Hold'em table

86o off the button is a weak hand facing a call with two players behind; folding is standard.

Button folded, so it's SB vs BB heads-up with 100bb. Q5o is a reasonable raise in SB vs BB blind-vs-blind; raising to 3bb takes initiative and often picks up the pot preflop.

J4 suited has enough equity to defend the big blind against a likely wide small-blind open, and calling keeps the pot manageable with a marginal hand out of position.

As the preflop raiser on a K-high rainbow board, a small range c-bet is standard; Q5o has minimal showdown value so we take the fold equity cheaply and give up if raised or called without improvement.

The small bet offers favorable pot odds, and J-high retains some equity from an overcard and backdoor spade possibilities. Calling keeps the pot controlled without turning a weak hand into a bluff raise.

Bottom pair with Q kicker on a very connected board after villain called flop; betting again gets called by better and folds out worse, so check to control the pot and possibly see a cheap showdown.

I have an open-ended straight draw with eight apparent outs, so taking the free river card keeps the pot controlled while preserving my equity.

Our pair of fives with Q kicker is a weak bluff-catcher on a board where any 8 or 3 makes a straight; betting gets called mostly by better hands, so checking and deciding versus a bet is best.

My pair of fours has some showdown value, and betting is unlikely to get better hands to fold or worse hands to call. I'll take the free showdown.

J5 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is a marginal hand; it's below a standard button opening range and folding avoids playing a weak, easily dominated hand out of position postflop against the blinds.

Calling gets a favorable price with suited cards heads-up, while avoiding an unnecessary raise with a weak hand out of position.

8c4h offsuit is very weak but I can check for free from the BB and give it up on later streets; folding voluntarily isn't needed.

I have no meaningful draw or showdown value on this flop, so I’ll take the free option rather than bluff into the big blind.

I have 8-high on a J-K-6 board with no draw; checking is free and I can fold to any bet.

I have a flush draw with four spades showing, and both players checked the flop. A small turn bet gives me a chance to win immediately while building the pot when called.

With 8c4h on J-K-6-8 I only have second pair on the board's lowest card, no draws, facing a turn bet. Folding is the profitable choice.

J9 offsuit is a playable button open in a three-handed game. Raising to 250 applies pressure while keeping the size modest.

35s is dominated trash facing a 2.5x raise; folding is clearly best.

Q9 suited in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open with the small blind folded: getting 400:150 pot odds, closing the action, with a playable suited hand that flops well. Calling is standard; 3-betting is marginal and folding is too tight.

Out of position in the big blind with Q9 on a 3-8-T flop; I have a gutshot plus overcard but no made hand, so checking to the preflop raiser and realizing equity cheaply is best.

I have an open-ended straight draw and position, so a small continuation bet can take the pot now while building it when called.

Facing a small c-bet (180 into 550) with a gutshot to the nut straight, a backdoor club draw, and an overcard; pot odds plus implied odds and the chance to take the pot away later make calling clearly profitable.

I hold Q9 with an open-ended straight draw (J or 6 completes) but no pair on 3-8-T-7; checking to the preflop aggressor keeps the pot controlled and lets me realize equity cheaply or see a free river.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand, and checking takes a free river while avoiding a check-raise or inflating the pot against the caller's likely pair or draw.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a river that completed the flush and several straights; betting out of position mostly gets called by better hands, so check and evaluate against a possible bet.

I have a strong straight and can get value from sets and weaker made hands, though the river completes a possible flush. A modest bet limits the cost against a flush while still inviting calls.

Top pair of queens on a flush-completed river; villain's small bet (400 into 910) offers ~23% pot odds and his turn check weakens a flush/strong-hand story, so calling catches missed draws and thinner value bets.

Ace-six offsuit on the button is worth a small steal-raise against blinds; folding is too weak and calling gives poor position-free value.

