Hold'em table

Ace-jack offsuit is a strong opening hand on the button in three-handed play. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds value and pressures the blinds while retaining positional advantage.

Three-handed, the button's opening range is wide, and 98s from the small blind plays poorly out of position as a flat with the big blind still behind. A 3-bet to 10bb applies fold equity and keeps our hand suited and connected if called.

K9 offsuit is too weak to continue against a 10-big-blind three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

AJo is strong enough to defend against a small-blind three-bet with position and no rake. Calling keeps weaker hands in the opponent's range while avoiding an unnecessarily large pot against stronger aces.

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw on a wet board, so I'm betting about half pot for value and protection while keeping my 3-bet initiative.

Ace-jack has only two overcards and no meaningful draw on this coordinated flop. Facing a half-pot bet from the preflop three-bettor, our pair outs may be dominated and continuing is unlikely to be profitable.

43o is at the bottom of a 3-handed button opening range and plays poorly against two blinds, so folding is the low-variance choice.

A6 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind, applying pressure while keeping the pot manageable out of position.

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand, so I three-bet for value against the small blind's opening range. Raising to 900 builds the pot while leaving room for weaker hands to call or reraise.

A6 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a sizable three-bet and is often dominated by the opponent's stronger aces.

Nine-deuce suited is too weak to open profitably from the button without a reason to expect frequent blind folds.

Pocket jacks are a strong value raise against the big blind's wide range. Raising to 3 big blinds builds the pot while charging weaker hands to continue when we are out of position.

A4s in the big blind facing a 3x small-blind open gets good pot odds (200 to win 600) and plays well in position, so calling is profitable; 3-betting would also be reasonable.

Jacks have useful showdown value but are vulnerable to the king on the board. Checking keeps the pot manageable out of position and avoids building it against stronger hands.

The nut flush draw plus a gutshot to the wheel gives me strong equity and a lot of fold equity after the preflop raiser checked to me. A two-thirds-pot bet builds the pot with a hand that plays well if raised."}

JJ is strong enough to defend against a single flop bet in a blind-versus-blind pot, where the opponent can have heart draws and weaker hands. Calling keeps those hands in without inflating the pot against kings or better.

JJ has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands after the opponent's flop bet. Checking controls the pot and keeps their draws and bluffs in range.

The nut flush draw plus ace overcard makes a strong semi-bluff after the opponent checked twice. A bet can fold out weaker pairs like 8x, and we still have strong equity when called.

JJ remains a reasonable bluff-catcher against a wide big-blind range, and holding no hearts leaves the opponent's flush-draw bluffs unblocked. The paired turn changes little, and calling requires about 28% equity.

The river gives me jacks full of fives, a very strong value hand. Betting three-quarters pot targets completed flushes, trip fives, and stronger kings that might otherwise check behind.

I hold the nut flush, which beats every non-full-house hand in a range heavy with weaker flushes and draws that check-called the flop and turn and then led the river. Full houses are relatively rare given the line, so I'm going all-in for value.

I have jacks full of fives, losing only to pocket kings or pocket fives. With flushes and weaker full houses available to shove, calling 6000 to win the existing 14000 pot is clearly profitable.

75 offsuit is too weak for a standard button open against two unknown opponents. Folding avoids investing in a hand with limited playability and poor high-card strength.

In a blind-vs-blind spot after the button folded, J7 suited is well within a reasonable small-blind opening range. Raising to 3bb applies pressure and avoids playing out of position in a limped pot.

The small blind can raise a wide range here, and calling 200 more with 6-5 offsuit lets me see a flop in position without building a large pot.

As the preflop raiser, I have a flush draw plus a backdoor straight draw on a K-high board that favors my range, so a small c-bet works well for both equity and fold equity. Betting 200 into 600 keeps my bluffs cheap and builds the pot when I hit."}

Bottom pair has enough showdown value to call a small flop bet, but raising would risk too much against a king or a stronger pair.

Semi-bluff barrel with a heart flush draw. It can fold out weak pairs and draws, and it still has about 9 outs if called.

Middle pair and a gutshot give me several ways to improve, and the small-blind raiser can also be betting draws or weaker hands. Calling keeps those hands in without building a larger pot.

Jack-high with a missed heart draw has almost no showdown value. The paired-6 river is a decent card to complete a three-barrel story and pressure the opponent's medium pairs and weak kings.

Trips are strong enough to call the river bet, but my weak kicker makes a raise risky against full houses or a better six.

J8o is a reasonable button open in 3-handed play, with only the blinds left to act, so I'm making a standard 2.5bb steal.

6-2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, so calling or reraising is unlikely to recover the additional chips invested.

A4 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button open, needing only about 27% equity at this price. Calling preserves its flush and wheel potential without inflating the pot out of position.

Checking top-kicker trips to the preflop raiser invites continuation bets from a wide range and disguises my hand. I can build the pot with a check-raise if they bet.

This low, paired board favors the button's raising range, and J-high has some showdown value plus a backdoor diamond draw. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot should take it down often.

Trip fours with the ace kicker are strong enough to check-raise for value against overpairs, weaker fours, and diamond draws. This sizing builds the pot while leaving room for worse hands to continue.

J-high with only a backdoor flush draw faces a large check-raise on a paired low board. I don't have the equity to call 500 into 1910, which needs about 26% equity, so I fold.

K9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

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

T9o in the big blind against a button 2.5x open is getting 150 to win 400, about 27% equity needed. It plays well enough postflop to defend by calling.

Open-ended straight draw out of position against the preflop raiser on a J-8-2 board, which favors the raiser. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me check-raise or call depending on their action.

A small continuation bet can fold out weaker unpaired hands on this dry flop. King-high also has backdoor straight and flush possibilities if called.

We hold an open-ended straight draw (any Q or 7) with a ten overcard, facing a small bet of 185 into 550. That is about 25% pot odds, so calling is clearly profitable, and it keeps the button's wide c-betting range in the pot.

We have an open-ended straight draw (a Q or 7 makes our straight) with little showdown value. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets us see a free river if the button checks back, or call a reasonable bet with decent odds.

King-high has some showdown value against missed draws, but little chance to improve. After the flop call, this turn is not a strong spot to bluff.

Ten-high with a missed straight draw has almost no showdown value, and the button's turn check-back caps their range. A roughly 60%-pot lead on the paired river represents an 8 and can fold out ace-high, king-high and weak pairs.

King-high has little showdown value against a river lead after the opponent called the flop. The price is not good enough to bluff-catch with this hand.