Hold'em table

42 offsuit is one of the worst starting hands; with two players already in the pot and no fold equity worth exploiting, folding on the button is clearly the most profitable play.

In a blind versus blind situation after the button folds, J9o has sufficient equity and playability to open-raise for value and to contest the pot.

Pocket nines are strong enough to defend the big blind against a small-blind open, but calling keeps the pot manageable and avoids building a large pot against a potential four-bet.

I have second pair with a mediocre kicker on an Ace-high board out of position, making a check best for pot control.

With a medium-strength underpair on an ace-high, coordinated flop, checking preserves showdown value and avoids building a pot against the raiser’s stronger hands.

I have second pair with a mediocre kicker on an Ace-high board; checking controls the pot and lets me see a river cheaply.

Pocket nines have some showdown value, but this ace-high board favors the preflop raiser's range. Checking back avoids building a pot against better hands while keeping weaker hands in the mix.

We have second pair with a mediocre kicker, which has decent showdown value after checking down through the turn. Checking gives our opponent a chance to bluff or check back worse.

Pocket nines have reasonable showdown value on this ace-high board. After the preflop raiser checked every street, a thin bet is unlikely to get called by enough worse hands, so I’ll take the free showdown.

Opening with a pocket pair on the button is standard in 3-handed play, so raising to 2.5bb for value and initiative.

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

T9o is a playable connected hand heads-up against a 2.5x button open; calling 150 keeps the pot small while retaining flop potential, and folding gives up too much equity in a 3-handed format.

I whiffed the flop with T9o and I'm out of position heads-up against the preflop raiser; checking keeps the pot small and lets me fold cheaply to aggression or see a free turn.

I hold an overpair on a low, connected board and want to bet for value and protection against overcards and draws.

I hold only T-high on a 2-6-5 board against a preflop raiser who continued betting; my double gutshot needs two running cards, so calling 250 into 800 has poor equity and folding is cheapest.

Q2 offsuit is weak, but on the button in a three-handed game it is playable as an open-raise with position. A modest raise gives the blinds a chance to fold while keeping the pot manageable.

J9s out of position against a 2.5x button raise is dominated too often and plays poorly postflop; folding avoids a marginal spot with a weak suited connector.

Holding 72 offsuit, the weakest starting hand in poker, folding to a preflop open is the obvious choice.

K5 offsuit on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open-raise spot; taking the initiative with position is profitable even though the hand is weak.

K7o is too weak to call out of position against a button raise with the big blind left to act.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend profitably against the button's raise, even with the favorable pot odds.

Pocket eights on the button is a strong opening hand 3-handed; raising to 2.5bb is standard value and aggression.

9-2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A4o is too weak to call OOP but the ace blocker makes a light 3-bet attractive in 3-handed play; it pressures the button's wide opening range and can win preflop or postflop with top pair.

We hold pocket eights on the button facing a standard 3-bet from the big blind. Calling gives us great direct and implied odds with position postflop.

I flopped top two pair with A4 and should bet strongly for value against the preflop caller's likely Ax or pair hands; ~70% pot builds the pot while I'm well ahead.

Opponent 3-bet preflop and makes a large continuation bet on an Ace-high flop, where our pocket eights have minimal equity and poor playability.

J3 suited is a reasonable button open three-handed, and raising applies pressure while taking advantage of position.

J5s is far too weak to defend out of position against a button raise; folding preserves chips for better spots.

Folding 86o from the big blind against a button open as it lacks playability out of position.