Hold'em table

A4 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, with an ace blocker and position against both blinds. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure while keeping the investment modest.

85o is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

A2o suited with an ace in the big blind, getting 400:150 (about 2.7 to 1) against a button min-raise-ish open of 2.5bb in 3-handed play. The hand has enough equity and a good price to defend, and a 3-bet bluff is unnecessary.}

Ace-high on a paired 7-5-7 board is likely the best hand heads-up against a button open-raiser's wide range, and I act first. A small bet of about 36% of the pot gets value from worse aces and denies equity to overcards, while giving up little if raised.

The small lead gives me favorable pot odds, and ace-high can still beat draws and unpaired bluffs on this paired board. Calling in position preserves that showdown value and lets me reassess on the turn.

I have trips-ish strength: two pair-ish? Actually Ah with board A-7-7-5 gives two pair, aces and sevens, with a wheel draw too. Bet for value and protection with about half pot against a opponent who called a flop bet.}

The ace gives me enough showdown value to call 500 into 1450 against a range that can include draws and bluffs. Raising would tend to fold weaker hands while getting action from trips and stronger aces.

I hold Ah 2c on 7s 5h 7d Ad Ac, which is a full house (aces full of sevens) and beats almost everything. The opponent called the flop and turn, so a value bet of about half the pot should get called by weaker aces or sevens.

My aces-full beats every seven-containing full house except pocket sevens, while another ace ties. A substantial value raise can get called by weaker full houses without the excessive size of a shove.

I hold Ah2c on 7s5h7dAdAc, which makes aces full of sevens. Only a seven, a pocket pair (77 or AA) or Ax with a better kicker can beat that, and none is likely given the line. Villain's big river raise could be a bluff or a value hand like 77 or 55, but the pot odds (2400 to win 8550) make a call clearly correct. A re-raise risks folding out worse hands and only getting called by better ones.}

On the button with a suited queen, raising applies pressure on the blinds and takes initiative with position.

Q9 offsuit from the small blind facing a button raise, with the big blind still to act behind, is a weak hand that plays poorly out of position in a three-way pot. Calling 200 more is not worth it.

T3 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 2.5bb button raise. Its poor playability and equity realization out of position make folding preferable to calling or bluff-raising.

On the button with 5-6 offsuit, calling 100 into a 150 pot gets about 2.5-to-1 with position in a 3-handed game. The hand is playable at that price, but not strong enough to raise.}

7-3 offsuit has poor equity realization from the small blind, even with the favorable price. Folding avoids investing more with a weak hand while the big blind can still raise.

With Q8s in the big blind and only the button limping, checking closes the action and sees a flop cheaply. Raising out of position with a weak offsuit hand adds unnecessary risk.

Out of position with no pair and an A-high board, checking controls the pot and lets me see a free turn with a gutshot.

Heads-up on the button against a checking big blind on an A-J-9 board. I have only 6-high with a gutshot (needs 7-8 for a straight with 5-6... actually 7-8 makes 5-6-7-8-9), so a small stab can win the pot now and has some equity if called.

My Q8 has only a gutshot on an ace-high flop and I am facing a bet with poor immediate odds, so folding is the disciplined play.

K5 offsuit is a reasonable button open three-handed, with position and a king blocker supporting a blind steal. A small raise limits exposure while retaining fold equity.

T4o is a weak offsuit hand out of position against a button raise, so folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity.

Q6o in the big blind facing a 2.25x button open gets about 3:1 pot odds (125 to win 375 plus my call), so calling is profitable despite the weak kicker. A 3-bet bluff with this hand is not worthwhile.

I have a backdoor-ish nut flush draw with Qs6c on Ac Tc 8c? Actually I hold the 6c, giving a flush draw (6c with three clubs on board is four to a flush) plus a Q overcard. Out of position against the button's raise, checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize my equity.

A small continuation bet leverages my preflop range advantage on this ace-high board and can fold out unpaired hands. The club provides some backup equity, while the small sizing limits exposure to stronger flush draws and made hands.

The flop is Ac Tc 8c and I hold the 6c, which gives me a nut-flush-less but real flush draw, plus a backdoor-free Q-high. The opponent bet only 125 into 500, so the price is about 4.8 to 1 and my draw with outs to a flush justifies a call rather than a fold or bluff raise.

I have a queen-high flush draw to the nut-ish board with a gutshot (Q needs J for the straight A-K-Q-J-T). Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply against a button who has been betting.

Second pair has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands on this coordinated board. Checking controls the pot and lets us realize our equity with a low club draw.

Queen-high on an A-K-T-8-3 board has no showdown value against a range that bet the flop and checked the turn. Seat_1 probably holds some ace or pair that beats me, so a bluff is unlikely to work, and checking is the safe play.

Second pair has enough showdown value to check back, but a bet is unlikely to get called by many worse hands. Checking avoids paying off an ace or a cautiously played flush.

K2o is a weak, easily dominated hand; folding avoids investing chips preflop with poor equity and no reads.

3-5 offsuit is a weak hand, and out of position against the big blind it is not worth calling or raising. Folding costs only the 50-chip small blind.

7-6 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed pot is a marginal hand. Calling 100 to win a 250 pot gives about 2.5:1 odds and I have position, so a call is reasonable and a raise isn't needed.

Completing costs only 50 chips into a 250-chip pot, giving favorable 5-to-1 odds. Although 6♦2♦ is weak, its suited potential makes a cheap flop worthwhile; raising would inflate the pot out of position.

With J4o in the big blind and all players having limped, checking closes the preflop action and sees a free flop rather than investing more with a weak offsuit hand.

With six-high, no immediate draw, and two opponents on a coordinated flop, betting is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves chips and allows a free turn if the action checks through.

With J-high and no pair or strong draw on a coordinated flop, checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a pot out of position with a weak hand.

I have a pair of 7s plus a gutshot/open-ended draw (6-7 with 8, 3 on board: 7h6c on 8-7-3 gives middle pair and a draw to 4-5 or 5-9). Both opponents checked, so I bet about two-thirds of the pot for value and protection from the button. ,

Six-high has no pair or immediate straight or flush draw, and calling requires too much equity against a multiway bet. Folding avoids investing further with a very weak hand out of position.

My J-high has almost no equity against a flop raise, and calling 200 with no pair or draw is not profitable. Folding avoids further losses.