Hold'em table

QJo is a strong enough button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure to the blinds while preserving positional advantage postflop.

Seven-two offsuit is one of the weakest hands, and facing a button raise I would need to pay 200 more out of position, so folding is the disciplined choice.

K7 suited is a standard big blind defend versus a 2.5x button open, with good playability and price to call 150 into 400.

With only a pair of Aces and King kicker on As Ad 4c, I lose to any Ace, 4, or pocket pair; checking controls the pot and lets me evaluate opponent's action.

This dry, paired ace-high flop favors the preflop raiser's range, making a small continuation bet an efficient way to pressure unpaired hands. QJ has limited showdown value but retains some improvement potential when called.

With king-high and no draw on a paired ace board, I only beat pure bluffs and am behind any ace, four, or pocket pair. Calling 150 out of position will likely face larger turn pressure with only three king outs.

With 5h4s on the button I get a cheap look at the flop in position against the blinds, so calling the 100-chip big blind is reasonable.

Completing the small blind for 50 into a 250 pot gives excellent pot odds with 3s8h, and seeing a cheap flop three-way outweighs folding despite being out of position.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to raise profitably against two limpers. Checking lets me see the flop for free without inflating the pot.

Top pair on a draw-heavy 8-7-5 two-club board in a limped pot needs protection; a half-pot lead can fold overcards and charge flush and straight draws while keeping worse pairs in.

A weak gutshot and backdoor flush draw do not justify calling a half-pot bet with another player still to act. Even a six can make a second-best straight, reducing the draw's value.

I have a pair of fives plus a gutshot to a straight with a 6, so calling 150 into a 450 pot is priced correctly against the flop bet.

Turn completes the club flush and brings an overcard Jack; with second pair and no club, checking controls the pot and avoids building it against a likely improved hand.

I hold a pair of fives with a gutshot draw on a turn where the opponent checked to me, so checking to see a free showdown is the sensible line.

With middle pair on a straight- and flush-possible board, checking preserves showdown value and avoids building a pot against Jx, 9x, straights, or flushes that beat us.

I hold a pair of fives with no bet to call, so checking to showdown is free and the best option.

4-7 offsuit is a very weak hand even on the button in 3-handed play; calling or raising risks chips with poor equity and playability.

With the button folded, completing the small blind costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot. J6 offsuit is playable against a random big-blind hand, but limping keeps the pot small while out of position.

I am in the big blind with 7-10 offsuit and no bet to call, so checking is free and keeps the hand cheap with a weak holding.

With only jack-high and weak backdoor prospects on a coordinated flop, betting out of position offers little value. Checking preserves chips and lets me reassess against the big blind's action.

I hold T-7 offsuit, a weak pair-of-tens-or-less type holding on a Q-T-2 board with no bet to call, so checking is free and keeps the pot small.

After the big blind checks back the flop, a small turn bluff can fold out many unpaired hands. Jack-high has little showdown value, and the jack blocks some pair-and-draw combinations that would continue.

I hold a pair of tens, which is a medium-strength hand, and calling 125 into a 325 pot is a reasonable price against a turn bet that could be a bluff.

The paired river is unlikely to make a ten or queen fold after calling the turn, and my jack blocks some missed straight draws that could fold. Checking preserves the small amount of showdown value against weaker missed draws without forcing a marginal bluff.

I hold a pair of tens with a queen kicker, which is good enough to show down after seat_1 checked the river, so checking is the best option and avoids putting more chips in.

Q4 offsuit is a marginal button open, but position and the absence of rake favor a small steal attempt. A minimum raise pressures the blinds while limiting the cost if they defend aggressively.

Holding 3h-Tc is a weak offsuit hand out of position facing a button raise to 200, so folding the small blind is the disciplined choice.

7-3 offsuit is one of the weakest hands; folding to a raise from the big blind costs nothing extra and avoids playing out of position with poor equity.

Suited 9-7 is a playable speculative hand in a 3-handed pot from the button, and calling the 100-chip big blind is cheap with good implied odds.

J8 suited is a playable hand three-handed and completing the small blind for 50 into a 250 pot offers excellent odds to see a flop in a multiway pot.

K5 offsuit is too weak to profitably build a pot against two limpers without reads. Checking takes a free flop and preserves chips with a hand vulnerable to domination.

Weak backdoor draws only with Jc8c on Qc7d6d; checking keeps pot small and realizes cheap equity versus two opponents.

With only king-high and weak backdoor draws on a coordinated flop, betting into two opponents offers little value. Checking preserves chips and lets me reassess after the button acts.

I have a pair of sevens with a gutshot straight draw, and the action has been checked through, so checking keeps the pot small and sees the next card for free.

With only jack-high on a paired board and no real draw to improve on one card, checking keeps the small limped pot cheap and lets me realize showdown value for free.

King-high has some showdown value, but betting into two opponents offers little value and risks being called by pairs or draws. Checking preserves chips and lets me reassess on the river.

I hold two pair, queens and sevens, with a 9 kicker, and both opponents checked, so a modest value bet builds the pot while keeping their weaker draws in.

With jack-high, no flush or straight draw, and only about six outs to pair, calling 200 into 500 lacks the required equity against a turn bettor who can continue on the river.

King-high has little showdown value against this turn bet, and I have no flush or straight draw. Calling 200 into 500 with only uncertain pair outs is not profitable.

Pocket fives on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear value open, well ahead of blind defense ranges. Raising to 2.5bb applies pressure and builds a pot in position.

9-4 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 2.5bb button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

Facing a 150-chip call from the big blind with 400 in the pot, I have good pot odds to see a flop with Q7 against a button open that can be wide.

With top set of queens on a dry board, I want to build the pot for value against weaker queens, overpairs, and draws, so I'm betting about two-thirds pot.

In position with pocket fives on a QQ3 board, I have two pair beating ace-high, 3x and smaller pairs. Calling 350 into 900 needs only 28% equity, which I likely exceed against a donk-betting range.

I have a pair of queens on a board with a king, and there is no bet to call, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see a free turn card.

Opponent donk-bet the flop then checked the King turn, showing weakness and likely overcards or a medium pair. A half-pot bet in position can fold those hands and protects my vulnerable pair of fives from overcard rivers.

Holding three queens on a Q-Q-3-K board is a very strong hand, so I raise for value against seat 3's turn bet. The min-raise is 1000, and 1500 builds the pot while keeping seat 3 facing a meaningful decision.

Pocket fives make only queens-up with a king kicker on a paired board, and the turn check-raise strongly represents a queen, king, or higher pair. Calling 1000 lacks the equity needed, with essentially only two outs to a full house.