Hold'em table

2c4s is the worst starting hand in hold'em; folding preflop avoids investing chips with near-zero equity, even with button position.

Q5o is too weak to play out of position against the big blind, so folding is the standard play.

Holding 62o on the button is far too weak to open, making fold the clearly optimal play.

With 8-5 offsuit in the small blind, calling the extra 50 keeps the pot manageable against the big blind.

A2o is a marginal hand, and the small blind has already limped. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a flop in position without risking chips with a weak ace.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, so I’ll check rather than build the pot.

I have top two pair (aces and jacks) on a paired board and the small blind checked, so I will bet for value and protection against draws or weaker aces.

Eight-five has no pair or meaningful draw on this paired ace-high flop. Calling the bet is unlikely to be profitable.

Pocket queens are a premium hand on the button. Raising to 300 builds the pot and charges weaker hands to continue.

AK offsuit is a premium 3-handed hand, and the button's raise is likely wide. I will 3-bet for value and to take initiative preflop.

6s 2h is an unplayable trash hand facing a raise and a 3-bet preflop. Easy fold.

Pocket queens are strong against a small blind three-bet range in three-handed play. A four-bet builds value while keeping the sizing controlled.

With AK in a 3-handed pot, shoving over the button's 4-bet maximizes fold equity and avoids playing a bloated pot out of position. If called, I still have strong equity against most calling ranges.

Pocket queens are strong enough to call the shove in a three-handed game. The pot odds are reasonable even against a strong range that includes AK.

With a suited connector on the button and a cheap call closing the preflop action, I’ll see a flop in position rather than fold or overcommit with a marginal hand.

52o is an unplayable trash hand out of position, making an easy fold even getting 5:1 odds.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to build a larger pot out of position. Checking lets me see a flop for free.

With queen-high and no draw on this dry paired flop, I prefer to check rather than build the pot out of position.

Checked to me on a paired low board; my hand has little showdown value but a gutshot, so a small bet can take the pot or set up a turn barrel.

Queen-high has little to continue with on this paired flop, and calling out of position against a substantial bet is unlikely to be profitable.

K2o is too weak to open even from the button in 3-handed play.

With the button folded, completing the small blind costs only 50 chips. I can see a flop heads-up without building a large pot with a weak offsuit hand.

Raise to isolate the small blind limper and take the initiative with a strong suited broadway hand while holding position postflop.

9-5 offsuit is too weak to defend against the big blind's raise, especially out of position.

Q3 offsuit is too weak to open profitably against two players without reads, and calling risks playing a dominated hand.

With 2h8s, the worst starting hand, out of position against the big blind, folding for 50 chips is the safest play to avoid postflop losses.