Pocket deuces facing a 3x button open at 100bb deep; set-mining is marginally profitable with ~40:1 implied odds and the BB may still come along. Folding or 3-betting are both worse than a call here.

A♥5♥ is a playable suited ace with good potential to make strong draws, and the call is inexpensive relative to the pot. I’ll avoid inflating the pot out of position against both the opener and caller.

Pocket deuces on a 9-5-8 two-tone board is a weak underpair with little equity against two opponents; checking as first to act keeps the pot small and lets me see what the button does.

With a weak pair on a connected, two-diamond flop and multiple opponents still in the hand, checking keeps the pot controlled and avoids betting into stronger hands or draws.

I hold Ad on a two-tone draw board with backdoor straight potential in position; checking keeps the pot small and lets me see free equity. A lean bet here is thin with two active opponents who showed preflop strength, so pot control is preferred.

Pocket deuces on a 9-5-8-Q board with a flush draw out there is a weak holding first to act into two opponents; betting has little fold equity and no value, so I check and plan to fold to significant action.

A pair of fives is a marginal showdown hand on this connected board, and betting into two opponents risks being called mostly by better hands. I’ll take the free river card.

Everyone checked twice, so I can take the 900 pot with a small stab; ace-high may even be best and a fold-heavy field likely folds.

Pocket deuces on 9-5-8-Q with a diamond draw board is near-bottom of range facing a turn bet with a player still behind; we have essentially two outs and no showdown value, so folding is clearly best.

The small turn bet gives favorable pot odds, and my pair of fives with an ace kicker can bluff-catch against a delayed stab. Raising would isolate me against stronger hands without much value.

My pair of fives is weak on this connected board, and the river improves several draws and pairs. Checking avoids building a pot with a hand unlikely to get called by worse.

I hold ace-high only; seat_3 called a turn bet, so a bluff has little fold equity. Checking is free and ace-high may still win at showdown.

K7o on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising to 2.5bb applies pressure to both blinds and takes initiative with a hand that plays fine in position.

K5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QTo suited has decent playability heads-up against a 2.5x open; calling keeps the pot small with position on the aggressor next street.

QT on a dry paired board has showdown value but little fold equity heads-up; checking keeps the pot small and cheap.

Paired, dry board (9-2-2) favors the preflop raiser's range; a small c-bet with K7 (king-high, some equity) folds out hands like A-high, underpairs to 9 rarely but many unpaired broadways, cheaply.

QTh has no showdown value on a paired low board and seat_2 bet into my check, indicating strength. Folding avoids wasting more chips.

Q7 offsuit is a reasonable button open in a three-handed game, and raising applies pressure to the blinds while taking advantage of position.

94o is far too weak to call 2.5bb out of position against a button raise; folding is clearly best.

K8o in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open with 150 to call into a 400 pot (~2.7:1 odds); against a wide button range this is a marginal but standard defend, and position disadvantage is offset by the price.

Bottom pair with a king kicker on a connected board; checking to the preflop raiser is standard, and I can decide whether to call a continuation bet based on sizing.

Check back with a weak gutshot and backdoor club draw, taking the free turn rather than betting into a board that likely connects with the big blind's calling range.

Bottom pair plus a gutshot to the nut straight; the ace on the turn hits the preflop raiser's range hard, so I'll check to keep the pot small and see a cheap river rather than bluff into a card that favors them.

I have no made hand, but the turn gives me an open-ended straight draw. A small bet can pressure the opponent after two checks while preserving a reasonable price if called.

Bottom pair plus a gutshot to the nut straight (any Q) facing a small turn bet; getting better than 4:1 with implied odds, so calling is clearly profitable while raising risks being wrong against Ax.

Bottom pair of eights on a scary A-J-T board with a third heart on the river; little value to bet and no flush blockers to bluff, so check and evaluate the opponent's action.

I have ace-high with a queen kicker and no meaningful river draw; checking can win against missed draws, while a bluff is unlikely to fold better hands that called the turn.