Hold'em table

Q3 offsuit is weak, but on the button in a three-handed game it is a reasonable open-raise candidate. A small raise applies pressure while keeping the risk controlled.

8d 9s is a weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise. Folding avoids losing chips with a marginal holding.

Seven-six suited plays well against a button opening range, and calling 150 more offers favorable pot odds.

I have a weak pair on a paired board and can see how the preflop raiser acts without building the pot.

A small continuation bet applies pressure after the big blind checks, and my queen-high has useful overcard and backdoor diamond potential. I keep the sizing modest on this paired board.

Bottom pair is strong enough to continue against a small button continuation bet, but too weak to raise for value.

My pair of sixes has some showdown value and a draw to a straight, but betting out of position risks building a pot against stronger hands. I'll check and reassess if the opponent bets.

With only queen-high and no useful draw, a bluff is unlikely to fold many hands that called the flop. I’ll take the free river card in position.

My six is a modest showdown hand on the paired board. Checking preserves its value against missed overcards without risking a raise from stronger hands.

My queen-high may beat missed draws, while the flop caller is likely to have pairs that won't fold often enough to a river bluff. I’ll take the showdown value and check back.

K7o on the button in 3-handed play is worth opening to pressure the blinds and try to take down the pot.

K4 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

The min-raise gives a favorable price, and the big blind can defend broadly against the button. T2 offsuit is weak postflop, but calling is preferable to folding at these odds.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is not strong enough to lead into the preflop raiser. Check and keep the pot small while retaining the chance to improve.

I have king-high with no draw on a somewhat connected board. Checking behind keeps the pot small and allows me to see a free turn, preserving my stack for better opportunities.

My pair of twos is weak on a board with several overcards, but it has some showdown value. I’ll check rather than build the pot or get called mainly by better hands.

BB has checked twice, showing weakness. I bet half pot as a bluff with K high to take down the pot, and I can fold to a raise.

The small turn bet offers favorable pot odds, and my pair of twos can still beat bluffs and unpaired overcards. Raising would isolate me against stronger hands.

I have only a weak pair of deuces on an ace-high river, so betting is unlikely to get called by worse. I’ll check and take the showdown when possible.

I have only K-high with no pair and the river ace is a favorable card for the big blind's calling range. There is no value in bluffing this small pot, so I check behind and give up.

Four-deuce suited is too weak to open profitably from the button against two players without a read.

With the button folded, calling the additional 50 gives favorable pot odds heads-up with a suited hand. I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position.

With 92o, my hand is too weak to raise even in a blind-vs-blind situation. Checking is free and lets me see the flop with position postflop.

I have a flush draw but no made hand, and checking takes a free card without inflating the pot against the big blind's range.

I have a weak pair with a terrible kicker on a connected board. Checking in position keeps the pot small and lets me reevaluate the turn without committing more chips.

I have a flush draw but no made hand, and checking takes a free river card without risking chips against a range that may have connected with the king.

I have middle pair with a weak kicker on a board with two overcards and straight/flush draws. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids putting more chips in with a marginal made hand.

I have no showdown value after missing the flush draw, and the opponent’s checks suggest a weak range. A small river bluff may fold unpaired hands while risking only half the pot.

Villain limped preflop and checked all the way, then bet tiny on the river. Getting 4:1 with a pair, this is a clear call against bluffs and weaker made hands like 5x or missed draws.

K9 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to take initiative while applying pressure to the blinds.

4s6s is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially out of position with low equity.

Seven-six suited plays well against a button opening range, and the price to defend the big blind is favorable. Calling keeps the pot manageable while preserving its postflop potential.

A flush draw and gutshot give me strong equity. A moderate lead builds the pot and can make unpaired overcards fold.

A 9-high hand with only backdoor flush potential has little equity against a lead on this low, connected flop. Calling would require too much optimism about overcard outs and bluffs.

T8o is marginal but I have the button in 3-handed play; raising puts pressure on the blinds and allows me to take control of the pot preflop.

T8 offsuit is a marginal hand to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K4 suited is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button open, and the call price is favorable. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in the opponent’s range without inflating the pot out of position.

With only king-high and no meaningful draw on an ace-high flop that favors the preflop raiser, checking is preferable to investing in a lead.

We have middle pair with a weak kicker on an ace-high flop. Checking back controls the pot and avoids getting check-raised, while giving us a chance to improve on the turn.

I have no pair, no club, and little equity on this four-club board. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the chance to see a river for free.

We have middle pair with a weak kicker on an Ace-high, three-flush board. Opponent has checked twice, so betting risks value-owning ourselves against better hands or draws that call, while checking keeps the pot small and gives us a free river to improve or bluff-catch.

With only king-high, checking is unlikely to win at showdown. A small river bluff can fold out non-club pairs after the checked-through streets, while risking relatively little against the 550-chip pot.

I'm getting about 4:1 on a small river bet with two pair, and I beat one-pair Aces and bluffs. Flush is possible, but this price is too good to fold.

On the button in a three-handed game, 97 offsuit is playable as a steal with position. A modest raise pressures the blinds without committing much of the stack.

Q6 suited has reasonable equity against a button's wide opening range, and the price is acceptable. Calling keeps the pot manageable from out of position; raising would be too thin with a weak queen.

Getting 4:1 pot odds with a speculative hand, calling is marginally profitable and we can evaluate the flop.

Check with queen-high and a gutshot to the wheel; in a three-way pot on this connected, low board, betting is unlikely to fold out enough better hands.

I have middle pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the turn without putting chips in while out of position.

This low, connected flop favors the blinds’ calling ranges, and I have little immediate equity. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me use position on the turn.

I have only a queen-high open-ended straight draw on a coordinated board, and there are two opponents. I’ll take the free river card rather than build the pot with a weak hand.

I have top two pair on a draw-heavy board, so I bet for value and to charge flush/straight draws.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against a single turn bet after the flop checked through. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while controlling the pot.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but eight outs give only about 17% equity for one card, below the roughly 22% pot odds—and another player has already called.

The river Jd completes flush and straight draws. My two pair is vulnerable, so I'll check out of position to control the pot and see what the button does.

My pair of sevens has showdown value, but the river diamond completes a flush and worse hands may not call a bet. I’ll check behind.