Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two opponents.

In a blind-vs-blind spot after the button folds, pocket fives are comfortably ahead of BB's random distribution; raising to 3bb builds the pot and seizes initiative.

Closing the action for 200 more with K6o in position against a likely wide small-blind raise is a reasonable defend given the pot odds.

Checking out of position with a low pocket pair on an 8-T-2 board to control the pot size and realize equity.

I have king-high with only a backdoor flush draw and no made hand. Checking behind in position keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn card.

With a low pocket pair and no club on a highly connected board, checking is the best course of action.

Opponent has checked flop and turn, showing weakness. I have a flush draw plus a king overcard, so a semi-bluff bet can take the pot now or improve on the river.

I have an underpair with no club on a wet, coordinated four-card board with three clubs. Facing a half-pot bet, this is an easy fold.

97 offsuit is too weak to profitably open from the button even in 3-handed play.

Button folded, so A3o has enough equity to complete against a random big blind. Keeping the pot small avoids playing a marginal ace out of position in a raised pot.

9♠3♠ is too weak to raise out of position, but I can see a flop for free.

I flopped top pair with an ace and want to bet for value and protection against draws. The big blind checked preflop, so a flop bet can take the pot down or get called by worse.

Nine-high has no made hand or immediate draw, and calling the flop bet out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

4-6 offsuit is too weak to call or raise from the button in a 3-handed pot, especially with both blinds still to act. Folding avoids investing chips with a low-equity hand out of position postflop.

A5 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind and put pressure on the big blind.

J8s has plenty of playability and equity in position against a small blind raise, easily justifying calling 200 more with 2:1 pot odds.

Ace-high has some showdown value on this paired board, so I prefer to keep the pot small and see what the big blind does.

Flopped trips on a dry paired board in position. Checking behind keeps their bluffing range wide and gives them room to catch up or bet the turn.

Ace-high has some showdown value after the flop checked through. Checking avoids building a pot against pairs while preserving the option to respond to a bet.

I hold trips with an eight and the opponent checked twice; betting two-thirds pot extracts value from pairs and draws.

Ace-high has little chance to improve on this paired board, and calling the turn bet would leave me out of position on the river. Folding preserves chips against an unknown opponent.

AJo is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot while keeping position.

54o is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open.

QTo has enough equity against a 3-handed button open to defend from the big blind, and calling keeps the pot manageable while avoiding a risky 3-bet out of position.

I flopped top two pair on a dry board and will bet for value against the preflop raiser's overpair or top-pair hands.

I have a gutshot to the nut straight and potential overcard outs. Calling in position preserves my equity without committing a large bluff raise against the flop lead.

I have two pair (queens and tens) on a coordinated board and want to bet for value while charging draws.

I have the nut straight. Raising for value also charges spade draws and sets before the river.

T6o is too weak to open from the button even in 3-handed play. Folding is standard.

Pocket nines are strong in a heads-up pot after the button folded, so I raise for value and to take initiative.

A8 offsuit is strong enough to defend against a small-blind raise, and calling keeps weaker hands in while I have position postflop.

I have an underpair to the board but likely the best hand against a big blind calling range, and betting denies equity from overcards. A half-pot bet also keeps worse pairs and draws paying.

Ace-high can still be ahead of some hands that bet this flop, and the small bet gives me a reasonable price to continue.

My 99 has some showdown value, but the paired J-high board with a Q turn is dangerous against a caller who can have Jx or Qx. Checking controls the pot and avoids getting raised off a marginal hand.

Ace-high has some showdown value, and this turn gives me little equity to support a bluff. I'll take the free card.

My 99 has showdown value but loses to any Qx or Jx, and betting would only get called by better hands. Checking controls the pot and lets me evaluate a river bet.

My river pair has showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands. Checking avoids paying extra when the opponent has a queen, jack, or higher pocket pair.

Q9s on the button in a 3-handed game has good playability and position; raising applies pressure on the blinds and can take the pot down preflop.

T7 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a 3x button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo has sufficient equity and pot odds (200 to call into 450) defending the big blind against a 3-handed button open.

Flopped top pair with a decent kicker out of position; standard check to the preflop raiser to keep their bluffing range wide.

Continuation bet with backdoor spades and an overcard; BB checked, likely missing this K-high board. Folding out better unpaired hands is profitable, and we can evaluate turn if called.

Flopped top pair with a decent kicker; calling the c-bet keeps the opponent's wider range and bluffs in play.

Check to the in-position aggressor with second-best kicker top pair and a gutshot straight draw.

I have a gutshot and overcard but no made hand; checking keeps the pot controlled and gives me a free river card in position.

We have top pair with a mediocre kicker on a draw-heavy runout; checking allows us to realize our showdown value or catch bluffs without bloating the pot against better Kings or two pairs.

My Q-high has showdown value against missed draws, and betting risks getting called by any pair. Checking controls the pot and realizes equity.