Hold'em table

7♦3♥ is a weak offsuit hand, and without antes there is little incentive to enter from the button. Fold rather than invest chips out of position postflop.

KQs is a strong hand in a blind-vs-blind spot, so I'm raising to 3bb for value and to take the initiative out of position.

JTo is strong enough to defend against a small-blind raise to 300, especially with position after the flop.

On a paired, dry J55 board, a small c-bet as the preflop raiser works well with KQ: it has overcards and backdoor equity and gets folds from many of the big blind's weak hands. Sizing is one third of the pot.

Top pair with a ten kicker is strong enough to continue against a small flop bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a large pot against better jacks or a five.

The 3h turn is a blank that doesn't help BB's calling range. KQ blocks strong Jx hands like KJ and QJ, and it still has six outs to improve to top pair, so a second barrel of 60% pot applies pressure on underpairs and weak holdings.

Top pair with a ten kicker is strong enough to call this turn bet, but raising would risk building a large pot against better jacks or a five.

King-high has little showdown value, but the big blind called both the flop and turn, so their range is heavy in jacks and pairs that won't fold to a river bluff on this paired board. Checking keeps our losses down.

I have a full house, fives full of jacks. After my opponent checks, a 900-chip value bet can get called by weaker pocket pairs or a three.

King-high only beats pure bluffs. A small river bet from a player who called flop and turn is weighted toward jacks, fives, and pairs, and even ace-high has me beat, so I fold despite the good price.

J7 suited is a standard button open in 3-handed play; a 2.5bb raise-first-in puts pressure on both blinds.

A5 offsuit blocks strong ace holdings and can profitably 3-bet against a wide button opening range. Raising also avoids playing a weak offsuit hand out of position in a multiway pot.

5♥4♣ offsuit is too weak to continue against the small blind’s large 3-bet, especially with the button still involved. Calling would require substantial equity without favorable playability.

J7s is too weak to call a 10bb 3-bet from the small blind, even in position, given 100bb stacks and our poor equity against a strong 3-bet range. Folding loses only the 2.5bb we have already put in.

Pocket eights are a strong button opening hand three-handed. A standard raise builds the pot while keeping weaker hands in.

T6 offsuit is weak and plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act. I fold rather than invest more chips.

32o is too weak to defend against a 2.5x button raise even with 150 to call into a 400 pot; it is out of position with poor equity and playability.

On the button, 4♦3♦ has enough suited-hand playability to open in a three-handed game. A modest raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

A2o from the small blind against a wide button open plays poorly as a call out of position with the big blind still to act. The ace blocker makes it a good 3-bet candidate for fold equity.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large small-blind three-bet, especially with the opener still to act.

The small blind’s large 3-bet makes this a poor price for 4♦3♦, which has little equity against a typical range. Fold rather than put in more chips out of position to a strong range.

On the button in a 3-handed game, 76o is a reasonable open-raise to steal the blinds, and it has playable equity postflop.

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

The button’s small raise gives the big blind a favorable price, so I’ll defend this hand rather than fold or inflate the pot with a weak offsuit holding.

I have a weak middle pair on a connected flop and can take a free card rather than build the pot out of position.

A small continuation bet with a gutshot gives some fold equity against the big blind's misses, while keeping the risk low on a board that connects with the caller's range.

Middle pair has enough showdown value to continue against this small bet, and the price is favorable. Raising would be unnecessarily risky with a weak kicker.

I have a weak pair of nines on a board with two overcards, so checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids building it with a marginal hand.

I have only a gutshot and no showdown value, against a range that called the flop and has plenty of pairs that won't fold. Checking behind takes a free card at the straight.

I have only a weak pair of nines, and the checked-through turn gives little reason to expect a worse hand to call a river bet. I’ll take the showdown rather than turn my hand into a bluff.

With 7-high I have no showdown value, and the river completes many straights that fit my preflop raising range. The opponent's check-call then check-check line looks capped, so a two-thirds pot bluff can fold out their one-pair hands.

My pair of nines is a weak bluff-catcher on a river that completes several straight draws and improves likely value hands. The bet is sizable enough that calling requires too many bluffs from this line.

T2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two opponents.

Q4 offsuit is weak, but the small blind only needs to call 50 into a 200-chip pot heads-up. Calling realizes some equity without inflating the pot out of position.

Pocket 77 is strong against a small-blind limp in a blind-vs-blind spot, so I raise for value and initiative while I'm in position.

Q4 offsuit is too weak to continue out of position against a 4x preflop raise, even with the price offered.