Hold'em table

K3 suited is a profitable button open in three-handed play, and a 2.5 big blind raise uses position without risking too much.

J5o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position and is too weak to 3-bet profitably.

J6 suited is playable from the big blind against a button min-raise, and the price is reasonable with 150 to call into a 400-chip pot.

A weak pair of sixes with a poor kicker has limited value on this coordinated flop. Check to control the pot and avoid getting raised off showdown value.

K-high has some showdown value, but this flop gives us no meaningful draw. Checking avoids building a pot with a weak hand.

I have trips and can get value from weaker made hands while charging a single-spade draw. A small bet limits the cost if the completed flush is already out there.

I have king-high with no meaningful draw on a paired, three-spade board. Calling the turn bet has little value, and a bluff raise is unlikely to be profitable without useful blockers.

J2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button in 3-handed play, even with position. Folding is the cleanest choice.

Complete the small blind with a weak suited connector at a favorable price; raising would risk too much against the big blind.

I can see a flop for free with a weak suited hand rather than build the pot preflop.

I have only a weak gutshot with no pair, so I’ll take the free turn rather than build the pot.

With no pair or immediate draw, I can see a free turn rather than build the pot with a weak hand.

I have only a weak gutshot draw and little fold equity on this paired board, so I’ll take the free river card.

The turn gives me a flush draw, and my opponent has checked twice. A bet can win the pot now while leaving outs if called.

My hand is only 3-high with a gutshot that hits a five roughly 9% of the time, far below the equity needed to call 150 into the pot. Raising as a bluff is unattractive on this paired board after the opponent leads the turn.

As the button in a three-handed game, 7-6 offsuit is playable as an open; a modest raise applies pressure while keeping the risk controlled.

Pocket nines are strong enough to three-bet against a button open. Raising from the small blind also discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

Q7o facing an open and a 3-bet from the small blind, with the opener still left to act, is a clear fold. Calling 950 out of position gives poor equity and poor playability.

Fold 7-6 offsuit to the small blind’s unusually large 3-bet. The hand has poor equity and playability, so calling 8 more big blinds is not worthwhile.

KJo is a strong opening hand on the button three-handed. A raise to 250 puts pressure on the blinds while preserving flexibility postflop.

ATo from the small blind against a button open in a 3-handed game is well ahead of a wide opening range. A 3-bet to 10bb avoids playing out of position in a multiway pot with the BB behind.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to continue against a raise and a substantial 3-bet, especially out of position. The call price does not compensate for its poor realization and domination risk.

KJo is strong enough to continue against a small-blind three-bet, especially with position after the flop. Calling avoids building a large pot with a hand that can be dominated.

Second pair with an ace kicker plays well as a bluff-catcher out of position on a wet board that hits the button's calling range hard. Checking controls the pot, and I plan to call reasonable bets.

I have the current nut straight on a draw-heavy board. Betting builds the pot against strong hands and charges club draws.

Middle pair with an ace kicker plus backdoor draws gives enough equity against the button's range of Qx, draws and overcards at 29% pot odds. Raising only folds out worse hands and gets called by better ones.

Second pair with top kicker has showdown value but can't comfortably bet for value against a range that stabbed the flop, so I'll check for pot control and to induce bluffs.

I have the nut straight on a board with a club draw. A substantial bet builds value against strong made hands and draws while leaving a manageable river shove.

Second pair with an ace kicker is in bad shape against a flop and turn double barrel from a range that called our 3-bet. That range is full of Qx, straights (KJ, J8), sets and strong combo draws. A river shove is also likely, so calling now effectively commits us without enough equity.

T2 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in 3-handed play against two blinds. Folding avoids losing chips with a dominated hand.

Completing costs only 50 more into a 150-chip pot, and T4 offsuit retains enough equity heads-up against the big blind to continue cheaply.

A-T offsuit is strong against a small-blind limp. Raising for value also lets me play the hand in position.

T4 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a substantial raise; calling would put more chips in with poor equity and playability.

K♦2♣ is a weak offsuit hand, and opening it risks chips against both blinds with little postflop playability. I'll fold rather than limp or raise.

A6 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind and can win the pot immediately.

K6o in the big blind has enough equity against a wide small-blind open at 2:1 pot odds, and we will have position postflop, so calling beats folding.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and diamond draws. A small bet also protects against free cards without building an unnecessarily large pot with a weak kicker.

We are in position against a small quarter-pot c-bet and getting 5:1. King-high plus backdoor flush and straight draws gives enough equity and float potential to continue.

Top pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but betting again risks building a large pot against better aces. Checking controls the pot and lets draws or weaker hands bluff.

With only king-high and almost no showdown value, betting after the preflop raiser gives up the turn lets me represent the ace I could have called the flop with. A 60% pot bet should get plenty of folds.

Top pair is strong enough to call a 600-chip bet into this pot, especially with missed diamond draws and weaker hands in the opponent's range. Raising would risk building a large pot with a weak kicker.

I have top pair, but the river completes the diamond flush draw. Checking avoids a thin value bet that is more likely to be called by better hands.

King-high has almost no showdown value. The third diamond on the river fits my flop call and turn bet as a flush draw that got there, so a bet of about two-thirds pot can fold out weak aces and pairs.

Top pair is a reasonable bluff-catcher against this river bet. The price is good enough to call despite the completed diamond draw and weak kicker.