Hold'em table

Q7o on the button in a 3-handed pot is a marginal hand. Calling 100 to win a 250 pot is a cheap price and I get position postflop, so I call rather than fold or bloat the pot with a raise.

9-3 offsuit is one of the weakest hands in poker. With two opponents already in the pot and only 50 chips to call to see the flop, the pot odds don't justify playing such a poor hand. Folding minimizes losses.

Q4 suited can see a free flop but is too weak to routinely build a larger pot out of position against the button’s limp. Checking preserves its suited equity without risking additional chips.

Middle pair has showdown value but is not strong enough to build a large pot out of position on this coordinated flop. Checking keeps weaker hands in and lets me respond to the opponent's bet size.

I have top pair-ish: a pair of sevens (7d with 7c on board) on a dry low board, heads-up in position after the big blind checked. A small bet of about 60% of the pot is worth it for value and to deny equity to overcards.

Middle pair with a queen kicker is strong enough to defend against a button stab in a limped pot, especially with several draws available. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessary raise.

Our fours have modest showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get much value from worse or fold out better. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets us reassess against the button's action.

I have trips (sevens) with a Queen kicker on a 4-3-7-7 board. Seat 3 checked the turn, so I'm betting about 2/3 pot for value from the button.

Calling needs 28% equity, and our pair beats weaker pairs and the many available straight and flush draws. We unblock both flush draws, making this a reasonable bluff-catcher against a button betting a limped pot.

Our weak two pair retains showdown value against missed club draws, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking keeps the pot controlled against the opponent's stronger pairs, trips, straights, and completed heart flushes.

I have trips sevens with a queen kicker. The opponent checked every street and only called, so a value bet of about half the pot should get paid by weaker sevens, pairs and draws that missed.

My fours and sevens are only a bluff-catcher against three streets of betting, and the river completes both heart flushes and straights for any five. Without evidence of frequent bluffing, I cannot justify the roughly 26% equity needed to call.

6-9 offsuit is a weak hand with poor equity. In a 3-handed game, folding from the button against a big blind and small blind is standard when holding such marginal holdings, preserving chips for stronger opportunities.

A5 suited is a strong blind-versus-blind opening hand with an ace blocker and nut-flush potential. Raising to 3 big blinds pressures the big blind while building a pot with a hand that plays well postflop.

K3 offsuit is a marginal hand, but I'm getting 2:1 on a call (200 to win 400) against a small blind's 3x raise, so a call is reasonable in position-less spot with a king high. Folding gives up too much equity, and a 3-bet bluff with this hand isn't warranted.

A small continuation bet on this dry flop can fold out unpaired hands while risking little. The gutshot, ace overcard, and backdoor nut-flush draw provide equity and useful barreling opportunities when called.

I have bottom pair (threes) with a king kicker on a dry 3-2-9 board. Facing a 200 bet into 600, I get 4:1 odds, and the bettor could be c-betting a wide range, so calling is clearly better than folding or raising.

Turning second pair gives us showdown value alongside a gutshot, making a check preferable to building the pot out of position. Betting risks folding out weaker hands while getting called by a stronger range.

I have a pair of threes with a king kicker on a 3-2-9-5 board with a possible straight draw. Seat 3 bet the flop but checked the turn, so I'm checking behind to keep the pot small and see a free card, since betting would mostly get called by better hands or fold out worse ones.

Our pair of fives has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get enough calls from worse hands. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the opponent bluff missed draws.

I have a pair of kings, which is top pair, on a board of 3-2-9-5-K. Seat 3 checked the turn and river, so they look weak. A small value bet of 400 into the 1000 pot should get calls from worse kings and weaker pairs.

Calling requires only 22.2% equity, and this line can include missed straight draws and unpaired flop floats bluffing the river king. Our pair has enough showdown value to bluff-catch against a small bet.

K7 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while preserving positional advantage if called.

2-3 offsuit is the worst possible hand, and calling 200 more out of position against a button raise with a big blind still to act is a losing play.

With a premium hand (pocket Queens) in a 3-max game, I should apply aggressive pressure. Seat 3's raise to 250 is only 2.5x the big blind, suggesting a wide range. A substantial 3-bet to 800 builds the pot in my favor and forces seat 3 to make a tough decision with their likely weaker holdings.

K7 offsuit is too weak to defend against this three-bet, despite having position. Its domination risk and poor playability make folding preferable without reliable evidence of excessive bluffing.

AJs on the button in 3-handed play is a strong hand, so raising to 3bb for value and position is correct.

K6 suited is a reasonable big-blind defense against a button open, with suited potential and enough equity against a typical button range. Calling 200 to contest a 650-chip pot is preferable to folding or inflating the pot out of position.

Checking lets the preflop raiser continuation-bet bluffs and value hands on this dry board. With strong trips, I can build the pot through a check-raise if they bet.

Ace-high with a club backdoor on a paired 9-6-6 board, heads-up in position after the BB checked. A small bet of about 60% pot should take the pot often and charge weaker hands like 7x and 8x without bloating the pot.}

Trips with a king kicker is strong enough to check-raise for value against overpairs, 9x, and weaker sixes. Raising now builds the pot while the stacks are deep and leaves room for further value bets.

Ace-high on a paired 9-6-6 board is weak against a check-raise to 1400 over my 400 bet, and the call needs 1000 into a 2450 pot with no clear showdown value, so I fold.

6-2 offsuit is one of the weakest starting hands in poker. Even in a 3-handed game with a favorable position, the poor quality of this hand makes it unprofitable to call the big blind. Folding minimizes losses over the long run.

Completing costs only 50 into a 150 pot, making this suited queen worth playing heads-up. Limping keeps the pot small with a weak kicker while out of position.

3-7 offsuit is a weak hand, so I'll take the free flop from the big blind rather than raise.

Q-high has some showdown value against the big blind’s wide checking range, but little drawing potential on this board. Checking keeps the pot small out of position and avoids investing in a weak bluff.

Board J-J-K is unlikely to have helped the small blind, who checked. I have only 7-high, so a small bet of 100 into the 200 pot works as a bluff and may take the pot now. Checking would give up a decent chance to win it, and the small size limits the loss if I am called.}

Q-high has no direct draw and very little ability to improve against a king or jack. Out of position, calling a half-pot bet with this weak holding is unlikely to be profitable.

KJs is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds a pot with position while putting pressure on the blinds.

6h8c offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind, facing a button raise to 250 with the big blind still to act behind. Calling 200 more is not worth it, so I fold.

3-10o is a weak hand in the big blind facing a raise to 250 from the button after the small blind folded. Calling 150 more chips into a pot where I'm out of position with a marginal hand is -EV. Folding preserves chips for better spots.