Hold'em table

Eight-three offsuit is a weak holding that plays poorly out of position against two blinds, so folding the button costs nothing and avoids a marginal call.

Heads-up from the small blind, K-seven suited is strong enough to raise for value and initiative.

Getting 2:1 pot odds (200 to call into 400) with suited connectors 6d4d in the big blind against a small blind raise in a 3-handed game; the hand has enough equity and playability to call.

I have middle pair with a king-high flush draw on an ace-high board. A medium continuation bet builds value from worse draws and pairs while applying pressure to unpaired hands.

Getting 1400 to 400 (about 3.5:1) with a gutshot straight draw (needs a 3 and 5 for the wheel, so 4 outs to a straight with 4-6 vs A-2-7) plus a backdoor flush draw. Folding to a small c-bet is too tight in a 3-handed pot, so I call. ST pot is 1000 plus 400 bet.}

I have a pair plus the king-high flush draw, with useful showdown value and strong improvement potential. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me respond to a river or opponent action.

I have a turn straight (4-6 with 2-7-6 on board is 2,4,6,7 plus Ace: A-2-4-6-7 has no five-card straight, but I hold a pair of sixes and a gutshot to 3-4-5 plus a wheel draw). Seat 2 checked the turn after betting the flop, which signals weakness, so I bet about half the pot to value bet my pair and take the pot.

I have a pair plus the nut spade flush draw, giving sufficient equity and implied odds against this turn bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and draws in while avoiding an inflated pot against likely aces.

Our sevens-up has showdown value but is unlikely to get called by worse after the opponent's strong turn lead. Checking avoids value-owning ourselves against an ace.

I hold 6d4d on a board of 2s 7c As 6c Ac, so I have two pair (aces and sixes) with a weak kicker. The opponent checked and called the turn, so they could hold an ace or a slow-played hand. A bet would mostly get called by better hands and fold out worse ones, so I check and take the showdown cheaply.

Button open-raise with J6 suited to apply pressure and leverage position in a three-handed game.

6-5 offsuit out of position in the small blind facing a button raise to 250, with the big blind still left to act, is a marginal hand that plays poorly. Folding is the simplest choice.

As big blind I'm getting about 2.7-to-1 pot odds to call 150 into a 400 pot heads-up, and 2-4 suited has enough equity against a wide button raise to justify it.

I have 2-4 of hearts with no pair or draw on an A-9-T board, and checking is free as big blind, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids investing more chips with a weak hand.

With only a gutshot to the king and no made hand on an ace-high board, checking back preserves equity and avoids facing a check-raise.

I hold 2-4 with no pair and no real draw on a board of 9, T, A, 8, so I have little showdown value. Checking is free and keeps the pot small.

I have an open-ended straight draw and can apply pressure after the opponent checks twice. A medium turn bet gives weaker hands and some marginal pairs a difficult decision while retaining strong river equity.

We have 2h4h, which makes no pair, no straight, and only three hearts on an A-high-ish board, so we have nothing to call a 400-chip turn bet with.

7s9s is a good suited-connector-type hand on the button in a 3-handed game, so a small open raise takes the initiative and uses position against both blinds.

Nine-six offsuit is weak and out of position against a button open, so calling 200 more for a small edge is not worth it.

A4 suited has strong blocker value heads-up against a button min-raise and plays well as a 3-bet bluff. Raising applies pressure while retaining fold equity.

7s9s suited connector on the button, getting about 2.8:1 on a 650 call against a big blind 3-bet, with position and deep stacks. A 4-bet bluff is unnecessary, and folding gives up too much equity.

A modest continuation bet leverages our preflop aggression and range advantage on this dry board while retaining equity with an ace and gutshot.

7s9s is just a backdoor flush draw with 7-high on a 3-Q-5 board, with no pair or straight draw. Facing a 3-bet pot and a 600 continuation bet into 2450, I'm behind the range and fold.

On the button with 6s9h, the hand is weak but suited and cheap to see the flop, so calling 100 is a reasonable price in a 3-handed game.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button limp with the big blind still behind.

5-4 offsuit is a weak hand, so I take the free flop from the big blind heads-up against the button limper rather than build a pot out of position.

I flopped an open-ended straight draw (5-4 on 6-7-8) with a pair-free board that is wet. Heads-up against a button limper, a small bet builds the pot with a strong draw and also wins immediately when they fold.

I have a pair of sixes plus an open-ended straight draw and a heart flush draw, which is strong enough to call 200 into a 450 pot with good pot odds.

I have 5-4 on a 6-8-7-Q board, which gives me a made straight (4-5-6-7-8) with the 6h and 7h among the board cards. Wait, 4-5-6-7-8 is a straight, so I hold the nut-ish straight, but there is a flush draw and Q on board. Betting for value is better than checking, but checking is a fine trap; I prefer to bet. Betting for value.}

I have a pair of sixes plus an open-ended straight draw with 6-7-8-9, and checking is free, so I'll see the river without bloating the pot.

Board 6h 8d 7h Qd Tc gives me a 5-4 with a 9-high straight? No: 4-5-6-7-8 makes a straight (4,5,6,7,8). Villain checked the turn, so a value bet of about 60% pot should get called by worse such as pairs and weaker straights.}

I have a made straight, 6-7-8-9-T, which is very strong on this board. Calling the 400 river bet keeps me in against worse hands while avoiding a bigger commitment if seat 3 has a higher straight or a set.

Open-raising the button with a connected hand to leverage position and initiative three-handed.

A9o offsuit is a decent hand in 3-handed play against a button min-raise, and I get a reasonable price to call 150 into a 350 pot. Calling is safer than a 3-bet out of position with a hand that is dominated by many of the button's stronger holdings.}

I'm getting about 5-to-1 on a 100-chip call in a three-way pot that already has 500 chips, so calling with 8-6 offsuit is a cheap, reasonable price as the big blind.

Middle pair (9s) with an ace kicker on a Q-J-9 board in a 3-way pot, where straight draws are possible. I want to bet for value and to charge draws, and I'm first to act with position against me.

I have 8-6 with no pair and only four outs to a straight, facing a 400 bet into a 1000 pot, so I need about 29% equity to call and don't have it.

We have only a gutshot to a ten on this coordinated board, with insufficient direct pot odds against the sizable flop bet.

2-3 offsuit is one of the weakest starting hands. Calling out of position postflop against two opponents isn't worth it, so I fold the button.

Nine-deuce offsuit is one of the weakest hands, and completing 50 chips from the small blind into a big blind is not worth the cost.