Hold'em table

QJo is strong enough to open on the button three-handed, and a 2.5 BB raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

75o from the small blind facing a 2.5bb button open, with the big blind still left to act, is too weak to call or 3-bet profitably. Folding is standard.

7-2 offsuit is far too weak to defend against a button open at this sizing.

Three-handed on the button, a wide opening range is correct, and 54o is a marginal open with positional playability. A small raise to 2.5bb applies pressure to the blinds.

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against an early 2.5bb open with the big blind still behind.

T7 offsuit has enough equity against a typical button opening range to defend the big blind for 150 more chips.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking lets me see how the preflop raiser acts before committing more chips.

As the preflop raiser in position on a fairly dry board, a small continuation bet with backdoor straight potential and little showdown value can take the pot down often.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and the small bet gives me a good price to continue.

I have a jack-high straight. Betting for value charges pairs and club draws while leaving room for worse hands to call.

I have no pair and no real draw, and the big blind check-called the flop before leading big on the turn, which suggests a strong range. Calling or bluff-raising here would be unprofitable.

K4 offsuit is a reasonable button open in three-handed play, leveraging position and initiative. I use the minimum raise size to keep the risk low.

The suited hand has enough potential to defend against a small button raise, and calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

AKo is a premium hand in 3-handed play, facing a button min-raise and an SB call. Squeezing to 11bb builds the pot and takes the initiative, with dead money already in the middle.

K4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet with another player already involved.

Eight-five suited is too weak to call a large preflop squeeze, even with position after the flop.

64 offsuit is a weak button open against two players at 100 big blinds; folding avoids a marginal, often dominated spot.

A9o is a strong hand blind vs blind once the button folds, so I'm raising to 3bb for value and initiative.

Q8 offsuit is a marginal blind defense versus a small-blind raise, and folding avoids playing a weak dominated hand out of position.

KQs on the button in 3-handed play is a strong open, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative and play in position.

Q-high with a deuce is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button open.

T8 suited has enough equity and playability to defend the big blind against a 2.5bb button raise.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but I'm out of position against the preflop raiser. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to their bet.

A nut-ish flush draw with two overcards is a strong semi-bluff in position. Betting about 2/3 pot wins it now often and builds the pot for when I hit.

The open-ended straight draw gives me eight strong outs, and the price is good enough to continue against this flop bet.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking lets me see the button’s turn action before committing more chips.

Top pair with a king kicker plus the nut-ish flush draw on a coordinated board. Betting about two-thirds pot gets value from weaker pairs and draws and protects my equity.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but calling 850 with one card to come requires more equity than the draw provides. The potential river payoff is too uncertain to make up the difference.

9-4 suited is too weak to profitably enter from the button against two blinds at this stack depth.

A6 offsuit is strong enough to open heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 300 gives us a chance to win the pot now rather than play a limped pot out of position.

In a blind-vs-blind spot facing a 3x small-blind raise, calling 200 to win a 600 pot with position and a connected 86o is a profitable defend.

This flop connects well with the big blind’s calling range, and A6 has limited immediate equity. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

Middle pair in position after the preflop raiser checked; a small bet gets value from worse hands and draws while denying equity, and it keeps the pot manageable.

The small flop bet gives a reasonable price to continue with ace-high and some improvement potential. Raising on this board would be less appealing against the big blind's range.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but betting this turn is unlikely to get many better hands to fold. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

Middle pair with a weak kicker has showdown value but is vulnerable to the preflop raiser's overpairs and 9x after the check-call, so checking keeps the pot controlled and realizes equity.

Ace-high has showdown value against missed draws, while a bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands or reliably fold out a pair.

We have 99-88 with a 6 kicker. That has showdown value, but a bet would mostly get called by better 8x hands, 9x hands and overpairs, while worse hands fold, so we check and take the showdown.