Hold'em table

Holding pocket aces on the button, raising to 2.5 big blinds for standard value and pot building.

3-6 offsuit in the small blind facing a button raise is a clear fold; it's one of the weakest starting hands and plays poorly out of position.

JTo is a standard big-blind defend against a button 2.5bb open, with connected cards and sufficient equity against a wide opening range. Calling costs 150 to contest a final pot of 550 and avoids unnecessarily inflating the pot out of position.

With two overcards and a gutshot but no club, checking keeps the pot manageable out of position and lets us respond to the preflop raiser's sizing.

Betting roughly half pot with pocket aces for value and protection against numerous straight and flush draws on a wet board.

The call costs 250 into 800, and a gutshot to the nut straight plus two overcards provides enough equity against a wide button continuation-betting range. Calling preserves that equity without inflating the pot with a weak semi-bluff.

Top pair with a gutshot has solid showdown value, but the coordinated board makes a value lead unattractive. Checking keeps the opponent's bluffs in and avoids inflating the pot against straights and stronger made hands.

The turn completes a four-card straight board where villain has many 8x combinations in their defending range. Checking behind controls the pot and protects our showdown value.

Top pair has showdown value, but the completed flush draw and four-to-a-straight board make a value bet too thin. Checking preserves the pot against weaker hands without exposing us to a raise.

The river board is highly coordinated with straight and flush possibilities; checking behind controls the pot and realizes showdown value with one pair of aces.

7-3 offsuit is one of the weakest starting hands; even on the button with 100bb it is a clear fold against two players.

Completing costs only 50 chips with 150 already in the pot. Blind versus blind, 84 suited has enough playability to limp while keeping the pot small out of position.

Check our option with QJo to see a free flop in position against the small blind's limp.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker has limited value on this highly connected, two-heart flop. Checking controls the pot out of position and avoids betting into better pairs and strong draws.

I flopped the nut straight on a wet and coordinated board, so I bet for value and protection against various draws.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker and no flush draw is a poor defense against a three-quarter-pot bet on this coordinated board. Out of position, too many turn cards make it difficult to realize enough equity to call profitably.

T3 offsuit is too weak to open profitably by default, even on the button. Folding avoids investing in a hand with poor connectivity and frequent domination.

In a blind versus blind spot after the button folded, J8o has sufficient equity and pot odds (getting 3:1) to complete the small blind.

Q6o in the big blind facing a small blind limp; checking takes a free flop with position. Raising a weak offsuit hand isn't necessary here.

I missed the flop completely with J-high and have no significant draw out of position, making a check the standard play.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a dry board after the small blind limped and checked; a bet of about 3/4 pot gets value from worse pairs and draws while denying equity to overcards.

I have J-high with no pair and no straight or flush draw on a Q-7-3 rainbow board facing a 150-chip bet into a 200 pot, so folding is the clear play.

AQo on the button is a premium holding in 3-handed play; raising to 2.5bb for value and position.

76 offsuit in the small blind facing a 2.5x button open with the big blind still to act is a standard fold; it plays poorly out of position and lacks the equity to call or 3-bet profitably.

Q7 suited is a profitable big-blind defense against a typical button opening range at this price: 150 to contest a final pot of 550. Calling preserves its suited equity without inflating the pot out of position.

Middle pair with a queen kicker and a backdoor flush draw has solid showdown value. Checking to the preflop raiser keeps weaker hands in and avoids building a large pot out of position.

This low, connected flop heavily favors the big blind's defending range, so checking back with Ace-Queen high controls the pot and realizes showdown equity.

Our pair of sevens has showdown value, but the ace favors the button's range after the flop checks through. Checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids betting into stronger hands with little value from worse.

I hit top pair, Queen kicker on the turn after checking through the flop. I bet for value and protection against weaker hands that seat 3 might call with.

The ace is a natural delayed-bluff card after the flop checks through, so the button can still have plenty of unpaired hands. Calling preserves our showdown value and potential improvement without turning our pair into a bluff.

Our pair of sevens has some showdown value but is too weak to value bet. Checking avoids investing more against the opponent’s ace-heavy value range while allowing their missed draws and bluffs to remain in play.

Top pair with Queen kicker has solid showdown value, but the river 9 connects multiple straight and two-pair combinations that called on the turn, making a check back the safest choice.

6-3 offsuit on the button is well below any reasonable opening range in a 3-handed game; folding preserves chips.

With the button folded, T9 offsuit is strong enough to open blind versus blind. Raising to 3bb pressures the big blind while retaining reasonable postflop playability when called.

T3s is too weak to defend against a 3bb open from the small blind.

With only the blinds left to act, this suited one-gapper is a reasonable button steal and benefits from position postflop. A small open risks little while retaining fold equity.

Holding 9h 4d out of position against a button open is an easy fold.

K6o in the big blind facing a 2.25x button open with 125 to call into 375; getting 3:1 closing the action, a king-high hand is a reasonable defend heads-up in position disadvantage but with good pot odds.

I have bottom pair with a king kicker out of position against the preflop raiser; checking to the aggressor and evaluating a continuation bet is better than leading with a marginal hand.

Bottom pair has some showdown value but cannot comfortably face a check-raise on this two-spade board. Checking back controls the pot and preserves the chance to improve in position.

I have middle pair with a king kicker on a three-spade board without a spade; betting risks getting raised off a hand with showdown value, so checking to see a cheap river is best.

Our pair has some showdown value, and checking preserves the chance to improve with a gutshot or trips. Without a spade, betting risks a check-raise and is unlikely to get called by many worse hands.

Pair of sixes with K kicker on a three-flush, two-diamond board has modest showdown value after the preflop raiser checked twice; betting gets called mostly by better and folds out worse, so I check to realize equity.

Our pair has showdown value against unpaired hands, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking takes the free showdown without turning a marginal made hand into an unconvincing bluff.