Hold'em table

On the button in a three-handed, rake-free game, I can open this marginal hand cheaply and use position after the flop.

A4 offsuit is too weak to call out of position facing a button open, and folding is cleaner than turning it into a marginal 3-bet bluff.

JTs is a strong hand in the big blind against a button min-ish raise to 225, and it gets good pot odds (125 to win 375) with position disadvantage but strong playability. Calling is better than a 3-bet here.

Jack-high with a backdoor flush draw and a gutshot-ish straight draw is weak on an Ace-high board, and I'm out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a turn cheaply.

The ace-high flop favors my button raising range. A small continuation bet can fold out unpaired hands while limiting the cost when called.

Jh Th on 4c As 8s has a backdoor flush draw and two overcards to the 8. The price is 150 to win 650, about 3.3 to 1 after the call, and the button's small c-bet range is wide. Calling is clearly profitable; a raise would risk too much with a weak hand.

I have a gutshot straight draw (Q or 9... actually only a gutshot needing a 3 for 5-high straight is not mine) with jack-high and no pair on a board of 4c As 8s 2h, so my hand is weak and has little showdown value. Checking keeps the pot small against a button who bet the flop.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, and the flop caller can have an ace or a flush draw. Checking avoids investing more in a low-equity bluff.

Jack-high on a board of 4c As 8s 2h 5s has essentially no showdown value, and the opponent's flop bet with a turn check-back suggests a wide range. Betting would only get called by better hands, so I check.

Nine-high has little showdown value. The river completes a flush and several straights, making a polarized bluff preferable to checking.

I hold only jack-high on a board of 4c As 8s 2h 5s with no pair and no made draw. Calling 900 into a pot of 1700 needs about 35% equity, and I only win against a bluff. Seat 1 bet the river after checking the turn, which is often a value bet, so folding is best.

Q2o is far too weak to open raise from the button, even in 3-handed play. Folding is standard.

JTo is a decent hand heads-up against the big blind, and completing costs only 50 to win a pot of 200, so calling is clearly profitable.

AJs is strong against a small-blind limp. Raising for value also discourages a cheap flop while I’m out of position.

JTo is a decent hand three-handed. The pot odds are 900 to 350, about 2.6 to 1, and the BB raise range is wide, so calling is reasonable. A 3-bet with this hand would be too loose.

Top set-like strength: I hold trip tens (Tc with Th, Td on board) with a jack kicker on a wet Th7h board. Betting about two-thirds of the 900 pot builds value and charges flush and straight draws, and I act first as the small blind.

The nut flush draw has enough equity to call at this price. Raising risks building a large pot against a ten on the paired board.

I have trips (tens) with a jack kicker on a Th 7h Td 3h board. The flush draw is a risk, so I bet about 2/3 pot for value and to charge draws. I'm first to act and the opponent called the flop.

I have the nut flush on the turn. Raising for value targets trips and weaker flushes, though the paired board leaves some full-house risk.

Top set of tens on Th 7h Td 3h is very strong. Seat 1's turn raise could be a flush or straight draw or a made hand like 77 or 33. Folding is out of the question with a set, and calling keeps the pot manageable and leaves room for river action.

Trip tens with a jack kicker is strong, but the opponent's turn 3-bet on a three-heart board represents flushes and sets. A bet mostly gets called by better hands or folds out worse, so I check to control the pot size.

I have the nut flush, and the remaining stack is about half the pot. A shove can get value from lower flushes and trips, despite the paired board's full-house risk.

I have trips (tens) with a jack kicker on Th 7h Td 3h 8s. The board has a flush draw that missed and a possible 9-x straight, so I beat many hands. The pot offers about 3:1 (5050 to win 14950+), so I only need about 25% equity. Seat 1's shove is strong, but my hand is too good to fold at this price.

Q2 offsuit is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position postflop against two opponents. Folding on the button costs nothing, and the marginal steal equity is not worth the risk.

JTo is strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind after the button folds.

K8s is well ahead of a standard blind-vs-blind opening range and gets 2:1 pot odds with position postflop.

With jack-high and no immediate draw on an ace-high flop, I prefer to check out of position rather than build the pot.

I hold king-high with no direct draw on an Ace-high board; checking back in position to see a free turn card is standard.

Jack-high has little showdown value, but betting this paired ace-high board is unlikely to fold out many better hands. Checking avoids investing more with no meaningful draw.

I hold King-high with no draw after opponent checked twice; checking back takes a free card and controls the pot size.

Jack-high has little showdown value, and a modest river bet can fold out the opponent's unpaired broadway hands after two checked streets.

I only have King-high with no showdown value against any paired hands, and calling 350 chips into a 950 pot is not profitable without a made hand.

Seven-five offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two opponents with no reads.

J6o is too weak to complete or open-raise profitably out of position from the small blind.

74s is too weak to open profitably even from the button in a 3-handed structure.

A2s is a strong hand in a 3-handed pot, and the button has folded. Raising from the small blind builds the pot and takes the initiative against the big blind.

The small blind can raise a wide range after the button folds. With position and a favorable price in a rake-free pot, calling is reasonable despite the weak offsuit hand.

I have ace-high with a wheel draw on a paired, low board and act first heads-up. A small bet of about 2/3 pot gets value from worse aces and folds out overcards, and I still have outs if called.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and the 400-chip call offers reasonable odds with potential to win more if I improve.

Board 3s 5c 3d 5h gives me two pair (fives and threes) with an ace kicker. Checking keeps the pot small and induces bluffs from weaker hands.

The turn check gives me a chance to win the pot against missed overcards. If called, I can still make a straight with a 2 or 7 on the river.

The board is 3-5-3-5, so my ace kicker plays with two pair. That beats all unpaired hands and only loses to pocket pairs 66+ or a 3/5 for a full house. Calling 850 to win 3100 needs about 27% equity, so calling is clearly right and a raise would mostly get called only by better hands.

Board 3s5c3d5hKh gives me two pair, 5s and 3s, with an ace kicker that plays only as a weak kicker. Villain raised the turn, so I'm checking to control the pot.

My missed straight draw has little showdown value. The king is a credible card to represent after betting the turn, so I’ll bluff to pressure ace-high and medium pocket pairs.

Ace kicker on a two-pair board beats all missed draws and small pairs, and we only need about 29% equity to call. Villain's bets could be Kx value, but enough bluffs and weaker hands exist to justify a bluff-catch.

8-3 offsuit is one of the weakest hands, and on the button facing a call of 100 it has poor equity and playability against two opponents, so folding is best.

Completing costs 50 chips into a 150-chip pot. Despite a weak hand and poor position, the price is good enough to see a flop.

Holding J7o in the big blind against an SB complete, checking behind to see a free flop has the highest expected value.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot small while preserving the chance to improve.

I have top pair with a marginal kicker on a wet, connected board, so checking back controls the pot size and avoids facing a check-raise.

I have no made hand, and the coordinated board gives the big blind plenty of hands that can continue against a bet. Checking lets me see a river without investing more chips.

I have middle pair on a very coordinated board with potential straights and flushes. Checking back controls the pot and preserves showdown value.

Four-high is unlikely to win at showdown. A modest river bluff can fold out missed hands and some weak pairs after the turn checked through.

The pot was checked through flop and turn, meaning seat_1 rarely has a monster. With pair of sevens unblocking missed flush draws, calling 150 into 350 is a reasonable bluff catch.