Hold'em table

5s4s suited connector on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb takes initiative and plays well postflop with position.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to call a button raise from the small blind out of position with the big blind still to act.

T6s has enough equity and pot odds to defend the big blind against a button raise, and it can flop well.

I have only a weak backdoor draw with Tc6c on an A-K-9 board; checking keeps the pot small and avoids investing more without a made hand.

I'm the preflop raiser in position on an A-K-9 board that heavily favors my range; a small continuation bet with 54s (no equity but great board for bluffing) should fold out many weak holdings cheaply.

I have ten-high with no draw on an Ace-high board, and opponent's small bet likely indicates a made hand; folding preserves my stack.

On the button in three-handed play, T7 offsuit is within a wide opening range and raising applies pressure to the blinds while retaining position if called.

Calling with A8s from SB getting 2:1 pot odds; hand has enough playability against a wide button raise, and folding would be too tight. Three-betting OOP risks bloating pot with a marginal holding.

K6 suited in the big blind facing a 2.5x raise and a cold call: getting 600:150 pot odds (4:1), closing the action with a suited king is a profitable call; raising would be out of line with a hand that plays poorly bloated.

I have middle pair with top kicker on a dry board. Checking out of position keeps the pot small and allows me to evaluate opponents' actions.

K6 with only king-high and a backdoor flush draw on a J-8-3 rainbow-ish board in a 3-way pot against the preflop raiser on the button; checking keeps the pot small and lets me see what the raiser does.

In position with only a gutshot to the nuts on a dry J-high board, checking takes a free card and preserves equity rather than semi-bluffing into two opponents who may call with pairs.

I have bottom pair with an ace kicker, but the board paired jacks and I'm out of position. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see how opponents react on the turn.

K-high with no draw on a paired board; everyone checked the flop so pot is small. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see a free river rather than bluffing into two opponents.

Everyone checked flop and turn, showing weakness, and my Jack-pair with Ten kicker likely loses at showdown to Ace/King high. A two-thirds pot bluff in position has good fold equity with a gutshot to improve if called.

We have two pair (8s and Js) with an ace kicker, and the button's turn bet after checking the flop is often a delayed bluff or semi-bluff. Getting about 28.6% pot odds, we likely have enough equity to call.

King-high with no draw on a paired board facing a turn bet and a call; we have essentially no equity against two opponents and no profitable bluff-raise spot.

Board is paired and a flush completed on the river; my two pair is likely behind many hands that would call a bet, so I check to see my opponent's action before risking more.

Checking likely loses with ten-high on the paired, three-spade board. A sizable river bet can represent a jack or flush and fold opponent's medium pairs and missed draws.

J6s is a weak hand, but from the button I can try to steal the blinds with a min-raise, and I have position if called.

K2 offsuit in the small blind facing a button min-raise with the big blind still to act is a standard fold; it plays poorly out of position and is easily dominated.

47 offsuit is near the bottom of my range facing a button raise; out of position its equity realization is poor despite the small call, so folding preserves chips.

Qc6c suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb applies pressure on both blinds with a playable suited hand.

A9o with an ace blocker is strong 3-handed against a button 2.5x open; 3-betting from the small blind isolates the opener, folds out the big blind, and avoids playing multiway out of position.

Q7 offsuit is a weak hand out of position facing a button open and small blind 3-bet; calling 750 more with the button still to act would be losing play, so folding preserves stack.

Q6 suited is a weak opener facing a sizable 3-bet from the small blind; it plays poorly out of position against a strong range and lacks the equity to call 600 more profitably.

J7 suited on the button in 3-handed play is well within opening range; raising takes initiative and fold equity versus the blinds.

T9s has good playability and we are getting 2:1 pot odds; calling to see a flop in position relative to the big blind, but out of position versus the raiser.

Q8o in the big blind facing a 2.5x open and a small blind call: getting 600:150 (4:1) to close the action and see a flop multiway, which is enough for a marginal offsuit queen; raising has no fold equity edge and folding gives up too much.

Middle pair with ten kicker on a relatively dry board. Checking to control the pot and evaluate opponents' actions.

Middle pair with a queen kicker on a connected board in a 3-way pot; checking to the preflop raiser keeps the pot controlled and lets me evaluate their action rather than bloating with a marginal hand out of position.

Three-way board of 9-8-4 favors callers and bluffing into two players has low fold equity. Checking in position takes a free card for my gutshot to the nut straight plus backdoor hearts.

I have two pair (tens and nines) on a board with straight and flush draws. Betting 500 into 750 for value and to charge draws.

Middle pair with a queen kicker plus a gutshot to the queen-high straight; getting 2.5:1 on a 2/3-pot lead that can be a semi-bluff after a checked flop, so a call is reasonable while folding to a raise from the button.

I have a Jack-high straight, the second nuts, beating sets, two pair and lower straights. Raising in position charges those hands and draws before the river can change the board.

Seat 2's turn raise after checking the flop is very strong, likely indicating a straight (QJ) or a set. With two pair, I have only 2-4 outs to improve against those hands, and the pot odds don't justify a call. Folding preserves my stack.

Middle pair with a gutshot facing a large turn check-raise from the preflop raiser on a coordinated board; our clean outs are about 4 jacks and pot odds (~27%) don't justify calling with little implied odds given likely river pressure.

84 offsuit is too weak to play even from the button with no money invested.

Button folded, so it's heads-up SB vs BB with K8o, a hand comfortably strong enough to open-raise from the small blind against a single opponent; raising to 3bb takes initiative and avoids limping with a playable but non-premium hand.

67 suited is a profitable BB defend against a small-blind 3x open heads-up, with position postflop and good playability for its price.

Open-ended straight draw (any A or 9) on a board where I'm the preflop raiser; semi-bluff c-bet builds the pot with equity and can fold out weaker holdings heads-up.

With 6c7c on Qd-Jh-Ts I have only backdoor club and backdoor straight draws and no pair, far below the equity needed to call a 350 bet into 950 against a preflop raiser whose range includes pairs, straights, and overpairs.