Hold'em table

78o is too weak to open from the button for value or as a bluff, so folding avoids a poor investment.

With a suited connected hand and 3:1 pot odds, completing the small blind is worthwhile; raising would overplay it against the big blind.

Q8s plays well in position postflop; checking back takes a free flop with strong playability.

I have a weak pair on a connected, two-heart flop and am first to act. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building it against stronger made hands or draws.

I have top pair on a draw-heavy flop in a limped blind-versus-blind pot. Betting half-pot extracts value from draws and worse pairs while protecting my equity.

Bottom pair has enough showdown value against a small flop bet to continue at these pot odds, though raising would overplay it.

My pair of fives is weak on a paired-queen turn, so I’ll take the free card rather than build the pot.

Turned trips with Qc 8c on a Qh 5h 6s Qd board. Sizing around 60% pot to continue extracting value from draws and weaker pairs.

The turn bet is substantial after my flop call, and my weak pair of fives has little chance to improve or remain ahead of a value range. Folding avoids paying for a difficult river with no meaningful draw.

On the button, a small open can win the blinds and keeps initiative; the position makes this weak hand playable despite its poor showdown value.

Holding J3o out of position facing a button open is an easy standard fold.

T9o is a borderline but playable defend from the big blind against a 2.5bb button open in three-handed play, and the price is reasonable. Calling keeps the pot small out of position rather than inflating it with a weak offsuit hand.

Bottom pair on an ace-king flop has little value and is easily dominated, so I check and see the turn rather than build a pot.

A small continuation bet uses my preflop range advantage on this ace-high flop and may fold out the big blind’s missed hands. My hand has little equity, so I’m keeping the bluff inexpensive.

Bottom pair has enough equity against a small c-bet to continue at these pot odds, despite the ace-king board.

I have only bottom pair with a weak kicker on an ace-king board, out of position against the preflop and flop aggressor. Checking controls the pot and lets me see the river cheaply.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, so betting would risk chips with little equity. I’ll take the free card in position.

I have nines and sixes with an ace kicker, which has some showdown value but is unlikely to get called by worse. Checking avoids turning a medium hand into a bluff.

My hand has no meaningful improvement and the opponent called the flop bet, making a river bluff unlikely to fold better hands. I’ll take the free showdown.

J4o is too weak to open raise from the button 3-handed, making fold the clearly standard play.

Button folded, so this is heads-up versus the big blind with suited connectors. A small raise takes the initiative and builds the pot rather than completing out of position.

9♠8♠ is a playable suited connector, and calling 200 gives favorable pot odds while keeping weaker hands in the pot.

I have a flush draw plus a gutshot and the betting lead, so a small flop bet builds the pot while keeping fold equity against a capped caller.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on this low, connected flop, so calling the bet is unlikely to be profitable.

AQo is a premium button hand in a three-handed game, so I open-raise to 3bb to build the pot and take the initiative rather than flat the big blind.

2♦5♠ is a weak offsuit hand, and calling a sizable button raise from the small blind leaves me out of position with the big blind still to act.

76s has great playability and sufficient equity to defend the big blind against a button open getting favorable pot odds.

I have complete air on an Ace-high board out of position against the preflop aggressor, making a check the only standard play.

Top pair, top kicker on a dry flop against a single caller who checked. A half-pot-plus bet builds the pot and gets value from worse aces and draws.

I completely missed the flop with seven-high and no draws, facing a continuation bet on an ace-high board.

6♠3♣ is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability, so it is not worth calling or opening from the button here.

97 offsuit is too weak to complete or raise from the small blind against the big blind. Folding is standard.

On the button in 3-handed play, A4o is comfortably within a standard opening range, so I raise to 2bb to put pressure on the blinds.

K3 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding avoids a dominated, poorly connected hand out of position.

A9 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a small button open, but calling avoids inflating the pot with a hand that can be dominated by a 3-bet call.

With top pair on a dry flop, checking out of position keeps the preflop raiser's bluffs and weaker hands in the pot while preserving the option to respond to a bet.

C-betting small with gutshot straight draw equity and an overcard on a dry board to fold out better unpaired holdings.

Top pair with the best kicker is strong on this dry flop. Calling keeps the opponent’s bluffs in and avoids inflating the pot against stronger hands.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a paired board. A moderate turn bet gets value from weaker 9x and draws while charging overcards, without inflating the pot excessively against trips or a full house.

Facing a 400-chip lead into a 750-chip pot on the turn, our gutshot draw offers insufficient pot odds and implied odds to justify calling.