Hold'em table

Pocket sevens are a strong opening hand on the button, so I raise to build the pot and apply pressure to the blinds.

JTo out of position in the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a marginal hand that plays poorly, so folding is the simplest choice.

Facing a 150-chip call in the big blind with 400 in the pot and only one opponent left, K9 offsuit has enough equity against a wide button steal to continue.

I have K-9 with no pair on an A-Q-T board and only one club, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it without a strong hand.

With 77 on an ace-high, connected flop, my hand is too weak to value-bet and has little equity when called. I’ll take the free turn card after the big blind checks.

I have King-high with no pair on a board of Q, T, A, 2, so I have little showdown value. Checking is free and keeps the pot small while I see whether seat_1 bets.

With 77 on an ace-high board, I have some showdown value after the big blind checked twice. Betting is unlikely to get called by worse often enough, so I’ll take the free river.

I hold a pair of queens with ace-king kickers, which is medium strength, and seat 1 has checked twice, so checking to showdown keeps the pot small and avoids facing a raise from a stronger hand.

Check to take the inexpensive showdown with a low pair. A bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands or fold better pairs.

K5o on the button in a 3-handed game is a reasonable open. A raise to 3bb takes the initiative and puts pressure on both blinds, who are out of position.

K4 offsuit is a weak hand out of position against a button open to 300, so folding the small blind avoids a costly marginal call.

J♥5♥ is a weak but playable suited hand in the big blind against a button open. Calling gets a favorable price and avoids bloating the pot with a hand that is not strong enough to 3-bet for value.

I have only jack-high with backdoor heart potential and no meaningful immediate draw. Checking out of position keeps the pot small and lets me respond to the button's action.

Heads-up on a dry 7-3-2 flop with the button and king-high. The BB checked, so a small continuation bet of about half the pot should take the pot often, and K-high plus a backdoor 5 gives some equity if called.

J-high has no pair or direct draw, and the backdoor heart possibility is not enough to continue against this sizable flop bet.

Jack-queen suited is a playable connected hand on the button, and calling the 100-chip big blind keeps the pot small while I see a flop cheaply.

T4 suited has enough playability at a favorable price in the small blind; complete rather than inflate the pot with a weak hand.

J9 offsuit is a marginal hand in a three-way pot, so I check my option to see a free flop instead of building the pot out of position.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and a backdoor flush draw on a coordinated flop. With no wager to call, checking keeps the pot small and preserves my chance to improve.

Top pair with a jack and a pair of nines on a J-9-7 board (top two pair actually) is strong; bet for value and protection against draws in a 3-way pot with a modest sizing. Seat 1 checked, and seat 3 could still act behind me.</br>

I have top pair with a Queen kicker on a J-9-7 board, which is strong enough to continue against a single flop bet. Calling 200 into a 500 pot keeps me in with good equity without bloating the pot.

I have only a gutshot to the eight and a backdoor flush draw, which is not enough equity to call against a bet and a caller.

Top pair with a jack plus a gutshot/open-ended draw (J-9 on J-9-7-6 gives two pair actually) is strong; two pair on a coordinated board should bet for value and protection against straight draws, so I bet about 65% of the pot heads-up.​

I have top pair with Jacks and a Queen kicker facing a 450 turn bet into a 1150 pot, about 28% pot odds, which is a reasonable price to continue against an aggressive opponent.

Top two pair is strong on this board. Seat 3 only called twice, so its range has many one-pair hands that call a half-pot bet. A modest value bet fits, even though an 8x straight beats me.

A pair of jacks is a marginal bluff-catcher against a three-street barrel, but the 800 call needs only about 25% equity against a 2400 pot, so calling is reasonable.

Q8 suited is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A 2.5x raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

4-6 offsuit is a weak hand, and I'm out of position in the small blind facing a button raise with the big blind still to act. Calling 200 more is not worth it.

Calling 150 into a 400 pot is a good price for K5 offsuit against a button raise, and it keeps the big blind's option to realize equity cheaply.

I have only King-high with no pair, so checking is free and keeps the pot small; betting would mostly be a bluff against a preflop raiser.

Bet small for value and protection with top pair, while keeping weaker queens and draws in the pot.

I hold only King-high with a backdoor flush draw, and facing a 180 bet into a 730 pot I don't have enough equity to continue against a button who has shown aggression.

8-4 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling out of position against two opponents with no clear edge isn't worth the chips, so I'm folding on the button.

Completing the 50-chip small blind costs little and the suited 6-5 has playable potential against a single big blind in a 3-handed pot.

5♦3♦ is too weak to raise for value, and the small blind has only limped. Check and see a flop without investing more.

I have a pair of sixes on a low, paired-unfriendly board with a backdoor straight draw, so I'd rather see a free turn card than bloat the pot with a marginal bet.

I have a weak bottom pair with little need to build a pot; checking keeps weaker hands in and avoids being raised off my showdown value.

Checking is free and keeps the pot small with a pair of sixes and a gutshot to a straight. Betting here risks more chips than this hand justifies.

I have a weak pair with limited improvement potential, but it has some showdown value after the passive action. Checking avoids putting chips in against better hands and keeps worse hands in the pot.

I have a pair of sixes on a board with an ace, and seat_1 has checked behind twice, so betting risks being raised by a stronger hand while checking keeps the pot small.

My pair of threes is weak on this ace-high board, and after the checks there is little reason to risk a river bet. I’ll take the showdown for free.

2-8 offsuit is one of the weakest hands, and calling 100 into a 150 pot from the button with no seat-specific edge is not worth it, so I fold.

Q6 offsuit has enough equity to defend the small blind at the favorable price, especially with only the big blind remaining.

5h3d is a weak hand, so I take the free flop from the big blind instead of building a pot out of position against a limper.

I have a weak pair on a low, coordinated board and am out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity.

I have 5h3d on a 7d 2c 6c flop, so only a gutshot (a 4 makes the 3-4-5-6-7 straight) with no made hand. Seat 1 checked after limping, so a small 100 bet into the 200 pot can take it down now, and the gutshot gives me some equity if called.

I have a pair of sixes with a strong kicker and am getting a reasonable price to continue. Calling keeps weaker hands and draws in without inflating the pot.

I have only a weak pair of sixes, and the king on the turn is unfavorable after the opponent bet the flop. I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot.

I have 5h3d on 7d 2c 6c Kd, which is a gutshot straight draw to the 4 (any 4 makes 7-6-5-4-3). Seat_1 checked twice and showed weakness, so a small bet of 200 into the 400 pot can win the pot now and still leaves me with outs if called.

The small turn bet gives favorable pot odds, and my pair of sixes can still be ahead of draws or weaker pair bets. Raising would be too thin on a king turn.

I have only a weak pair of sixes on a connected, king-high board after facing bets on both prior streets. Checking avoids turning it into a bluff and lets me reach showdown without risking more chips.

A pair of fives is marginal. Seat 1 called two streets, so a bet would mostly be called by better pairs and fold out worse hands. Checking to see the showdown is best.