Hold'em table

74 offsuit is too weak to open even from the button in a 3-handed game.

J3 suited is weak, but the small blind has a favorable price to complete heads-up after the button folds. I’ll see a flop rather than inflate the pot.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to raise, and the small blind has only completed, so I take the free option and see a flop in position.

I have no pair and only weak backdoor potential on a coordinated, monotone flop. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids bluffing into the big blind's likely continuing range.

Queen-high with no pair or draw on A-T-5; opponent checked, so I take the free card rather than bluff a hand that folds to any resistance.

The turn gives me a gutshot to Broadway, and the flop checked through, so a small bet can apply pressure while retaining some equity if called.

I have second pair on a dry-ish board and only need to call 100 into 300. That price is good enough to continue rather than fold a made pair to a small turn probe.

I have only a weak pair of tens with a J kicker, and a river bet is unlikely to get called by worse. I’ll check and take the showdown value.

I have queens and tens with the ace kicker, ahead of most one-pair and ace-high hands. Seat 2's small turn bet and river check looks like a marginal made hand or a missed draw, so a half-pot bet can get called by worse.

My hand only has the board’s pair of tens with weak kickers, and the river bet represents a stronger made hand often enough that calling is not worthwhile.

T8 offsuit is a reasonable open from the button in a three-handed game. I’m raising to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

Q8o out of position against a button open is too weak to continue; folding avoids a dominated, poorly playable hand.

42 offsuit is far too weak to defend the big blind against a button open, even with direct odds.

86 offsuit is too weak to open even on the button in three-handed play; folding avoids a minus-EV spot against wide blind defenses.

Blind vs blind with 96s, opening with a raise puts pressure on the big blind while holding a hand with good playability.

Calling with a small pair is profitable at this price and keeps the pot manageable out of position. I can continue when I improve or the board is favorable.

I have top pair with a mediocre kicker on a paired, dry board. Checking out of position controls the pot size and protects my checking range.

I have showdown value with a small pair, but betting is unlikely to get better hands to fold. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity against overcards.

We have second pair with a weak kicker after checking the flop. Checking the turn keeps the pot manageable and allows us to see the river or call a small bet.

My pocket fives have some showdown value on this paired board, and betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I’ll take the free card to the river.

We hold third pair on a paired board where checking has good showdown value against missed floats or lower pairs, while a bet would mostly fold out worse and get called by better.

My pocket fives are a modest showdown hand on this king-high paired board. After the action checked through on earlier streets, betting is unlikely to get called by worse often enough to be worthwhile.

73s is too weak to open profitably even from the button in 3-handed play.

Complete the small blind cheaply with a hand that has some high-card and pair potential; folding to the extra 50 is too tight given the pot odds.

AQ offsuit is well ahead of a small-blind complete, so I raise to 4bb for value and to take the initiative heads-up.

T-4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large preflop raise, especially out of position.

With pocket kings on the button, raise for value and to narrow the field while keeping weaker hands in. A 3x big-blind open is a solid size here.

2-4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open, so folding the small blind is the clear choice.

Getting over 2.25:1 pot odds defending the big blind against a button open, Q-10 offsuit has sufficient equity to see a flop.

Check out of position with Queen-high on a low, connected flop.

Bet for value and protection with an overpair on a connected low flop, charging straight draws and weaker pairs while the checked-to action gives me the initiative.

I completely missed this connected low flop with queen-ten offsuit and cannot profitably continue against a near-pot bet.

K8o is playable as a button open in three-handed poker, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative rather than flat the big blind.

KTs has strong equity and playability against a button opening range. 3-betting from the small blind takes the initiative and denies equity to the big blind.

KJo is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet from the small blind, especially with the button still to act. Calling would put in a substantial amount with poor equity and playability.

K8o is too weak to continue against a 3-bet; it is dominated and does not have the equity or playability to call.