Hold'em table

9-4 offsuit is a weak holding, and calling would invite the blinds to see a flop with little postflop playability. I fold rather than invest from the button.

Completing the small blind costs 50 chips with 9-7 offsuit against an unraised big blind. Raising would build a pot out of position with a marginal hand.

JTs is well ahead of a small blind limping range, and we have position postflop, so raising for value and initiative is better than checking.

97 offsuit is too weak to call a large raise out of position.

On the button in a three-handed game, 8-7 offsuit is playable as an open-raise. A 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

J6 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open is a clear fold, since we'd be out of position with a big blind still to act behind us.

T7 suited is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and the 150-chip call offers a favorable price heads-up.

With middle pair and no heart on a monotone flop, checking keeps the pot controlled and protects my checking range.

Middle pair benefits from a small bet for protection on this monotone flop, while keeping the pot manageable if called.

I have a pair of sevens with a ten kicker and am getting a favorable price against a modest flop bet. Calling keeps bluffs and weaker hands in while avoiding a speculative raise on a monotone board.

A four-heart board completes any heart flush, and my pair of sevens is too weak to value-bet. I’ll take the free showdown opportunity and avoid building the pot.

My pair of sevens has some showdown value, but with four hearts on the board and no heart in my hand, betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. I'll check and evaluate the river.

The five-heart board gives me only the shared board flush, so I can at best split against a hand without a heart and lose to any heart. Betting risks getting called by better hands or folding out a hand I would chop with.

The board plays as a flush for me. I can only tie against hands without a heart, while any heart beats me, so betting has no value.

J9o on the button 3-handed is a standard open; a raise to 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

4♦2♥ is an extremely weak offsuit hand from the small blind, and calling a button raise invites the big blind in while leaving us out of position.

A3 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, and calling costs only 150 chips.

I have a gutshot straight draw but no diamond on a coordinated flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me respond to the button's action.

We flopped the king-high straight on a monotone board. Betting for value and to charge a single diamond, without bloating the pot too much against possible made flushes.

With no diamond and only a gutshot to a jack, A-high is too weak to continue against this flop bet.

K♣7♣ is a playable button hand in a three-handed game. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

6-5 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting about 3.7:1 in the big blind against a wide three-handed button open, J4o has enough equity to defend by calling.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a board that favors the button's range, so check and plan to call a small c-bet. This keeps the pot controlled out of position.

Bet a modest amount for value and protection with top pair, while keeping the pot manageable with a weak kicker.

Middle pair with a weak kicker, facing a small c-bet of 200 into 550, so I only need about 27% equity. Against a wide button range calling is fine.

Middle pair with a weak kicker on a scary A-K board with a flush draw; checking keeps the pot small and lets us realize equity against the button's range.

The ace is an unfavorable turn for my modest second pair, especially after my flop bet was called. I’ll take the free card and avoid building a pot with a weak kicker.

Third pair has some showdown value against a range that checked back the turn, and betting would mostly fold out worse hands while getting called by better ones on this flush-completing river. Checking realizes that showdown value cheaply.

I have showdown value with a pair of kings, but the ace on board and completed flush draw make a river value bet risky. Checking keeps weaker hands in and avoids paying off better ones.

Nine-deuce offsuit is too weak to open from the button, even three-handed.

Q7o is a standard open from the small blind in a blind-vs-blind spot, since the button folded and my range is wide. A 3x raise applies pressure and takes the initiative.

T3 suited is a marginal defend against a sizable 3x raise, and playing out of position makes it difficult to realize enough equity. I'll preserve the remaining stack rather than call.

A7o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

9♠2♠ is too weak to continue out of position against a raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Against a button open, 6-5 offsuit has enough potential to defend the big blind for 150 more, though I'll play cautiously out of position.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking out of position lets me see how the preflop raiser acts before committing more chips.

Middle pair with an ace kicker on a dry K-high board is well ahead of much of BB's check-calling range, so a small c-bet gets value and protection. It also denies equity to overcards and gutshots.

I have an open-ended straight draw against a small continuation bet. A check-raise can win the pot now while leaving me strong outs if called.

Middle pair with an ace kicker is getting about 27% pot odds against a check-raise that includes bluffs and draws like 65 and 53. It also has some outs against Kx, so calling beats folding, and re-raising would only fold out the hands we beat.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and a turn bet can fold out weaker pairs while building the pot when I hit.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker is too weak against a flop check-raise followed by a large turn barrel, a line that usually represents a king or better. Our roughly 5 outs and the risk of another river bet don't justify the 29% price.