Hold'em table

Calling with pocket Jacks on the button is a standard play to keep the pot manageable and avoid building a big pot out of position with a medium pair. I'll see a flop and reassess based on how the action unfolds.

84 offsuit is too weak to complete from the small blind out of position after a button limp, with the big blind still to act.

86o in the big blind against a button limp plays fine as a free flop. Raising offers little, since the limper's range is capped and raising would bloat the pot out of position with a weak hand.

Middle pair with a backdoor flush draw in a limped pot against a capped limping range; a small bet gets value from worse sixes, deuces and draws and denies equity to overcards.

I have middle pair on a dry flop and want to keep the pot controlled while seeing a cheap turn. Calling avoids building a big pot with a marginal hand against a single opponent.

With middle pair plus a diamond flush draw against a limper who only called the flop, a medium semi-bluff bet gets value and protection while building the pot for when I improve.

I have middle pair on a dry board with backdoor flush potential; calling keeps my stack intact and avoids bloating the pot with a marginal hand against a persistent aggressor.

Bottom two pair is well ahead of the limp-calling range, which includes plenty of Kx, single pairs and missed draws. A bet of about 60% pot gets value from those hands.

I hold middle pair Jacks on a dry board; calling is the only way to keep equity without overcommitting to a bluff-heavy river raise.

32o is too weak to open from the button for a full big blind, so folding preserves chips.

Blind vs blind with 86o, a raise to 3bb is a reasonable part of a wide SB opening range and keeps the initiative against the big blind.

7s Jc is a weak offsuit hand that doesn't play well out of position. Facing a raise to 300 with only 200 to call, folding preserves my stack for better spots.

A7o on the button in a 3-handed game is a clear open-raise, so I'm going to 2.5bb.

I hold 7s6h, a weak offsuit hand. Seat 3 opened to 250 from the button, and I am out of position in the small blind. The pot odds don't justify a call with this speculative hand, so folding is the correct play.

8-2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a button open; folding saves chips.

With Ah3s on the button facing a 100bb big blind raise, the hand is too weak to call or raise profitably preflop; folding preserves my stack for better spots.

74s is weak but suited, and calling 50 into 150 with position against only the big blind is a reasonable complete.

Pocket nines are well ahead of a small-blind limping range, so I raise for value and to take the initiative. Making it 4x the big blind punishes the limp while keeping their weaker hands in.

74s is too weak to call a 4x raise out of position after the button folded; folding preserves chips.

32 offsuit is too weak to call or raise from the button, so I fold.

T2o is among the weakest hands for small blind versus big blind, and it plays poorly out of position. Folding gives up only the 50-chip blind.

In a 3-handed game the button is effectively the first to act with only the blinds left, and 98o is a standard open there. A 2.5bb raise works as a steal and keeps position for later streets.

With J-J in position against a min-raise, calling keeps the pot manageable and preserves stack while allowing me to control the hand on later streets.

Q7s is too weak to continue multiway out of position against a button raise and a small-blind call, so I fold rather than pay 150 more.

Top pair with a strong kicker on a dry board. Checking keeps the pot small and allows me to control the hand on future streets.

The A-4-2 rainbow board favors the preflop raiser's range, and the small blind checked to us. Our 9-high has little showdown value, so a small one-third-pot c-bet should fold out many hands.

Seat 3 raised the flop to 200 with Js-Jh on 4h-Ad-2s. Top pair with a decent kicker is decent but vulnerable, and calling keeps my stack efficient while letting me see a turn without overcommitting.

I have top pair with a strong kicker on a dry board, and the opponent's turn check signals weakness. Checking back keeps the pot manageable and preserves the option to control the river.

With 9-high we have no showdown value, and the turned 4 pairs the board. Villain's flop-calling range includes many weak pairs and wheel draws that should fold to a second barrel, so a bet of about 55% pot needs only modest fold equity.

I hold top pair with a strong kicker on a paired board, and the opponent's turn raise to 550 is likely a bluff or a thin value bet. Calling keeps my range balanced and preserves the option to realize equity on the river without overcommitting.

The board is paired with a 4 and I hold top pair with Jacks. My opponent on the button has shown significant strength by raising twice on the flop and turn. Checking back allows me to control the pot size and potentially induce a bluff on the river, rather than building a large pot with a marginal hand against a strong range.

With nine-high and no showdown value, a bluff is unlikely to fold out a range that has called twice and is heavy in aces and fours. I'll check and give up rather than risk more chips.