Hold'em table

A4o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker; a small raise takes the initiative and can win the blinds without needing to see a flop.

J8o is too weak to call or 3-bet from the small blind out of position against a button raise.

Calling gets a reasonable price with a playable hand against a button open; reraising 9-high offsuit would be too loose.

I have only a gutshot straight draw on a paired board, so checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act.

Ace-high has some showdown value and no draw on this paired board, so checking back is better than bluffing into a caller who may have a jack or float.

I have no meaningful improvement or strong draw, and the paired board gives me some showdown value. Check and keep the pot small.

Double-paired board makes ace-high and the nut flush draw too fragile to bet; checking keeps the pot small and realizes the free river.

The board already gives me two pair with a queen kicker, and my hole cards do not improve it. A bet is unlikely to get value from worse hands and risks being called or raised by hands that beat the board.

I have the best kicker to the board's two pair and beat most hands that lack a jack or ten. Checking realizes that showdown value; a bet gets called mainly by full houses that beat me.

Q4o is too weak to profitably open from the button even in 3-handed play.

T7 suited is playable heads-up from the small blind, and completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot.

K9o is playable but not strong enough to raise for value against a completed small blind. Checking keeps the pot small and sees a flop for free.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on this ace-high flop, so checking avoids putting chips into a pot with a weak hand.

I have middle pair with a king kicker heads-up after a check, so a half-pot bet gets value from worse hands and denies free cards.

T-high has no meaningful immediate draw on this ace-high flop, and the backdoor flush possibility is not enough to continue against the bet.

K♥J♥ is a strong button hand in a three-handed game, so I’ll raise to take initiative while keeping the sizing modest.

K2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.

5c 3h is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

89o is a standard button open in three-handed play, so I raise to 2.5bb rather than limp or fold.

J8o is too weak to defend out of position against a button open with the big blind still left to act.

Pocket tens is strong heads-up against a button open, so I’m 3-betting for value and to take initiative out of position.

89o is too weak to continue against a BB 3-bet; calling 550 more is unprofitable even in position.

Holding 72o, the worst hand in Texas Hold'em, this is a clear fold even from the button.

With the button folded, 3♦6♦ has enough equity heads-up to complete for 50 more, especially at the favorable pot odds. I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position.

T7 offsuit is too weak to raise for value against the small blind's limp, and checking keeps the pot small with a speculative hand.

I have a weak bottom pair on a connected, two-heart flop, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against stronger hands or draws.

I have the nut straight (6-7-8-9-T) on a checked flop, so I bet pot for value against pairs and draws.

Middle pair is likely good often enough to continue against a half-pot bet, while raising would be too thin on this connected board.

With only a weak pair of sixes on a paired, connected board, betting is unlikely to get better hands to fold or worse hands to call. I’ll take the free card and keep the pot small.

I have a made straight on a paired board and the opponent checked, so I bet about two-thirds pot for value while keeping worse hands and draws in.

My pair of sixes is a weak bluff-catcher on this paired, connected board. The turn bet after my flop call is likely too strong to justify calling without a meaningful draw.

With a weak but connected hand on the button, I’ll take the inexpensive option and preserve position rather than raise into the blinds.

85 offsuit is too weak to complete from the small blind multiway and out of position, even with a cheap price.

I hold pocket Kings in the big blind facing a button limp and SB fold. Raising to 400 to build the pot with a premium hand.

6♠5♣ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling 300 into the raise risks too much against the big blind's range.