Hold'em table

On the button in 3-max with Q6o, I have position and fold equity, so a small open-raise is profitable even with a marginal hand; I can c-bet or fold cheaply postflop.

42s is far too weak to defend out of position against a 3bb button open with the big blind still left to act.

A8 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind heads-up against a button open, and calling keeps weaker hands in the pot without inflating it out of position.

I have a pair of eights with a strong kicker, but checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the preflop raiser act.

As the preflop raiser on a low 3h8s9h flop, a small continuation bet leverages fold equity against the big blind's check, and my queen overcard gives some backup equity if called.

I have a pair of eights with an ace kicker, which is strong enough to continue against a small continuation bet but not strong enough to raise. Calling keeps bluffs and weaker hands in the pot.

With a weak pair and the king improving many of the raiser’s hands, checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me reassess on the river.

My pair of eights with an ace kicker has reasonable showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called by enough worse hands after the flop call. I'll take the free showdown.

T6o is too weak to open from the button even 3-handed, making fold the standard play.

K8 offsuit is strong enough to raise in this heads-up blind situation. Raising to 300 applies pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

K3 offsuit is far too weak to defend the big blind against a 3x small-blind raise; I'm dominated by better kings and the hand plays poorly out of position.

Q7 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game. I raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping the sizing modest.

A2 offsuit is far too weak to defend the small blind against a 2.5x button raise; the dominated ace kicker and poor postflop playability out of position make folding clearly best.

T2o is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

On the button 3-handed, a standard 3x open applies pressure on the blinds; 86o is weak but the fold equity from position makes a small steal profitable.

AJs is a premier 3-handed holding that plays best by 3-betting for value and initiative against a button opening range.

A5 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button raise and a substantial small-blind 3-bet; calling would be costly and a bluff-raise is unnecessary.

86o has almost no equity against a small-blind 3-bet range and is dominated; calling 750 more to chase a weak hand is -EV, so folding is clearly best.

Holding 6s 3h on the button is far too weak to open raise or call, making folding the standard play.

Q5 suited has reasonable equity heads-up, and calling 50 to contest the 150-chip pot is preferable to folding. I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position with a marginal hand.

T8 offsuit is too weak to raise, but as the big blind I get a free flop heads-up against the small blind limper, so checking keeps my chips while retaining equity if I connect.

I have no made hand or immediate draw, and this flop favors the big blind’s checking range. I’ll take the free card with my backdoor heart potential.

I have no pair or flush draw, but a ten on the river could make a straight. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize that equity.

I have only a modest kicker with the board’s pair of aces, but can still win at showdown against missed hands with lower kickers. A bet is unlikely to get called by worse, so I’ll check.

Q3 offsuit is too weak to continue from the button facing the big blind, even with position; folding avoids investing more with a dominated hand.

A4s has solid equity heads-up after the button folds; raising to 3bb builds the pot and applies fold pressure on the big blind rather than limping out of position.

Holding 73o in the big blind facing an open raise from the small blind is an easy fold.