Hold'em table

A4s on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand, so I raise to 3bb to take the initiative and put pressure on the blinds.

85o is too weak to continue against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves chips for better spots.

A2 offsuit is a marginal defense against a 3-big-blind button open. Its poor playability and domination risk out of position make folding preferable without evidence that the opener is unusually loose.

Q3s is marginal but suited and I have position; calling 100 closes the preflop action cheaply with good implied odds.

Completing costs just 50 into a 250 pot, giving Q9 offsuit sufficient odds against a button limp. Raising would inflate the pot out of position with a marginal hand.

T3 offsuit is weak, so I check my big blind option and see a free flop rather than build a pot out of position in a three-way hand.

With only a gutshot straight draw and no pair, checking preserves chips out of position against two opponents. There is little reason to build the pot before seeing their actions.

I have only a gutshot-type draw (T with J and K, needing Q and A... actually just a backdoor-ish gutshot) and no pair on K-J-6, so I check to see a free card and avoid bloating the pot out of position against two opponents.

My Qd3d has little equity on this K-J-6 flop and no real draw, so checking through is best with two opponents still in.

I have only queen-high and a gutshot, with both opponents still to act. Checking preserves the chance to improve without committing chips to a low-equity multiway bluff.

Ten-high with no real draw has little value, and a bluff has to get two players to fold. Checking is free and keeps the chance of a cheap showdown.

My Q-high has little showdown value and no real draw, so I take the free river rather than bluff into two passive players with insufficient fold equity.

Queen-high retains some showdown value against missed draws, while a bluff must get through two opponents. Checking avoids risking chips against pairs and slow-played stronger hands.

I hold Th on a 6-J-K-2-K board, so I have only ten-high and the best I can hope for is a chop-level hand. Everyone has checked every street, so I take the free showdown instead of bluffing into two opponents. A thin value bet would also be called mostly by better hands.

No made hand and two opponents have shown no strength but will likely call any bet with a pair; checking realizes my small showdown equity and avoids risking chips with a pure bluff.

Six-five offsuit is a marginal button open with weak high-card strength and limited equity realization. Without evidence that the blinds overfold, folding is preferable to opening or limping.

7-3 offsuit is the worst starting hand. Calling 50 more to see a flop out of position would lose chips in the long run, so I fold.

K5 offsuit is weak, and being out of position against two players for a full call plus raise-back risk isn't worth it, so I fold from the button.

Calling 50 into a 150 pot gives 3:1 odds with a weak but playable T4o; I can fold if the big blind raises.

Q6 offsuit is too marginal to raise routinely against a small-blind limp. Checking realizes equity for free while retaining position postflop.

Check to control the pot with a marginal pair on a monotone board and avoid getting raised out of position.

With queen-high and a low flush draw, taking a free card preserves equity without building a pot against stronger clubs or paired hands. There is little value in betting, and we can reassess in position on the turn.

I have middle pair with a weak kicker on a monotone club board; checking to control the pot and see a free river.

The small blind's repeated checks suggest a weak range, making a delayed semi-bluff attractive. Betting can fold out better high cards and some pairs, while my flush and gutshot draws provide backup equity.

I have middle pair and the small turn bet gives me good pot odds. Calling keeps the pot controlled and lets me evaluate the river.

I have a marginal pair of tens on a coordinated board and the opponent showed turn aggression. Checking controls the pot and avoids getting raised off my showdown value.

Queen-high has very little showdown value, so I will continue the turn bluff to pressure weak pairs and missed club draws. This sizing needs roughly 43% folds, and holding a queen reduces the combinations of QJ straights that can call.

I have middle pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated board; opponent's turn and river raises indicate strength, so I fold.

K2o is weak, but on the button with only blinds in, raising applies fold equity and gives me position if called. I can shut down on later streets if I miss.

53 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3bb raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity and a positional disadvantage.

K7o in the big blind getting 450 to 200 (about 2.25:1) against a button open that is likely wide in 3-handed play. The call is profitable enough, and K-high has decent playability, so I'll defend without bloating the pot out of position.

Top pair with a king kicker is not a hand to build the pot with out of position against the button's preflop raise. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me call a reasonable bet or see a cheap turn.

Opponent checked on a board that likely missed their range, so a continuation bet can take down the pot or deny equity. My K-high has some backdoor potential if called.

King-high with a backdoor draw is weak, but the price is good: 350 to call into a 1000 pot, about 26% pot odds. The button's raise is a small c-bet that is wide in range, and I have two overcards to the 9 and 5 (the Q is above my K only on board, so I have one overcard to the Q... actually K beats Q, so K is an overcard). Calling keeps bluffs in and avoids a big raise bluff.}

I hold 7h Kc on a 9d 5d Qh 8h board, so I have a gutshot straight draw (a 6 makes 5-6-7-8-9) plus a heart backdoor, with king-high as my only showdown value. Seat 2 has bet the flop and is likely to keep betting. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply, and I can still call a small bet with 4 outs.

K-high with no pair or real draw is not strong enough to value bet, and bluffing into a flop caller risks building a large pot with little equity. Checking controls the pot and keeps the option to fold or bluff river depending on action.

I have a 9-high straight (5-6-7-8-9). The opponent checked the turn, so I'm betting about two-thirds of the pot for value against worse straights, sets, two pair and Queens. A flush or a Ten-high straight would beat me, but I can't fold this much strength.

I have only king-high on a coordinated board and no pair, so calling a river raise with no showdown value is not profitable.

A small button open pressures the blinds while risking little. Although 76 offsuit is marginal, position and its straight potential make it a reasonable steal candidate.

6-2 offsuit is one of the weakest hands. Out of position against a button raise with the big blind still to act, folding is best.

Getting 3.08:1 in the big blind against a wide button open, J4o has enough raw equity to see a flop, and I can check-fold most misses.

I have only jack-high on a coordinated low board and am first to act; checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a pot with a weak hand.

Middle pair has showdown value but gets limited value from worse hands on this connected, two-spade board. Checking back controls the pot and realizes equity without risking a check-raise.

With J-high and no draw, checking keeps the pot small and avoids investing chips out of position.

Trips are strong enough to value-bet after the big blind checks twice. Betting 350 into 490 gets value from pairs and draws while charging them to see the river.

Jack-high with no pair or draw on a paired board is not strong enough to continue against the button's turn bet. Calling 350 would require too much equity, so folding is best.