Hold'em table

KJo on the button is a strong hand in 3-handed play; raising to 3x the big blind builds the pot and pressures the blinds.

T8 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo in the big blind against a button 3x open is a clear defend given the price (200 to win 450). It plays well as a call, and 3-betting would isolate us against the stronger part of the button's range.

Gutshot plus overcard on an ace-high board, out of position against the button raiser's range advantage; checking keeps the pot small, and I can continue against a small c-bet.

I have middle pair with top kicker and position. A small continuation bet can win the pot immediately or extract value from draws and weaker pairs without committing too much.

Against a small c-bet I'm getting about 4.6:1. With a gutshot to the nut straight, some king outs and backdoor potential, calling is better than folding.

KT has a gutshot to Q plus some showdown value against a wide button range. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the button bluff or check behind for a free river card.

I have top pair with a good kicker and opponent has shown weakness by checking twice; a bet for value and protection.

With only K-high and a gutshot (about 9% to hit), a 70% pot turn barrel requires roughly 29% equity, so calling is clearly unprofitable. Raising as a bluff against a double-barreling button that is likely to hold an ace is too costly.

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

Q5o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a clear fold; it is too weak to call out of position and not worth 3-betting.

74s has enough equity against a wide button open and I'm getting good pot odds. Calling is likely +EV in this 3-max game.

I have 4s7s on Qd8d2h, no pair and no draw. Checking is standard to see what the preflop raiser does, and I can reevaluate if he bets.

A small continuation bet can fold out some missed hands while risking little. I also have overcard and backdoor straight and flush possibilities if called.

With 4-high and no draw, this weak hand has minimal equity. The small flop c-bet could be a trap or a marginal hand, but without blockers or any backdoor equity worth chasing, calling is -EV and raising risks too much on a pure bluff.

In 3-handed play on the button with 100bb stacks, J6 offsite sits at the bottom of a typical open range and plays poorly against two players in the blinds, so I fold. Open-limping isn't attractive either.

73o is a very weak hand, especially out of position against the big blind. Folding loses only the small blind and preserves chips for better opportunities.

Raising with 98o on the button to apply pressure and steal blinds, with position if called.

8-3 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 3.5:1 against a 2bb button min-raise, 52o has enough equity to defend the big blind at this price, though it is a marginal call. I'll play cautiously postflop and continue only on strong draws or made hands.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker on a K-T two-tone board, out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see how the button acts.

Holding 9-high with no pair and only weak backdoor draws on a king-high, coordinated flop. Checking allows me to see a free turn without risking chips behind a player who called a preflop raise and could easily have top pair or better.

A weak pair of fives on a broadway-heavy board with flush and straight draws has some showdown value but plays poorly as a bet. The button checked back the flop, so checking keeps the pot small and keeps his bluffs in.

I have an open-ended straight draw with 8 outs and no made hand; checking behind gives me a free river card while keeping the pot small.

A weak pair of fives has some showdown value against a button range that checked back twice, but on a four-to-a-straight board any ace or nine now beats me. A bet would rarely fold out better hands, so checking is best.

I have a straight with 9-8 on a board of T-J-Q-K, giving me the second nuts. Opponent has checked three streets, so I can value bet to extract more chips.

A pair of fives on a four-to-a-straight broadway board beats almost nothing. Any ten, jack, queen, king, ace, nine or 66+ beats me, so even at good pot odds this is too weak to call.

J8 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Against a wide 3-handed button open, 53s works as a polarized 3-bet bluff from the small blind. It has blockers to straights and decent playability, and it avoids a weak out-of-position flat with the big blind still to act.

K9o is too weak to call a 3-bet out of position, and my pot odds are insufficient against a strong range.

J8 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large small-blind three-bet, even with position.

Three-handed on the button, T6o sits near the bottom of a wide opening range, so a small steal attempt at 2.5bb is reasonable against two blinds.

3s9s is a weak hand out of position against a button raise; calling would be -EV long-term, and raising is too risky with this holding.

Pocket threes are worth defending against a small button raise. The call is inexpensive relative to our stacks, leaving room to win a larger pot if we flop a set.

My small pair and gutshot have some showdown value, but betting into the preflop raiser out of position is unnecessary. I’ll check and respond to their bet size.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a dry low board in position; a small bet gets value from worse pairs and draws and protects the hand against overcards.

The small flop bet gives a reasonable price to continue with a pair and a gutshot straight draw. I’ll reassess on the turn.

My small pair has some showdown value, but it is too weak to bet for value. Checking also lets me evaluate a possible bet before committing more chips.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but the 9 overcard improves many of the big blind's calling hands. Checking back controls the pot and realizes equity cheaply.

I have a straight, and the opponent's turn check leaves plenty of weaker hands that may call a half-pot river bet. The diamond on the river makes a larger bet less attractive.

The river card completes many draws, but the half-pot lead only needs us to be good about 26% of the time. Our pair of sixes beats busted draws and weaker pairs often enough to call.