Hold'em table

Q8 offsuit is a weak hand in a 3-handed pot. On the button I could open-raise, but folding avoids playing a marginal hand out of position against two players who still have to act.

AJo is a premium hand in a blind-vs-blind battle, so I raise to 300 for value and initiative.

T6 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind 3x raise, especially with position after the flop.

As the preflop raiser on a King-high board that favors my range, a standard one-third pot continuation bet applies pressure to missed holdings.

The small flop bet gives me a good price to continue in position with backdoor straight and flush possibilities. I can reassess on the turn.

I turn second pair with top kicker, which has solid showdown value and pot controls nicely out of position.

I have little showdown value, and the preflop raiser’s turn check creates an opportunity to fold out unpaired hands with a moderate bluff.

I turned second pair with an Ace kicker and villain's turn bet could easily be a float/semi-bluff or worse made hand, making this a standard call getting over 2.6:1 pot odds.

I have second pair with top kicker on a board with an overcard King; checking to control the pot and see a showdown or evaluate any river bet is standard.

Ten-high has little showdown value. The turn bet and river follow-through can credibly represent a strong made hand and put pressure on the opponent’s weaker pairs.

Second pair with an Ace kicker is too low in our range to call a sizable 73% pot bet on both turn and river, where we have plenty of stronger Kings to defend.

Q7o is too weak to open profitably from the button in a 3-handed game without antes.

With the button folded, Q6 offsuit is strong enough to open heads-up against the big blind. A 2.5-big-blind raise can win the blinds immediately while keeping the pot manageable.

ATo is a strong hand in a 3-handed pot against a small-blind open, and it plays well as a value raise or 3-bet from the big blind. Raising to 850 builds the pot while I have position-independent equity over their wide range.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, especially out of position.

Q6 offsuit is strong enough to open from the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise pressures the blinds while preserving position.

6h7h is a suited connector with a fair price: 200 to call into a 400 pot (2-to-1). The button's 2.5x open could be wide, and the big blind still has to act behind me, so I'll call rather than 3-bet or fold.

6s 2d is a very weak offsuit hand, not worth defending even getting good pot odds against two opponents.

I have 6h7h on a Th Js Qc board, which gives me an open-ended straight draw needing an 8 or a 9 (a 9 makes 7-8-9-T-J-Q... actually only 8-9 with T-J-Q makes a straight via 8-9 combos), but no made hand. Checking out of position against the preflop raiser keeps the pot small while I keep my draw equity.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws, but the connected board and weak kicker favor a modest bet.

6h7h on T-J-Q has an open-ended straight draw (needs 8 or 9, 8 outs) plus backdoor flush potential. The price is 250 to win 850 (about 3.4 to 1), so calling is profitable, and I keep the option to raise later.

I hold 6h7h on a Th Js Qc 6c board with a pair of sixes, which is weak. The button has bet on both the preflop and flop streets, so I'll check and try to see the river cheaply rather than bluff.

Two pair is likely ahead of many hands that called the small flop bet. Betting 750 gets value from pairs and draws while charging straight and club draws.

Open-ended straight draw (8 or 9 outs is not quite it; 6h7h on T-J-Q-6 has a pair of sixes plus a gutshot-ish draw) with decent pot odds of about 3.5 to 1 against a button who bets wide, so calling is reasonable.

I have only 7-high with no pair and no straight (board T J Q K 6), so there is no showdown value against a betting opponent. The opponent bet the flop and turn, so a bluff is unlikely to work, and checking costs nothing.

The river puts four cards to a straight on the board. My two pair has showdown value, but a bet risks getting called or raised by many better hands.

T2 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling from the button against two players still to act with no real equity edge is a losing play, so I'm folding.

Blind vs blind confrontation after the button folded; open-raising 98o to put pressure on the big blind and take initiative.

Pocket deuces can profitably defend against a small-blind raise, and I’ll have position after the flop.

I hit third pair on a wet two-broadway flop out of position, which makes checking the standard pot-control play against the caller.

After the preflop raiser checks, a small positional bet can fold out unpaired hands and some better small pairs. My pair of deuces has limited showdown value on this board.

Seat 3 bets 200 into a 600 chip pot, offering 4:1 pot odds. With third pair and backdoor draws, calling is profitable against their wide floating and stabbing range.

We hold third pair with a gutshot straight draw on a coordinated board; checking to control the pot size out of position is optimal.

Deuces have little showdown value on this board. After the opponent checked twice and called only a small flop bet, a turn bet may fold out ace-high and weaker pairs.

Holding third pair on a double-broadway board facing a 70% pot turn bet after checking twice, our equity and implied odds do not justify calling.

T4o is too weak to open even from the button in a 3-handed game.

Q7 suited is strong enough to raise against the big blind after the button folds. Raising to 300 puts pressure on a wide range while keeping the pot manageable out of position.

T2 offsuit is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position against a raise, and calling 200 more to win a 400 pot is not worth it.

J5 suited is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise uses position while keeping the pot manageable.

T2 offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind, facing a button raise with the big blind still to act behind. Calling 200 more is not profitable.

Q5o is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.