Hold'em table

8-7 offsuit is playable as a button open in a three-handed game. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds and keeps the initiative if called.

T5 offsuit is a weak hand out of position in the small blind, facing a button raise with the big blind still to act behind. Calling 200 more is not profitable, so I fold.

Getting favorable pot odds of 150 to win 400 closing the preflop action with a pocket pair, standard call to set-mine.

Check out of position with an underpair on an Ace-high flop.

A small continuation bet pressures the big blind's unpaired hands on an ace-high board. My hand has little showdown value, so taking the pot now is worthwhile.

Holding an underpair of threes on an Ace-high flop facing a continuation bet gives virtually no equity, making folding the clear standard play.

On the button in a 3-handed game, JTo is a strong enough hand to open. A raise to 3bb takes the initiative and applies pressure to both blinds.

Folding 9c 6d from the small blind facing a 3bb open raise on the button.

K5 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable big-blind defend against a button open. Calling costs 200 chips and closes the preflop action.

King-high with no immediate straight or flush draw is too weak to value-bet. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reassess after the button acts.

I have trips (Jacks) with a T kicker on a Q-J-J board and act last against a checking opponent. A bet of about 70% of the pot (450 into 650) should get value from Qx, Jx and draws.

King-high has little immediate equity on this paired, two-diamond flop, and calling a sizable bet out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

65 offsuit is too weak to open from the button even in 3-handed play.

With the button folded, A7 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind.

K2o in the big blind facing a 3x raise from the small blind. The pot odds are 400+200 giving 3:1, so calling 200 needs only 25% equity. The small blind's range is wide, and K-high has enough equity to call, though it plays poorly postflop. A 3-bet bluff with this hand is not attractive.

On this coordinated flop, ace-high has little immediate equity and no diamond. Checking avoids building a pot out of position with a weak hand.

Seat_1 raised preflop and then checked the 5d Jd 4c flop, so their range is weak here. I have king-high with a backdoor straight draw, so a small bet of half the pot can win the pot now or take a free card if they fold.

The half-pot bet offers a reasonable price against a wide big-blind range. Ace-high may still be good, and I can reassess on the turn.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this paired board, but little reason to build the pot out of position. I’ll check and reassess if the big blind bets.

Seat 1 checked twice, so their range is capped and weak. I have king-high with a backdoor-free board, so a small bet of about 40% of the pot can win the pot now. If they call I can give up, and if they check-raise I can fold.

Ace-high has no meaningful draw on this paired, two-flush-draw board. Facing a second bet out of position, calling is unlikely to be profitable.

Q8 suited is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

J9 suited is playable in a 3-handed pot, and calling 200 to win a pot of 600 gives decent odds. A 3-bet with this hand is unnecessary, and folding gives up too much equity.

T2o is very weak junk and does not warrant defending out of position even with decent pot odds.

Jd9d has only a backdoor flush draw on an Ace-King-high board, and I'm out of position against the preflop raiser who likely has an ace or king. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what happens.

I have a range advantage on this dry ace-high flop. A small continuation bet can fold out weaker hands while keeping the pot manageable when called.

Jd9d has a backdoor flush draw and some backdoor straight equity on A-K-3. The pot odds are 800 to 200, or 4:1, and the button's small continuation bet is wide, so calling is reasonable. Raising would risk too much against a range that beats me.

I hold a pair of nines, which is a weak showdown-value hand on an A-K-9-3 board. Seat 1 bet the flop and could have ace-x or king-x, so I'll check and try to get to showdown cheaply rather than build a pot.

After the flop call, the opponent can have many aces and kings, and the turn gives my queen-high hand no meaningful draw. I'll check behind rather than build the pot with little equity.

I hold a pair of nines, which is a weak showdown hand. The button checked back the turn, so their range is capped and likely weak, but they could still hold an ace or king that beats me. A small bet of 400 into the 1000 pot could get a fold from busted draws or worse pairs, but I'm not committed to calling a raise.

Queen-high has virtually no showdown value, and a river raise would need too many folds to justify the risk.

Q7o on the button in a 3-handed pot is a marginal hand, but calling 100 to win a 250 pot gives good odds and I have position on both opponents.

Q7o has poor playability and negative expected value out of position despite getting 5 to 1 pot odds.

With a weak offsuit hand against a button limp, I can see the flop for free rather than build the pot out of position.

I have nine-high with no immediate draw on a board that connects well with the button's range. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

On the button in position, I have a gutshot straight draw (J needed) plus a backdoor flush chance, with a Queen as an overcard to the 8 and 10. Seat 1 checked, so a small bet of about 60% of the pot can win the pot now or build equity when called.

Nine-high has no pair or immediate draw on this board, so calling the flop bet is unlikely to be profitable.

On the button in 3-handed play, K5s is a standard profitable opening raise to apply pressure and leverage position.

Q8 suited is strong enough to defend against a 2.5 big-blind button raise. Calling keeps the pot manageable from the small blind.

A3s in the big blind is a comfortable call getting 600+150 into 150, i.e. 5:1 pot odds, against a button raise and a small blind call. It has good playability, so I'll keep the pot manageable and see a flop.

With queen-high and only a backdoor flush draw, I prefer to check rather than bluff into two opponents.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker on a king-high board is a marginal hand. It is best kept as a check-call bluff-catcher against the button's continuation bet, since betting would only get called or raised by better hands.

With top pair and a weak kicker three-way, checking back controls the pot and under-reps our hand while keeping their dominated ranges in.

With queen-high and no meaningful draw in a three-way pot, betting has little value. I’ll check and avoid investing more without improving.

I hold a pair of threes plus an ace kicker on a 9-K-3-9 board, which is a marginal showdown hand. Seat 1 checked and the button (seat 3) checked the flop, so the field looks weak. A small bet of about half the pot gets value from worse hands like a small pair or ace-high and denies equity to overcards, while giving me cheap information.

I have top pair with Kings and Nines on a paired board. Facing a half-pot turn lead from the big blind after checking through the flop, calling in position is standard.

Queen-high has no meaningful draw on this paired board, and a bet followed by a call makes continuing unprofitable.

I have two pair, nines and threes with an ace kicker, on a 9-K-3-9-4 board. I bet for value because worse Kx hands and pocket pairs below nines can call, and a bet near 40% of the pot keeps those hands in. The opponent called my turn bet, so their range is capped, but I still beat many of those calls.

We hold Kings and Nines with a decent showdown value against missed draws and occasional bluffs, getting over 3.5 to 1 pot odds.