Hold'em table

Opening with pocket jacks on the button with a standard 2.5bb raise to build a pot in position.

King-seven offsuit is far too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5x button raise; folding avoids playing a dominated hand out of position.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small button open, but a call keeps the pot manageable with a hand that plays poorly against a 3-bet call.

With ace-high and no strong draw on this flop, checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act.

I have an overpair to the board on a draw-heavy texture; betting around half pot extracts value from flush draws, straight draws, and weaker pairs.

The nut-flush draw plus an overcard gives ample equity at these pot odds. Calling keeps weaker bets and bluffs in the hand without inflating the pot out of position.

I have ace-high with a gutshot to the wheel, but no made hand to value-bet. Checking keeps the pot controlled and preserves some showdown value against missed bluffs.

Checking behind on a wet turn with an overpair to control the pot size and induce bluffs or get value on safe rivers.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws, while the river completes heart and straight draws that make a bluff unattractive. Check and avoid investing more into a risky board.

We hold pocket jacks on a board with an overcard Queen and three hearts. Checking behind allows us to realize our showdown value without risking a call from better or facing a raise.

85 offsuit is one of the weakest hands even 3-handed, and it's easily dominated when called. Folding for one big blind avoids playing a marginal hand out of position postflop.

With the button folded, 6♠2♠ has playable heads-up potential at a price of just 50 chips into a 150-chip pot. Complete rather than inflate the pot with a weak hand.

Holding T7o in the big blind facing a small blind complete, checking to see a free flop in position is standard.

With bottom pair on an ace-high flop, a bet is unlikely to get called by worse often enough; checking keeps the pot small and allows me to realize my equity.

I have Ten-high with no direct equity on an Ace-high flop, so checking back to see a free turn is standard.

I have only a weak pair of twos and little reason to build the pot; checking keeps the showdown cost down.

I have ten-high with no draw, so checking behind to see a free river card is preferable to turning this into a multi-street bluff.

I have trip deuces and can target calls from weaker pairs or ace-high hands. A small river bet seeks value while limiting the risk of losing action to stronger holdings.

I only hold ten-high on a board with an ace and queen, which has almost zero showdown value against any bet or missed hand.

QTo is a strong hand to open from the button in a three-handed game. A modest raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

A2o plays poorly out of position facing a button open, with the big blind yet to act, making it a standard fold.

Pocket eights are a strong hand heads-up against a 2.5bb button open; 3-betting to 750 builds the pot and applies pressure while keeping control with a solid but vulnerable pair.

QTo offsuit is vulnerable to domination against a sizable 3-bet, and its postflop realization is poor despite being in position. Fold rather than invest another 500 chips.

4d 2h is too weak to open raise from the button, so folding is the standard play.

KJs is a strong heads-up hand against the BB after the button folds; raising builds the pot and applies pressure rather than limping in position disadvantage.

A♥9♥ is a strong hand to continue with against a blind-versus-blind raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in while preserving my positional advantage postflop.

I have top pair jack with the king kicker on a wet two-facecard flop; betting ~2/3 pot builds the pot against the preflop caller's likely Q-x, draws, or J-x while protecting against flush and straight outs.

The nut-flush draw gives strong equity against the flop bet, and the call price is favorable. Calling keeps the pot manageable while preserving the chance to improve.

My two pair (queens and jacks) is dominated by any queen giving trips on this paired board, and a check controls the pot against a BB range that called a raise and flop bet. I'll re-evaluate on the river rather than build a pot with a vulnerable median hand.

I have the nut-flush draw and an overcard, so a moderate turn bet can win the pot now while building it when I hit. The check also gives me a strong chance to take the river card if called.

I hold a pair of jacks plus the nut flush draw; calling 700 into a 2100 pot is profitable with 9 outs and implied odds.

I hold a full house (Qs full of Js), so I want value while thin; a moderate raise gets called by trips/two pair and lets me fold only to extreme aggression.

I have the nut flush, which beats lower flushes and bluffs. The paired board makes a full house possible, so I’ll call rather than raise and risk isolating against stronger hands.

2-3 offsuit is the weakest holding; even for 1 bb on the button it has under 20% equity three-way versus the ~40% needed to call, so folding is the chip-maximizing play.

KQo is strong heads-up from the small blind, so I raise for value and initiative rather than limp.

Defending the big blind with 86s getting 2:1 odds in position against a small blind open.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a relatively dry board, so a small value bet can get called by weaker hands while denying equity to overcards and draws.

Holding bottom pair with backdoor equity in a blind-versus-blind pot, calling a small 1/3 pot continuation bet getting 4:1 direct pot odds is standard.

I have top pair with a king kicker and a gutshot straight draw. A modest turn bet can get value from weaker pairs while charging draws without overcommitting.

We picked up an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw on the turn, giving us 15 clean outs to a straight or flush, easily justifying calling the turn bet with ample pot odds and implied odds.

The ace is an unfavorable river for a value bet after being called on both earlier streets, and my hand is only a pair of queens. I’ll take the free showdown.

I have bottom pair with negligible showdown value, but bluffing into a line that double-barreled often runs into pot-controlling pairs that won't fold to a single river bet.

K6 offsuit is a reasonable three-handed button open. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure from position while keeping the sizing modest.

A4o plays poorly out of position facing a button open raise; folding is standard and preserves chips.

Only 150 more to call into a 400 pot with a suited connector; 96s has enough playability and equity to defend the big blind against a standard button open, even out of position.

I missed the flop entirely with 9-high and only a weak backdoor draw; checking keeps the pot small and lets me fold cheaply to the preflop raiser's likely continuation bet.

I have top pair on a relatively dry flop, so a small bet can get value from weaker hands and charge draws while keeping the pot manageable with my weak kicker.

I hold 9-high with only backdoor flush/straight draws on a K-high board, needing ~20% equity to call 180 into 730 but having far less. Seat_3's preflop raise plus flop bet represents strength, so folding is clearly best.