Hold'em table

Pocket deuces are a profitable button open three-handed, combining a chance to win the blinds with set potential when called. A 2.5bb raise applies pressure while keeping the investment modest.

6-5 offsuit is weak out of position in the small blind facing a button raise, with the big blind still to act; folding avoids a marginal call.

A7 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button open at this price. Calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

With bottom pair on a king-queen-high flop, I prefer to check out of position and keep the pot manageable.

This dry, high-card flop favors my preflop raising range, making a small continuation bet effective. Pocket deuces benefit from folding out unpaired hands with substantial equity while risking relatively little.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker is strong enough to continue against a small bet, but not strong enough to raise.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker is worth taking to showdown, but it is too weak to value-bet into the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

Pocket deuces retain some showdown value against unpaired draws, but betting is unlikely to fold out many better hands on this turn. Checking preserves chips and gives us a free chance to improve.

My sevens have some showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking keeps the pot small and leaves room to catch a bluff.

Pocket deuces retain showdown value against missed straight draws. Betting would mostly fold hands we already beat, while queens and kings are likely to call.

On the button in 3-handed play, 9-8 offsuit is a connected hand worth opening for position and pressure on the blinds rather than folding or limping.

J7 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind with the big blind still to act.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against a 2.5bb button raise out of position. Its poor connectivity and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

Q7 offsuit is playable as an unopened button raise in a three-handed game. Raising to 250 puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

AQ suited is a strong value three-bet against a button open. Raising to 1100 compensates for being out of position and discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

T3 suited is far too weak to call a 3-bet to 1100 out of position; folding preserves stack.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, even with position.

65 suited is a standard button open three-handed, with good playability in position. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while keeping the investment modest.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind out of position with the big blind still to act; folding preserves chips despite the pot odds.

T7 offsuit has enough equity against a button opening range to defend the big blind for 150 more, especially with the small blind's dead money in the pot.

With a ten-high flush draw on a monotone flop, I can check out of position and decide how to respond if the preflop raiser bets.

With only a gutshot and no spade, this hand has little equity against a continuing range on the monotone flop. Checking back takes a free turn and avoids building a pot with a weak draw.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking gives me a chance to see the river without building the pot out of position.

With six-high and a double-gutshot straight draw, this is a useful semi-bluff against an opponent who has checked twice. The bet can fold out better high-card hands while retaining straight-making equity when called, although spade outs are potentially unsafe.

I have an open-ended straight draw and a spade draw, giving me enough equity to call the small turn bet. Raising risks running into a stronger flush.

Ten-high is unlikely to win at showdown. The Ts blocks some flushes, so I’m bluffing to pressure one-pair hands.

My missed straight draw has essentially no showdown value against this river overbet. With no spade or meaningful full-house blockers, a bluff raise is unattractive.

J2 offsuit is too weak to limp or raise from the button in a 3-handed game; folding preserves chips versus the blinds' ranges.

With 7-6 offsuit, completing the small blind costs 50 chips and offers a cheap chance to see a flop, despite being out of position.

84 offsuit is too weak to raise against the small blind's limp without evidence they overfold. Checking takes a free flop with position and avoids inflating the pot.

With seven-high and only backdoor draws, I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has showdown value but is not strong enough to build a large pot. Checking back this dry flop keeps weaker hands in and lets me reassess the turn in position.

Seven-high has little showdown value, and the flop checked through. A small turn bet can fold out some better unpaired hands without risking much.

Our pair of fours has enough showdown value against a wide small-blind limping range and a possible delayed bluff. Calling needs about 28% equity, while raising would mostly fold worse hands and get action from better ones.

Seven-high has little showdown value. The river king is a credible value card to represent, and a 320-chip bet may fold out weak pairs that called the turn.

My pair of fours is only a bluff-catcher against this second substantial bet, and the king improves some of the opponent's turn betting hands. Calling needs about 29% equity; without evidence of frequent river bluffs, I fold.

Q-T offsuit is strong enough to open from the button three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

A6 suited is a reasonable three-bet against a wide button opening range, with an ace blocker and nut-flush potential. The larger out-of-position sizing pressures both opponents and discourages a multiway pot.

T9 offsuit has poor equity against a small-blind 3-bet to 1100 and would play out of position relative to the button, so calling 1000 is unprofitable.

QTo offsuit is too easily dominated by a small-blind 3-bet range, and calling the large raise is unlikely to be profitable.