and only a backdoor flush draw in a three-way pot, checking avoids building a pot out of position.

Check to the preflop aggressor on the button with bottom pair and an Ace kicker in a three-way pot.

Top pair with a decent kicker on a dry board, in position, after both opponents checked. A bet of about 60% of the pot gets value from worse kings and nines and protects against overcards.

Queen-high has no pair or immediate draw on this flop. Calling the bet with another player still to act is unlikely to be profitable.

Holding bottom pair with no backdoor draws out of position against a multiway flop continuation bet offers poor playability and insufficient equity.