Hold'em table

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand, so I raise for value and to build the pot. A 2.5bb button open encourages calls from weaker hands while leaving room for opponents to reraise.

QJo in the SB against a 2.5x button open in 3-handed play is a reasonable 3-bet candidate, since button ranges are wide; 3-betting avoids playing out of position multiway with the BB behind. Sizing to 10bb applies pressure and gives fold equity."

KTo is a weak, often dominated hand facing a large three-bet with another player still involved. The 9bb call is not worth the risk out of position.

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand, so I four-bet for value. This sizing builds the pot while leaving room for weaker hands to call or shove.

QJo is a 3-bet bluff that performs poorly against a button 4-bet range. Calling out of position with about 76bb behind would mean frequently being dominated, so folding is better.

62 offsuit is too weak to open even from the button in 3-handed play with two blinds left to act, so folding is the lowest-loss option.

T9 offsuit is a reasonable heads-up blind defense, and completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot. I’ll see the flop without inflating the pot out of position.

With weak offsuit connectors and no bet to call, checking takes a free flop without inflating the pot. There is no opponent-specific evidence to justify a bluff raise.

I have no pair or meaningful immediate draw, so checking avoids investing into an ace-high board with little equity.

Bottom pair and a gutshot have enough showdown value and improvement potential to take a free card. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids a check-raise against a stronger range.

I have only ten-high with no meaningful draw on this turn, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the pot.

My low pair has some showdown value and a gutshot straight draw, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking preserves the pot and lets me realize my equity for free.

With only a pair of tens on an ace-high board, a value bet is unlikely to be called by worse hands often enough. I’ll take the free showdown after the opponent checked through earlier streets.

Our pair of threes has some showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking avoids risking chips against higher pairs while beating missed draws and unpaired hands.

6♣3 offsuit is too weak to continue profitably from the button against the blinds; calling has poor equity realization, and raising would be an unnecessary bluff.

Completing costs only 50 chips into a 150-chip pot, giving favorable odds with a connected hand against the big blind’s unrestricted range. Calling keeps the pot small while preserving opportunities to make strong straights.

A6s is well ahead of a typical small-blind limping range, and we'll have position postflop, so raising for value and initiative is better than checking.

54 offsuit is too weak to call a 4bb raise out of position, with poor equity realization and limited implied odds. Folding avoids investing more chips in an unfavorable spot.

9-4 offsuit is too weak to profitably open on the button against two blinds without evidence they overfold. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor equity and playability.

In a blind-vs-blind spot after the button folded, K8 suited is well ahead of the big blind's range. Raising to 3bb applies pressure and avoids playing a limped pot out of position.

QJs is strong enough to 3-bet against a likely wide small-blind opening range, and raising takes the initiative while denying equity. A 900-chip total is a substantial but measured raise with deep stacks.

Blind-vs-blind 3-bet ranges are wide, so K8s has enough equity and playability to call 600 into an 1800 pot (25% pot odds) despite being out of position. Four-betting would turn a hand with good equity into a bluff.

Out of position against the preflop 3-bettor with only king-high and backdoor straight and flush draws, so I check to the aggressor. This keeps the pot small rather than leading into a board that favors his range.

Bet 600 into the 1,800-chip pot for value and protection with top pair and a strong kicker, while keeping worse Jx and draws in the hand.

The small c-bet gives us 4:1 (we need about 20% equity). King high with a K overcard, a backdoor flush draw and backdoor straight potential has enough equity against the 3-bettor's wide c-betting range to continue.

I have a strong draw (nut-ish flush draw plus a gutshot, about 12 outs). The ace is good for the 3-bettor's range, so I'll check out of position and decide on calling or check-raising if they bet.

The ace is a poor turn to continue betting with just a pair of jacks, and checking preserves showdown value while keeping the pot manageable. I also retain a four-out draw to Broadway on a king.

Our busted king-high flush draw has almost no showdown value. Villain checked back the ace turn, which suggests a capped range of pairs like QQ/KK/99 that may fold, and we block KK/AK. So we bet about two-thirds pot as a bluff.

The ace river strongly improves the caller’s preflop range, and their sizeable lead after the turn checked through is likely value. My one pair of jacks is a weak bluff-catcher and does not justify the call price.

K8o is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds.

KQo is strong against a button open in a three-handed game, and a sizable out-of-position 3-bet gains initiative while putting pressure on the big blind.

J6 suited is too weak to cold-call a substantial three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act. Folding avoids investing further with poor equity realization and frequent domination.

K8o plays poorly against a 9bb 3-bet from the small blind because it is frequently dominated. Folding the 2.5bb open is a small loss compared with calling into a weak, reverse-implied-odds spot.

On the button with a playable hand, opening for a small raise applies pressure to the blinds and gives me initiative.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids a low-equity, out-of-position pot.

AKo in the big blind against a button open in 3-handed play is a clear 3-bet for value. Going to about 11bb sizes for playing out of position.

The large 3-bet makes this offsuit connector an unprofitable continue; calling would need too much equity against a likely strong range.