Hold'em table

Pocket aces on the button, so a standard 2.5bb open builds the pot while keeping weaker hands in.

QJo is strong enough to defend the small blind against a button open, but calling keeps the pot manageable while the big blind is still to act.

Calling costs 150 into a pot of 600, requiring only 20% equity. KTo is strong enough to defend at this price, while raising risks isolating stronger hands in a bloated pot out of position.

With only two overcards on a paired, two-heart flop and two opponents, I have little equity to bet for value or protection. Check and reassess if the action continues.

King-high with a backdoor heart draw is too weak to lead into two opponents, especially with the preflop raiser still to act. Checking preserves chips and lets us reassess against any bet.

Pocket aces are an overpair on a dry paired board, and two opponents have checked to me. A small one-third-pot bet gets value from 9x, small pairs and flush draws, and protects against overcards.

With only two overcards and no flush draw, my equity is weak against a bet into two opponents. I fold rather than continue without a reliable draw.

King-high with only backdoor draws is a weak continuation against a bet made into two opponents. Despite the small sizing, playing out of position with potentially dominated overcard outs makes folding preferable.

6-2 offsuit is too weak to enter from the button, and calling invites the blinds to realize equity with a poor hand. I fold rather than open-raise as a marginal bluff.

With the button folded, T9 offsuit is strong enough to open against the big blind. Raising to 3bb applies pressure and retains reasonable playability when called.

Getting 2:1 (200 to win 600) in position against a small-blind 3x open, 43o has enough equity and playability to defend as the big blind. Folding to SB opens too often is exploitable.

A small continuation bet leverages my preflop range advantage on this ace-high board and can fold out many unpaired hands that beat ten-high. Risking 200 to win 600 makes this a low-cost bluff.

A pair of threes with a wheel draw (any 5) and some backdoor equity is a clear call when getting 5:1 against a small c-bet. Calling keeps the pot controlled out of position.

With ten-high and no straight or flush draw, this hand has very little equity when called. Checking avoids investing more in a low-quality bluff after the opponent called the flop.

Villain gave up after the flop c-bet. A small semi-bluff with bottom pair and a wheel gutshot can fold out underpairs and overcards that beat us or have equity, and it builds a pot for when we hit a 5.

Ten-high has no straight or flush draw and very little showdown value. Calling is unprofitable, and this hand lacks useful blockers for a check-raise bluff.

63 offsuit is too weak to open profitably on the button without evidence that the blinds overfold. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor equity and playability.

In a blind-vs-blind spot, 54o is a reasonable steal candidate at 3x. It has decent playability, and the big blind often folds. Raising also avoids playing a weak hand out of position in a limped pot.

A6 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind heads-up, and calling keeps the pot manageable against the 3x raise.

54o completely missed a K-Q-8 board that heavily hits the big blind's calling range, and we are out of position, so checking with plans to give up is best.

I have only ace-high with limited backdoor equity, so taking the free card is preferable to bluffing into the raiser's range.

5-4 high on a K-8-Q-T board has no equity and almost no fold equity, since this board connects heavily with a big blind's calling range. Checking keeps the loss small.

I have ace-high and a gutshot to Broadway, so checking takes a free river card without inflating the pot.

Bottom pair has some showdown value against a capped range that checked back twice; betting would mostly fold out worse hands and get called by better ones, so I check.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws, and the checked-through action makes a river bluff unnecessary.

94 offsuit is too weak to open even from the button in 3-handed play at 100bb, so folding is standard.

K♣8♣ is a playable hand heads-up from the small blind, so I raise for value and initiative rather than merely completing.

QJs is a strong suited hand against a small-blind opening range, and calling costs 200 to contest a 600-chip pot. Calling preserves the opponent's weaker hands and lets us play in position postflop.

I have top pair and can get value from worse pairs while charging straight draws. A small bet keeps weaker hands in and limits risk on this connected board.

Top pair with a queen kicker and backdoor straight and flush potential is a strong call against a one-third-pot continuation bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding unnecessarily building a pot against stronger hands.

The ace is a favorable scare card for my flop-aggressor range, and K♣8♣ has a gutshot plus a strong flush draw. A half-pot bet applies pressure while retaining substantial equity when called.

Second pair plus a gutshot is strong enough to continue against a half-pot barrel from a wide small-blind range. Calling preserves showdown value against bluffs without inflating the pot against better hands.

I have only king-high, and the opponent called my turn bet on an ace-high board. A river bluff is unlikely to fold enough made hands, so I’ll take the free showdown.

Our pair of jacks has showdown value against missed draws and weaker pairs. Betting is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands, so checking back is preferable.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. I raise to 2.5 big blinds to take initiative while keeping the sizing modest.

KQo is strong enough to three-bet a button open from the small blind, gaining initiative and discouraging the big blind from entering. The larger sizing compensates for playing out of position.

J6s facing a button open and a large SB 3-bet, with the original raiser still to act behind, is a clear fold out of position.

K8 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet; calling would require substantial equity and leave us dominated often.

Opening small from the button can win the blinds cheaply and gives us position if called. Connected cards offer some postflop playability, though this hand should fold to substantial resistance.

Q2 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold. It's too weak to call out of position and not worth a 3-bet bluff.

A♠? With A♣K♠, I have a premium hand against a button open and should 3-bet for value. A size of 700 builds the pot while applying pressure from out of position.

87 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against this three-bet, even in position. Its limited equity realization and lack of useful blockers make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.