Hold'em table

Open-raising with QTs on the button is standard to gain initiative and leverage position.

A8 offsuit is strong enough to defend against a button open, and the call is modest relative to the pot. Calling keeps weaker hands in while avoiding an unnecessary large pot out of position.

With ace-high and only backdoor equity plus a gutshot to a king-high straight, checking keeps the pot small and lets the preflop raiser act.

Flopped the nut straight with a straight flush redraw on a wet board; betting for value against opponent's wide continuing range.

With only ace-high and no immediate straight or flush draw, I have too little equity to continue against this flop bet. An ace could improve me, but those outs are limited and may not be clean.

A6o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative rather than limp or fold.

Pocket nines are strong enough for a value three-bet against the button’s open, and raising from the small blind helps avoid playing out of position against both opponents.

Q3o is completely unplayable facing an open and a 3-bet. Clear fold.

A6o is too weak to continue against a small-blind 3-bet; it is dominated by strong aces and has poor equity versus a value-heavy range, so folding is best.

T8 suited is a reasonable button open three-handed; raising takes initiative and can win the blinds while retaining playability postflop.

Folding Q2o out of position against a button raise is standard.

9-2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a preflop raise.

Open-raising on the button 3-handed with an Ace blocker to exert position and blind pressure.

QJo has enough equity against a button open to continue, and calling 175 into 375 is preferable to a bloated out-of-position 3-bet.

The price is attractive with two opponents already in, and calling costs only 125 chips. Though 8-6 offsuit is marginal and I’ll be out of position, it has enough equity to continue rather than fold.

I have only a gutshot with QJ on KT7 and no pair or flush draw, multiway and first to act. Checking is the best way to realize equity cheaply.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and no pair, with the preflop raiser still to act. I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into multiple opponents.

In a three-way pot on a coordinated King-high board, checking back our Ace-high with no draw is prudent to take a free card.

I have a pair of queens plus an open-ended straight draw on the turn, so I bet about two-thirds pot for value and protection while first to act.

My 8-high has no meaningful draw on this board, and calling 450 requires too much equity against the turn bet.

Holding only ace-high and a gutshot straight draw, calling 450 into a 1125 pot does not offer sufficient direct or implied odds.

95o is too weak and disconnected to open from the button; folding avoids a dominated, hard-to-play hand out of position postflop.

T5 suited is playable heads-up from the small blind, and completing costs only 50 chips into the 150-chip pot.

Check our option with A3o to see a free flop in position against the small blind's limp.

I have only bottom pair on a coordinated flop, so checking keeps the pot small while preserving some showdown value.

I check behind with Ace-high and no strong draw to see a free turn card in position in a limped pot.

With a weak bottom pair and no meaningful draw, checking keeps the pot small and avoids value-owning myself against a queen or eight. I can still reach showdown against missed overcards.

We have Ace-high with a gutshot straight draw; taking a free card to realize equity in position is standard.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, and a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands while better pairs can call. I’ll take the free showdown.

SB's checks all the way through cap their range, likely missing top pair; a small half-pot value bet targets Qx and mid-pairs while comfortably folding to a raise.

The small river bet could be a bluff, but the ace is a strong card for the big blind’s range, and my pair of fives is a weak bluff-catcher with little reason to expect enough bluffs to call.

K3 suited is a playable button hand in a three-handed game, so I’ll open-raise rather than limp. A 2.5bb sizing gives the blinds a chance to fold while keeping weaker hands in range.

Holding AQo in the small blind against a button open, a 3-bet to 10bb is standard for value and initiative out of position.

32 offsuit is the worst starting hand and I am facing a raise and a re-raise to 10bb; folding is clearly best.

K♦3♦ is too weak to continue against the small blind’s large 3-bet; calling requires substantial equity, and a 4-bet bluff is not attractive at this sizing.