Hold'em table

A4 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

AKo is a premium hand 3-handed facing a button raise; 3-betting for value isolates the opener and avoids playing out of position in a multiway pot with a flat call.

Six-five offsuit is too weak to cold-call a three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act. It also lacks useful blockers for a four-bet bluff.

A4 offsuit is often dominated by a small-blind three-betting range and plays poorly against a large raise, even in position.

AJo on the button in 3-handed play is a strong open; raising builds pot in position and can take the blinds.

T4 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

8-3 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

Eight-deuce offsuit is near the bottom of the button's range and lacks sufficient equity or playability to justify entering the pot without evidence that the blinds overfold.

K7 offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up against the big blind and can win the pot preflop.

5-4 offsuit is too weak to defend the big blind against a 3x small-blind raise, even in position postflop.

8-4 offsuit is too weak to open from the button without a reason to expect the blinds to fold often.

Heads-up against the big blind after the button fold, J4o has reasonable equity for just 50 more into a 150 pot despite being out of position postflop.

With 6-4 offsuit, checking takes a free flop in position against the small blind without inflating the pot with a weak hand.

With only a paired board and Jack kicker, I have marginal showdown value heads-up and no reason to build a pot; checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity cheaply.

A half-pot stab can profitably fold out many unpaired hands after the small blind checks. Six-high has almost no showdown value, so taking a modest shot at the pot is preferable to relying on improvement.

With just jack-high on a paired Q-Q-T board out of position, calling 100 offers poor equity against a big-blind betting range and no strong draw to improve.

Q4 suited on the button in a 3-handed game is playable and benefits from position; raising to 2.5bb pressures the blinds and can win the pot outright while building a pot in position if called.

K7 suited has enough equity against a typical button opening range to call for 200 into a 400-chip pot, especially with no rake. Calling preserves its suited-hand potential without inflating the pot out of position.

4-2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a raise and a call, despite the low price.

Middle pair plus a king-high flush draw has strong equity but benefits from checking out of position to the preflop raiser. Checking keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while preserving the option to call or check-raise a bet.

In position as preflop raiser with a gutshot, overcard and backdoor hearts, a half-pot c-bet has fold equity plus equity when called.

Middle pair with a king-high flush draw has strong equity and comfortably meets the 25% pot-odds requirement. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding an unnecessarily inflated pot out of position.

I have a pair and a king-high flush draw, but the four-straight board makes betting for value thin. Checking preserves my equity and avoids facing a raise while allowing me to reassess against the opponent’s bet size.

I have an 8-high straight with my 4 on a 5-6-7-8 board. Betting for value and protection against 9/T straight draws and spade flush draws after opponent checked.

My pair and king-high flush draw retain equity against a wide betting range, with additional river cards offering improvement or a split pot. Calling preserves those possibilities and potential river value without inflating the pot against a made straight.

My flush draw missed, leaving a weak pair with some showdown value. Checking avoids betting into the opponent’s strong two-barrel range while preserving the chance to beat missed draws.

I have an eight-high straight, but any nine beats me and the turn call signals many nine-straight hands. Checking avoids paying those hands while still winning the pot against sets, two pair, and missed draws at showdown.

Q3 offsuit is below a standard button opening range at 100 big blinds. Folding avoids investing with a weak, often-dominated hand against two live blinds.

Calling 50 with a suited hand is inexpensive heads-up against the big blind. Raising would build a larger pot with a weak holding out of position.

With 2-9 offsuit in the big blind and a free check after the small blind limped, checking preserves chips and realizes equity for free rather than bluffing a very weak hand.

Top pair is likely ahead of the big blind’s wide checking range. A modest bet charges club draws and weaker hands without building an oversized pot with a weak kicker.

Bottom pair plus a club flush draw gives many outs and showdown value in position, easily justifying a call of 130 into 330.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws, while a moderate bet charges the flush draws on this turn.

Bottom pair plus a club flush draw gives roughly flush and trips outs plus showdown value against draws, close to the 26% equity needed for 260 into 720 in position.

I have a disguised six-high straight. A 550-chip value bet can get called by a ten or two pair while limiting my exposure to a flush or higher straight.

Only bottom pair of twos on a board with straight and flush possibilities after facing bets on all three streets; calling 550 needs too much equity against value hands that beat me.