Hold'em table

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button against two opponents at 100 big blinds.

With the button folded, pocket fives are a strong blind-versus-blind hand. I raise to build the pot and take the initiative against the big blind.

BB vs SB 3x open, getting 2:1 (200 to win 400) with K6o, which is well ahead of a wide SB range; calling in position is profitable.

Pocket fives are an underpair with modest showdown value on this connected board. I’ll check and avoid building a pot without a clear improvement.

The SB checked to me in position, so a small stab with a backdoor flush draw, an overcard and backdoor straight potential should take the pot often. At a third of the pot it risks little and still keeps my equity if I get called.

The small flop bet offers favorable odds, and 55 still has showdown value against a wide betting range. I’ll call once rather than inflate the pot with a raise.

With only a small pair and no club on a three-club board, I have little value in betting and should take the free card after the flop call.

Semi-bluff with a club flush draw plus an open-ended straight draw (a 7 completes it), about 12 outs, after SB checked the turn. Fold equity plus this equity makes betting better than taking a free card.

My pocket fives are an underpair on a connected, three-club board, with few clean improvement outs. Calling 650 needs too much equity against the turn bet after the flop action.

As the button in a three-handed game, 9♦7♠ is playable as an open-raise. A modest raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

A3o versus a wide three-handed button open works well as a 3-bet: the ace blocks strong hands, and folding is too tight while flatting out of position with the big blind still to act is poor. Sizing to 10bb applies pressure.

Nine-three suited is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

9♦7♠ is a weak offsuit hand and a 10bb 3-bet makes calling too costly, even in position. Fold rather than continue with poor equity.

64o is too weak to open from the button in a 3-handed game with 100bb stacks against two blinds, so folding is the low-variance, near-neutral choice.

A5 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 300 gives me a chance to win the pot immediately.

J8 suited is a reasonable big-blind defend heads-up against the small blind’s raise, and calling realizes its playability at a favorable price.

Ace-high has some showdown value, and this paired board gives the big blind plenty of hands that can continue. Checking keeps the pot manageable out of position.

I have trips with a strong kicker and should value-bet while charging diamond draws and overcards. A 400-chip bet is substantial but leaves room to continue if raised.

Ace-high can still be ahead of a big-blind stab, and the five of diamonds adds some backdoor potential. I’ll call and reassess on the turn.

Ace-high has some showdown value, but this turn does not improve my hand. Checking avoids building a larger pot out of position.

I have trip eights and can get value from pocket pairs, tens, and draws. A moderate turn bet builds the pot while allowing worse hands to continue.

Ace-high has little chance to improve against a pair or an eight, and I have no flush draw. Calling 800 is too costly without a stronger reason to think this is a bluff.

AJo is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot while keeping the opening size efficient.

54 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QTo in the big blind against a 2.5x button open is a clear defend, since I only need about 27% equity to call 150 into 400. It has decent playability but is not strong enough to 3-bet for value.

Top two pair out of position against the preflop raiser. I'm checking so the button can continuation-bet into me, planning to check-raise to build the pot and charge the many straight draws on this board.

A small continuation bet can fold out weaker unpaired hands while my ace overcard and gutshot give me ways to improve if called.

Top two pair on a draw-heavy Q-T-5 board is strong enough to check-raise for value and protection against the button's small c-bet range.

The call costs 600 into a 1,550-chip pot. In position, my gutshot, overcard, and backdoor possibilities justify seeing the turn without committing more against a check-raise.

Two pair is still strong against many one-pair hands and draws that continued on the flop, so I'm betting for value and protection. The size is kept moderate because the king improves some straights and KQ.

I have the nut straight on the turn. Raising builds the pot against worse made hands and charges draws before the river.

Two pair on a coordinated board is vulnerable to straights, sets and KQ. I'm getting about 28% pot odds, though, and aggressive opponents may also hold AK, overpairs or spade draws, so I'll call and re-evaluate on the river.

Villain's turn raise is weighted toward hands that beat QT two pair (AJ, sets, KQ, KT). Shoving would only get called by better hands, so I'll check and see what villain does, keeping the option to catch a missed-draw bluff.

I have the nut straight, and a shove can get value from lower straights, sets, and two-pair hands.

Two pair (queens and tens) is getting better than 3:1 on the call, needing only about 24% equity. The villain's aggressive line could include overplayed one-pair hands and missed draws or bluffs, alongside the sets and straights that beat me.

T6 offsuit is marginal, but on the button in a three-handed game it is a reasonable open-raise with position. A small raise pressures the blinds without risking much.

Pocket nines are well ahead of a button opening range in 3-handed play, so I'll 3-bet from the small blind for value and to deny the big blind a cheap look. Going to 10bb keeps the pot manageable while I'm out of position.

A8 offsuit is too weak to call a large three-bet with the original raiser still to act.

T♦6♠ is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability against a substantial small-blind 3-bet. The call price is not attractive enough to continue.

Q9s on the button 3-handed is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb sizing to steal the blinds with a playable hand.

T7 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

KTo is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise, but calling avoids inflating the pot with a hand that can be dominated by a continuing range.

Top pair with a reasonable kicker is strong, but the button was the preflop raiser and can continue with worse hands if I check. I’ll keep the pot controlled and let them act.

Heads-up in position on K87 with Q9s, I have a gutshot to the ten, a backdoor flush draw and an overcard. A small c-bet of about 36% pot uses my range advantage and can fold out better hands.

Top pair with a decent kicker is strong enough to continue against this modest flop bet. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessary escalation.

With top pair and a modest kicker, checking out of position keeps the pot manageable and lets the preflop raiser act. I can respond to a river bet with more information.

A gutshot to the straight plus a queen overcard gives a decent semi-bluff. Betting about 60% pot can fold out weaker pairs and draws that check-called the flop, while keeping 4 clean outs to the straight if called.

Top pair with a reasonable kicker is strong enough to continue against this turn bet, but raising risks isolating myself against stronger kings or made hands. I’ll call and evaluate the river.

Top pair has reasonable showdown value, but the river completes several straight draws and worse hands are unlikely to call a bet. Check to avoid value-owning myself.

Q-high has no showdown value after the missed double-gutter. Villain's check-call line looks capped at one-pair hands, and we block KQ and T9, so a roughly 75% pot bluff can fold out Jx, 8x and weaker Kx.

Top pair has enough showdown value, and the price requires only about 30% equity. The connected runout and strong river sizing are concerning, but the button can also be barreling missed draws or weaker hands.