Hold'em table

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand. I raise to build value while using a standard button open size.

8-6 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a three-big-blind open with the big blind still to act.

Q2o is dominated and plays poorly out of position against a 3x button open, so despite the price it is a marginal-to-losing defend. Folding is the disciplined choice.

On the button in a three-handed, rake-free game, Q6 offsuit is a reasonable marginal open. A 2.5-big-blind raise pressures the blinds while preserving position postflop.

87o from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act behind, plays poorly out of position. Folding is standard; calling or 3-betting would be marginal at best.

Defend the big blind against the button min-raise with KTs, which plays well heads-up and has strong realization.

Betting our open-ended straight draw with two overcards applies pressure and builds a pot when we improve.

Top pair is strong enough to continue against this small flop bet, but the weak kicker makes raising unattractive. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while preserving position.

I will continue the flop aggression with a substantial turn barrel, representing the strong Q/J-heavy range while retaining a gutshot to the king-high straight if called.

Top pair is strong enough to continue in position against this turn bet. Raising would mostly get action from better hands, so I’ll call and reassess on the river.

The paired queen river is a strong scare card for the caller's one-pair and draw-heavy range. I have little showdown value against a jack, so I bluff at a sizing that can fold those hands while credibly representing a queen.

Trips are strong enough to call this river bet, but the paired board and completed flush make a raise unlikely to get called by many worse hands.

K7o is a standard button open in 3-handed play; raising to 2.5bb puts pressure on both blinds.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind versus a button open with the big blind still behind.

QTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise to 2.5 big blinds, especially with the small blind folded. Calling keeps the pot manageable with an offsuit hand.

With two overcards but little immediate equity on a paired flop, I’ll check and avoid building the pot out of position.

The paired low board favors the preflop raiser, and K7 has overcard equity plus a gutshot to the 7-high straight with a 4. A small c-bet should take this pot down often against the BB's check.

The small flop bet gives a good price. My two overcards can improve, and they may already be ahead of a button continuation bet.

Queen-high has little showdown value, but a turn lead is unlikely to fold out many better hands after the flop call. Checking preserves the option to respond to a bet without inflating the pot.

King-high has some showdown value but no real draw, and the big blind's check-call range contains many pairs that won't fold. Checking back keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity cheaply.

The small flop bet and turn check suggest a range with many weak hands. Queen-high has little showdown value, so a river bet can fold out better high-card hands.

King-high only plays the board pair, so it loses to any pair, any 4 and any ace-high. Against a river bet of about 71% pot from a passive line, we need about 29% bluffs to call, and that seems unlikely.

Open-raise the button with QTo to leverage position and capture blinds while retaining a playable hand.

Q9 offsuit is a marginal call from the small blind, but it can work as a three-bet against a button open. Raising gives me a chance to win the pot now rather than play out of position.

93s facing a raise and a 3-bet with the original raiser still behind is a clear fold; calling 750 out of position is unprofitable.

In position against a likely wide small-blind 3-bet range, QTo has sufficient equity to continue at this price. Calling preserves flexibility postflop.

Top pair is worth a small continuation bet on this dry, paired flop. The sizing can get calls from weaker pairs while keeping the pot manageable.

We have top pair on a paired board against a small continuation bet. Calling keeps weaker overcards and pocket pairs in while avoiding overcommitting against stronger queens or overpairs.

My queen has showdown value, but worse hands may not call a turn bet often enough to justify building the pot. Checking also keeps the opponent’s bluffs in their range.

Our top pair has useful showdown value but is marginal against a 3-bet range that can contain stronger queens and overpairs. Checking controls the pot and keeps missed overcards available to bluff on the river.

My queen makes two pair, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking keeps weaker hands and potential bluffs in play.

We hold queens full of jacks, an exceptionally strong hand on this paired board. A substantial value bet can be called by trips and may induce a response from weaker full houses.

My queen makes two pair, and the river bet is small enough relative to the pot to call despite losing to stronger queens, jacks, and threes.

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

32o is the weakest holding, and playing it out of position against the big blind is unprofitable even at a small price. Folding costs only the posted small blind.

A3o is a standard button open in 3-handed play; a raise to 2.5bb steals the blinds with an ace blocker.

9-4 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind versus a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

T7 offsuit is marginal, but the button can open a wide range. With no rake and only 150 more to call, defending the big blind is reasonable.

With no pair or strong draw on this paired flop, I prefer to check and avoid building the pot out of position.

Paired, dry board strongly favors the button raiser's range, and the ace-high overcard has decent equity. A small c-bet of about a third of the pot folds out many BB hands cheaply.

T7 offsuit has little chance to improve on QQ2 and no useful draw. Calling out of position is unlikely to be profitable.