Hold'em table

Pocket deuces on the button in a 3-handed game are ahead of most ranges; raising applies pressure on the blinds and leverages position.

6-5 offsuit is too weak to call a 3x button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a typical button opening range, needing about 31% equity at this price. Calling avoids inflating the pot out of position with a potentially dominated ace.

Bottom pair has some showdown value, but this king-queen-high board favors the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids leading into a stronger range.

As preflop aggressor on a dry K-Q-7 board, a small c-bet can fold Ace-high and small pairs with equity against my pocket deuces while representing a king or queen.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has enough showdown value against a button continuation-betting range to call this modest bet, which requires 24% equity. Raising would mostly fold out weaker hands and isolate stronger ones.

My pair of sevens has some showdown value, but betting would mostly fold out weaker hands and get action from stronger ones. Checking keeps the pot controlled against the preflop raiser on a turn that does little to improve my hand.

Pocket twos are an underpair with little equity against a flop calling range containing K/Q pairs. Checking the turn keeps the pot small, preserves showdown value against draws, and gives a free chance to improve.

Our sevens retain showdown value against missed draws and unpaired hands, but betting is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking avoids inflating the pot against queens, higher pocket pairs, and trip kings.

Our pocket deuces beat missed draws and unpaired hands at showdown, while a river bluff would likely be called by the pairs that called the flop and would only fold hands we already beat.

Nine-eight offsuit is playable on the button in a three-handed game. Raising gives me a chance to win the blinds and keeps the initiative when called.

J7 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 2.5bb button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. Its poor playability out of position makes folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind out of position against a button raise, despite the small price.

Q7 offsuit is a marginal but playable button open with only the blinds remaining. A small raise pressures their weaker hands while keeping the investment modest and retaining position postflop.

AQ suited is a premium hand 3-handed against a wide button open. 3-betting from the small blind for value isolates the opener, avoids a BB squeeze, and compensates for being out of position postflop.

T3 suited is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to defend against the small blind's three-bet, even in position. Its poor playability and domination risk make folding preferable to calling or bluffing.

6-5 suited is a playable suited connector on the button in 3-handed play; raising applies pressure to the blinds and builds a pot in position.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

T7 offsuit is a marginal defense against a 2.5bb button raise and realizes equity poorly out of position. Without evidence of an unusually wide opening range, folding avoids an unprofitable speculative call.

J-2 offsuit is too weak to open from the button without a reason to expect the blinds to fold often.

Completing the small blind costs only 50 chips with 150 already in the pot. With connected cards, a cheap entry is preferable to folding or building a larger pot out of position.

With 8-4 offsuit in the big blind facing a small blind limp, checking is free and raising would risk chips with very weak equity.

With seven-high and only backdoor straight potential, I prefer checking out of position. There is no immediate need to build the pot with such limited equity.

With bottom pair heads-up after opponent checked, a small bet protects against overcards and gets value from weaker pairs and draws.

Seven-high with only a backdoor straight draw is too weak to continue against a three-quarter-pot bet. Out of position, calling is unlikely to realize enough equity, and stronger hands make better bluff-raises.

QTo is a strong enough button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds pressures the blinds while retaining positional advantage if called.

A6 suited has an ace blocker and nut-flush potential, making it a good 3-bet bluff from the small blind rather than calling out of position and inviting the big blind in.

T9 offsuit is too weak to continue against a small-blind three-bet with the original raiser still in the hand.

QTo is a marginal offsuit hand facing a small-blind three-bet, with substantial domination risk. Position alone does not justify calling, and stronger blocker hands make better four-bet bluffs.