Hold'em table

Opening from the button with ATo is standard in 3-handed play to seize the initiative and position.

72 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding saves chips.

JTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, but calling keeps weaker hands in and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

Top pair with a decent kicker is strong enough to continue, but checking out of position keeps the pot manageable and lets the preflop raiser act.

I hold top pair top kicker on a somewhat coordinated flop and bet around half pot for value and protection against draws.

Top pair with a decent kicker is strong enough to continue against this modest continuation bet, but calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a costly raise.

The ace is a poor turn card for my middle pair and favors the preflop raiser’s range. I’ll check and keep the pot controlled, then respond to their action.

Turned top two pair on a draw-heavy board; betting for value against weaker aces, tens, and flush draws.

The turn ace is a bad card for my pair, but the 750-chip call into the 2550-chip pot needs only about 23% equity. Calling lets me bluff-catch against continued barrels and weaker hands at these odds.

My pair of tens is a modest showdown hand after the opponent bet the flop and turn, and the river may have improved some draws. I’ll take the free showdown rather than risk a thin value bet or bluff.

Holding top two pair on a relatively dry river, I bet roughly 63% pot for value targeting weaker Ax holdings.

A third barrel on an ace-high river represents a strong value range, and my pair of tens is a bluff-catcher with no meaningful improvement. The price is tempting, but I expect too few bluffs to justify calling.

KTo is a solid button open in three-handed play, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative and fold out weaker hands.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against the button’s raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K2o has poor equity and postflop playability out of position against a button raise, making it an easy fold.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the button, even with the discounted price against the blinds.

K3o is too weak to complete out of position against the big blind after the button folds.

Open-raising T9o from the button in a 3-handed game is standard to steal the blinds or play in position.

56 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a button open, so folding is the highest-EV option.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button min-raise, and the pot odds are favorable. I’ll call and evaluate the flop.

K-high has little showdown value on this ace-high, two-heart board, and I have no strong draw. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into the preflop raiser’s range.

I have middle pair on an Ace-high flop, making checking behind ideal for pot control and showdown value.

With K-high and no meaningful draw, a turn bluff is unlikely to get enough better hands to fold on a paired-ace board. I’ll take the free card and preserve the pot.

I have solid showdown value with two pair, Aces and Nines with a decent kicker. Checking back controls the pot and lets me see a free river in position.

With only king-high, I can still beat missed high-card hands. After the opponent checked back both earlier streets, a river bluff is unlikely to fold many pairs, so I’ll take the free showdown.

I have two pair (Aces and Nines) with decent showdown value. Checking back lets me realize my equity against missed draws and weak pairs without risking a check-raise.

KQo is a strong button open in three-handed play, so I raise to 3bb to build the pot and take the initiative.

7-3 offsuit is a very weak hand, and calling 250 into a raise risks more chips out of position with poor playability.

K2o is too weak to defend out of position against a 3bb button open.

8-3 offsuit is too weak to play from the button, and calling 100 chips offers poor equity against the blinds with substantial postflop disadvantage.

Q6 offsuit has weak playability out of position against the big blind, making an easy fold.