Hold'em table

Pocket aces on the button, first to act, so I'm raising to a standard 2.5bb to build the pot while keeping weaker hands in.

6-2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QQ is a premium hand heads-up versus the button open. I 3-bet for value and to build the pot while denying equity.

Pocket aces facing a 3-bet from the big blind: 4-bet for value to build the pot while in position. A raise to 2100 is a standard size that keeps worse hands in.

QQ is a premium holding heads-up against a 4-bet range; a substantial 5-bet extracts value and can induce a shove from weaker premiums.

Pocket aces is the best possible preflop hand, so I'm moving all-in to get the rest of the money in against a 5-bet range. That range often includes KK and QQ, which may call off.

Pocket queens are far too strong to fold getting this price against a likely wide preflop shoving range. Call the remaining 5,000.

On the button in a three-handed pot, 9-7 offsuit is playable as a small open raise, with position on both blinds after the flop.

8-2 offsuit is a very weak hand facing a raise from the small blind, with the big blind still behind.

Getting about 3.7:1 in the big blind against a wide 3-handed button open, T5o has enough equity to defend by calling.

T5 only has a gutshot to a 7 and a backdoor flush draw. Out of position against the preflop raiser on a board that favors his range, checking keeps the pot small and lets me see his action.

Top pair with an open-ended straight draw is strong enough to bet for value and protection on this draw-heavy flop.

An open-ended straight draw (any 7) with a backdoor flush draw and position-independent implied odds justifies calling 400 into 1350. Calling keeps the pot manageable.

I have a combo draw (flush draw plus straight outs to a 7) on a paired board, and checking to the preflop aggressor lets me see how he acts. I can still call or check-raise as a semi-bluff after he bets.

I have a pair and an open-ended straight draw, but the paired turn also strengthens many hands that called the flop. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me see the river for free.

Ten-high with a missed gutshot has almost no showdown value against a range that checked back the turn, and a 4 on the river doesn't change much. A ~63% pot bet represents a 7 or an 8 and can fold out his overcards and weak pairs.

My pair of nines needs to win about 28% of the time to call. After the turn checked through, the river lead can include missed draws and weaker pairs, so calling is preferable to folding or raising.

K9 offsuit is a profitable button open in three-handed play. Raising applies pressure to the blinds and leverages position.

52o from the small blind facing a button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold. We would be out of position, and our equity is poor.

Q7 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable big-blind defend against a 2.5-big-blind button open, especially with no rake.

With bottom pair on a king-high, two-spade flop, I prefer to check to the preflop raiser and avoid building a large pot out of position.

Bet top pair for value and protection on this coordinated, two-spade flop. A substantial sizing charges draws and weaker pairs.

Second pair with a queen kicker can still beat a button continuation bet, and the pot odds make a call reasonable.

With second pair on a blank turn, checking controls the pot and lets me reassess if the preflop raiser bets.

Betting top pair for value and protection on this coordinated board after the opponent checked twice.

Middle pair is a weak bluff-catcher against a second substantial bet. The queen of spades also blocks some flush draws the opponent could be bluffing with.

K8o is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play, so I raise to 2.5bb to take the initiative and pressure the blinds.Stacks are 100bb deep.

AQ offsuit is strong enough to three-bet against a button open. Raising to 1100 pressures the opener and discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

Qc2s is far too weak to defend against a raise and large 3-bet from the big blind.

K8o is well behind a small-blind 3-bet to 11bb. Calling out of position in a bloated pot, with a dominated hand, is unprofitable even with the pot odds.

K9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5 big blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while preserving position.

J8 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind versus a button open, especially with the big blind still behind.

42o is one of the weakest hands. It realizes its equity poorly out of position against a button open, so despite the 27% price this is a marginal-to-fold spot.

KJ offsuit is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 3bb applies pressure and builds a pot with positional advantage.

J7 offsuit from the small blind facing a 3x button open, with the big blind still to act, is too weak to call or 3-bet profitably out of position.

Q8 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button open, especially with 200 to call into a 450-chip pot.

I have a queen-high flush on the flop. Betting for value builds the pot while giving the opponent room to continue with weaker hands or draws.

Call with a gutshot to the king-high straight and a jack-high diamond flush draw. The bet sizing offers sufficient pot odds for these draws.

I have a strong flush on the turn. Betting for value can get calls from pairs, straights, and weaker flushes.

We have a jack-high flush on the three-diamond flop plus top pair, which is strong enough to continue versus this turn bet. Calling keeps worse made hands and draws in while avoiding unnecessary exposure to higher diamond flushes.

I have a queen-high flush and can get value from straights, sets, and smaller flushes. A two-thirds-pot bet leaves room for those hands to call.

Top pair with a strong jack kicker is a viable bluff-catcher at this price. The opponent can have missed draws and thinner Kx value bets alongside their flushes and straights.