Hold'em table

45 suited is a playable button open in a three-handed game. A modest raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

K2 offsuit from the small blind facing a 2.5bb button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position.

J8 suited is strong enough to defend the big blind against a 2.5x button open, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

With no made hand or flush draw on this paired flop, I prefer to check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have only weak backdoor equity on a paired flop, so checking back preserves my chance to improve without risking a bet into the big blind’s range.

J-high has some showdown value against missed overcards, but little equity when called. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reassess on the river.

My pair of fives has some showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands and could be called or raised by better ones. I’ll take the free card and preserve the chance to reach showdown.

J-high has little showdown value, and the preflop raiser checked both the flop and turn. A river bet can fold out unpaired overcards.

The river bet is modest, and my pair of fives gives me two pair with the paired board, beating many single-pair hands and bluffs. Calling offers reasonable pot odds against this line.

A9s on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds and keeps the initiative.

T2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button-sized raise, and the 150-chip call offers favorable pot odds. I’ll avoid inflating the pot with a 3-bet.

With middle pair and a modest kicker on a queen-high flop, checking keeps the pot manageable and lets the preflop raiser act. I can continue based on their response.

Ace-high with a gutshot (a ten makes the nut straight) and a backdoor flush draw, on a board that favors the preflop raiser. A small c-bet of about 45% pot has strong equity when called and can fold out better hands.

I have a pair of jacks and enough equity to continue against a modest flop bet, but raising would risk building a large pot with a weak kicker.

With middle pair and a modest kicker on a paired turn, checking controls the pot and avoids building it against the opponent’s stronger Qx or better Jx hands.

Ace-high with no real draw has some showdown value against BB's flop-calling range, which includes busted draws. Barreling would mostly get called by better Jx/Qx hands, so I'll take the free card.

My pair of jacks has reasonable showdown value, but the board is paired and a river bet is unlikely to be called by many worse hands. I’ll take the free showdown.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed straight draws, and a bluff will rarely get a Jx or Qx hand that called the flop to fold. Checking back is the better play.

J9 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise uses position without investing too much.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

In the big blind against a button 2.5x open, I'm getting 150 to win 400 (27% equity needed), and 64o has enough playability to defend at these odds against a wide button range.

Our weak pair of fours with a gutshot has no diamond on a monotone board, so we check out of position to the preflop raiser for pot control. We can decide how to respond to a bet once we see it.

On this low, monotone flop, J-high with one diamond has limited equity when called. Checking avoids building a pot against the big blind’s stronger continuing range.

With a weak pair plus a straight draw on a four-diamond board and no diamond, my hand has showdown value but little to gain by betting. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity.

My J-high flush is likely ahead after the big blind checked twice. A 350-chip bet can get value from smaller diamonds and other made hands.

Bottom pair with no diamond on a four-diamond board. Any diamond or any higher pair beats me, and a gutshot to a 3 is weak on this board, so the price isn't worth paying.

K8 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. A small raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable if called.

Folding 24s from the small blind is standard against a button open to 2.5bb. Calling would leave me out of position with the big blind still to act behind me.

Pocket threes can profitably call a small button raise from the big blind, with a chance to win a larger pot when they make a set.

With a small underpair on a dry queen-high flop, checking keeps the pot manageable and avoids building it against the button's raising range.

I have no pair or strong draw on this board, so checking behind preserves my chips and lets me realize my overcard and backdoor-flush equity.

With a low pair and little chance to improve, I’ll check rather than build the pot out of position.

I have top pair and can get value from weaker pairs while charging heart and straight draws. A small turn bet also keeps the pot manageable with my weak kicker.

Pocket threes have little chance to improve, and this king-high board favors the preflop raiser. Calling out of position would leave a difficult river decision.

K7 suited on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; a 2.5bb open pressures both blinds.

A8 suited is strong enough to three-bet against a likely wide button opening range. Raising to 1000 puts pressure on the opener and avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

QJo is too vulnerable against a large 3-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act. Fold and avoid investing another 9 big blinds out of position.

K7s is too weak to continue against a 4x 3-bet from the small blind; calling 750 to win 1350 out of position on later streets gives poor realization. Folding is the disciplined play.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A modest raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Calling the small raise with a low pocket pair preserves its set-mining value at deep stacks, while risking less than a 3-bet out of position with a hand that plays poorly when called.

A6 suited in the big blind is getting 150 to win 750 (5:1), and it plays well multiway with nut flush potential. Calling beats squeezing, since the small blind's flat call caps his range less than it would seem.

With a small underpair on a king-high, two-club flop against two opponents, betting is unlikely to improve the hand's position. Check and avoid building a pot.

Ace-high with a backdoor diamond draw on a K-J board that favors the preflop raiser; checking to the button in a three-way pot is best, and I can decide after seeing their action.

With ace-high and no immediate draw against two opponents, I’ll take the free card in position rather than bluff into a multiway pot.

With only a small underpair on a connected, two-tone board and two opponents still in, a bluff has poor prospects. Check and take the free card.

Ace-high has some showdown value in a pot that was checked through three-way, and betting mostly folds out worse hands while getting called by better ones. Checking keeps the pot small.

Both opponents checked twice, so a delayed bet can win the pot against their weaker holdings and draws. Ace-high has limited showdown value on this board.

With only a small underpair on a two-tone board, I have little chance to improve and cannot justify calling a sizeable turn bet into a multiway pot.

Ace-high with no draw faces a delayed turn bet on a board that connects with the button's range. Calling would leave me out of position with little equity and likely another bet on the river, so I fold.