Hold'em table

Ace-six suited on the button in 3-handed play is well ahead of blind ranges and plays well in position, so raising to apply pressure and build pot.

Nine-four suited is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

KTs is a strong big-blind defense against a button open, with good suited and connected playability. Calling costs 150 into a 400-chip pot and keeps the opponent’s weaker hands in.

With two overcards and a backdoor heart draw, checking preserves equity without inflating the pot. Out of position against the preflop raiser, there is little reason to lead with this marginal holding.

Heads-up in position as preflop raiser, I have an open-ended straight draw with an ace overcard on 5-7-8. A semi-bluff c-bet can take the pot now and still has strong equity if called.

King-high with two overcards and only a backdoor flush draw is too weak to continue out of position against this sizable bet. Our pair outs may not be clean, and we have better hands available to defend.

T2 offsuit is too weak to profitably enter this three-handed pot, even on the button.

With the button folded, K5 suited is strong enough to open against the big blind. Raising to 3bb applies pressure while retaining reasonable equity when called.

Q3 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a small blind 3x raise, especially out of position postflop.

AJs is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot with a likely equity advantage and pressures the blinds while preserving positional leverage.

JTs suited is ahead of a wide button opening range in 3-handed play; 3-betting from the small blind denies the big blind a cheap squeeze/call and can win the pot preflop while retaining strong equity if called.

T8 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet with the original raiser still to act.

AJs is strong enough to defend against a small-blind three-bet, especially with position and only 550 to call into a 1150 pot. Calling preserves weaker hands in the opponent's range while avoiding unnecessary escalation against stronger aces and premium pairs.

As the preflop 3-bettor I have range advantage on this Ace-high flop, and a small c-bet with J-T backdoor spade/straight potential needs few folds to profit.

Top pair with a good kicker and a backdoor diamond draw is strong enough to continue against this small continuation bet. Calling in position keeps bluffs and weaker hands in while avoiding inflating the pot against stronger aces.

With a spade flush draw but no made hand against a caller on an ace-high board, checking takes a free river to realize equity instead of semi-bluffing into a likely ace-heavy range.

Top pair with a jack kicker has solid showdown value, but this three-bet pot includes stronger aces and the turn makes the board more connected. Checking controls the pot and keeps weaker hands in the opponent's range.

I have only jack-high after missing spade and straight draws, so checking likely loses. A two-thirds-pot river bluff can fold weaker pairs and missed high-card draws while risking less than an all-in against an ace.

Calling requires about 29% equity, and top pair with a jack kicker can beat missed spade draws and broadway bluffs after the turn checked through. Raising would mostly isolate stronger hands, so I use this hand as a bluff-catcher.

J5 offsuit is too weak to open or limp from the button even three-handed, with poor playability and dominated jack potential.

Q7 offsuit is strong enough to open heads-up against the big blind. A small raise gives me a chance to win the blinds without building an oversized pot out of position.

Nine-four offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against a 2.5bb raise, even with position. Its poor playability and equity realization make folding preferable.

A9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

54 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise from the small blind. Poor position and the big blind still to act make calling unattractive.

2-7 offsuit is the weakest holding, out of position against a button raise; calling 150 has poor equity and playability.

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand, so raise for value and build the pot. A 2.5-big-blind button open gives the blinds room to call or reraise with weaker hands.

97o is weak offsuit facing a button raise; calling out of position would require over-realizing equity against a stronger range.

The button's 2.5-big-blind raise gives me a reasonable price to defend J5 offsuit heads-up, especially with no rake.

With a gutshot and backdoor flush potential but little showdown strength, I prefer to check rather than lead into the preflop raiser.

Bet for value with the overpair, targeting weaker pairs and straight or flush draws. This sizing charges draws while keeping plenty of worse hands in the pot.

A gutshot and an uncertain overcard are not enough to call this flop bet out of position.