Hold'em table

As the button in a three-handed game, 87 offsuit is a reasonable open-raise; a modest sizing applies pressure while preserving room to maneuver postflop.

T5 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open to 2.5bb, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position.

Pocket threes are worth defending against a button raise at this price, with enough stack depth to benefit when I flop a set.

Pocket threes have little showdown value on this ace-high flop, and betting out of position is unlikely to get called by worse hands.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on an ace-high, two-heart board, so I’ll take the free card rather than bluff into the caller.

Pocket threes are weak on this high-card, three-heart board, and I have no heart to support a bluff or improve to a flush. Checking avoids building the pot out of position.

I have no meaningful draw or showdown value, and the paired king plus three-heart board gives the caller plenty of hands that can continue against a bluff. I’ll take the free river card.

My pair of threes has limited showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to fold out many better hands on this board. Checking avoids risking more chips with a weak bluff candidate.

With only eight-high, checking has almost no showdown value. A modest river bluff can fold missed draws and some weak pairs after the opponent has checked throughout.

Pocket threes beat only bluffs here, and the river bet can represent many pairs or a heart flush. Without a heart blocker, calling is unlikely to be profitable.

JTo is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative and apply pressure to the blinds.

Nine-six offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K5 offsuit is weak but has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button raise at this price. Calling keeps the pot manageable.

With only king-high and a backdoor diamond draw, checking out of position is preferable to leading into the preflop raiser.

We flopped trips with a straight draw and a flush draw on a wet board, so we bet for value and protection. Plenty of weaker Qx, draws and worse Jx hands will call.

K-high has no pair or immediate draw, and the bet is a substantial portion of the pot. The backdoor possibilities are not enough to justify calling.

On the button, 6-5 offsuit is a reasonable small open in a three-handed game. A min-raise keeps the investment modest while giving me position postflop.

A7 offsuit is strong enough to defend against a small button raise three-handed, but calling keeps the pot manageable out of position.

Calling 100 into a 500 pot gives 6:1 odds, and K2o has enough raw equity against a button min-raise and an SB caller to continue, despite poor realization multiway.

With three players seeing a coordinated flop, ace-high without a meaningful draw is not strong enough to bet. I’ll check and keep the pot small.

K-high with no draw on a wet J-high board in a 3-way pot, with the preflop raiser still to act behind; checking realizes equity cheaply and avoids bluffing into two players.

With a weak pair in a three-way pot, checking controls the pot and avoids building it against stronger jacks or draws.

With three players and only ace-high, betting into a checked-through flop risks building a pot without much protection or value. I’ll take the free river and preserve showdown value.

The flop checked through three ways and the small blind checked the turn again, so both opponents look weak. A small half-pot stab with king-high has reasonable fold equity, since it only needs to work about a third of the time.

Trip fives are strong here, and raising gets value from jacks and draws while charging the two flush draws.

I have only ace-high with no meaningful draw, and a bet plus a substantial raise makes continuing unprofitable.

K-high with no draw facing a big check-raise on a paired board. Calling 800 into a 2000 pot needs about 29% equity, which I don't have, and continuing as a bluff against a range this strong is poor.

Q8 suited is a profitable button open in a three-handed game. A 2.5x raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.}

Three-handed, the button's opening range is wide. J9s plays poorly out of position as a flat with the big blind still to act, so I'm using it as a semi-bluff 3-bet for fold equity and initiative.

T2 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

Q8 suited is too weak to continue against a large small-blind 3-bet, even in position; calling would require substantial equity.

Q7o is a standard open from the button in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds.'

Q7 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

The 150-chip call gets a favorable price against a button open, and 9-5 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind heads-up.

I have no meaningful made hand or immediate draw on this flop, so checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to respond to a later bet.

As the in-position preflop raiser on a K-high board, I have a range advantage. Q7 has backdoor flush and straight equity and little showdown value, so a small c-bet can win the pot now.

I have no pair or meaningful draw on a king-high board, so calling the flop bet is not justified.

K5 suited is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5 big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Q8 suited has enough playability to defend against the button’s small open, though calling keeps the pot manageable out of position with the big blind still to act.

A3 suited in the big blind is getting 150 to win 600 in a multiway pot (20% equity needed), and it plays well multiway with its nut flush and wheel potential. Squeezing is less attractive because the SB flatted and could be strong.

I have only queen-high with no immediate draw on a multiway flop, so I’ll take the free option and see whether action develops.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker in a 3-way pot on a K-high board, out of position with the preflop raiser still to act. It has showdown value but plays poorly as a bet, so I check and let the button continuation-bet.

Top pair is worth a modest value and protection bet after both opponents checked. The smaller size can get calls from weaker pairs without building an oversized pot with a weak kicker.

I have no pair or meaningful draw, and the button's bet into two opponents gives me poor equity for a call. I fold and avoid continuing with the big blind still to act.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker against a small c-bet (300 into 750) is well ahead of the button's air and has good equity. Calling is fine because we only need about 22% equity to continue.

Our 3s with an ace kicker has showdown value but is vulnerable, and we are out of position. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the button's bluffs and weaker hands keep betting, so we can check-call a reasonable bet.

Top pair can get value from weaker pairs and draws. A modest turn bet keeps those hands in while limiting the pot against stronger kings or a nine.

Our pair of threes (two pair with the board's nines) has decent showdown value against a button that may be barreling wide. The small bet only requires about 21% equity, so a call is profitable.

On a paired board we hold third pair with an ace kicker, which beats bluffs but loses to Kx and 9x. Checking lets the button bluff and avoids getting value-owned by betting into a better hand.

Top pair with a weak kicker has showdown value, but a third bet is unlikely to get called often enough by worse hands. Checking avoids paying more against a nine or a better king.