Hold'em table

Opening small on the button applies pressure to the blinds while leveraging position. Suited 5-3 has enough postflop potential to include in a wide three-handed opening range.

9s2d is a very weak offsuit hand and I am out of position facing a button raise; folding avoids investing more with poor equity.

4-2 offsuit is the worst starting hand; calling 125 into a 375 pot out of position against a button open is not worth it, so I fold.

On the button with a weak suited hand, raising applies pressure on the blinds and uses position to take the initiative. If called, I can evaluate the flop and often fold to further aggression.

7c Ts is a weak offsuit hand. Calling 200 more out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act behind me, is not profitable, so I fold.

Ace-king offsuit is a strong value three-bet against a button open. Raising to 1100 builds the pot against weaker hands and charges the opener for playing in position.

Facing a large 3-bet with a weak suited gapper (3d8d) out of position relative to the aggressor, folding is best to avoid playing a dominated hand for 850 more chips.

Ace-rag suited-less (A6o) on the button in a 3-handed game is a solid open; raising to 3bb applies pressure on the blinds and builds position.

Pocket tens is strong enough to three-bet for value against a button opening range. A four-times raise compensates for being out of position and discourages the big blind from entering cheaply.

AQo is strong enough to continue against a 3-bet in a 3-handed game, and calling keeps the pot manageable while allowing us to fold if the button re-raises. Raising would commit too many chips out of position against a likely strong range.

A6o is weak facing a 3-bet from the small blind and a cold call from the big blind. I would be out of position against two players with a dominated ace, so folding is better than calling 900 more.

My overpair can get value from lower pocket pairs and draws while denying equity to overcards. A modest bet keeps weaker hands in without overcommitting against the big blind’s strong cold-calling range.

I have the nut flush draw plus two overcards on a coordinated board. Raising applies pressure and builds a pot with strong equity if called.

Calling costs 2000 to contest a final pot of 8700, requiring about 23% equity. An overpair can continue against a range containing draws and weaker overpairs; shoving would risk isolating us against stronger hands.

The ace weakens our showdown value after facing a flop raise, and betting would mostly fold weaker hands while stronger hands continue. Checking preserves chips and lets us evaluate the opponent's sizing.

I have top pair with top kicker on a draw-heavy board. The pot is large relative to stacks, so I bet for value and to charge flush and straight draws.

The flop raise followed by a substantial turn bet represents a strong range, and the ace improves several plausible spade draws to top pair. Tens have little equity against value hands, while holding the Ts blocks some natural bluffs.

Pocket fives are a standard button open three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds can win the blinds immediately while retaining position and set potential when called.

With 3c7s out of position facing a button raise, folding avoids investing more chips with a very weak hand.

Getting 400 into 150 (about 2.7-to-1) closing the action as BB against a button open, 7-6 suited-ish connector (offsuit) has enough equity and playability heads-up to defend; a 3-bet bluff is unnecessary. ,

I have 6-7 offsuit on a 4-9-K flop with only a gutshot draw (needs a 5 and 8 for a straight, so just a backdoor-ish draw). Out of position against the button's preflop raise, I'll check and see what happens rather than bluff into the raiser.

Pocket fives has some showdown value but is unlikely to get called by many worse hands on this board. Checking back controls the pot and preserves that value without risking a check-raise.

I have 6-7 on a 4-9-K-T board with three diamonds on the flop and turn, so I hold an open-ended straight draw (8 makes 6-7-8-9-10... actually 6-7-8-9-T) with no flush. The button checked the flop, so a small probe bet is possible, but checking to realize equity cheaply is fine.

Pocket fives retain some showdown value, but a bet is unlikely to get called by worse on this three-diamond board. With no diamond blocker and little ability to improve, checking keeps the pot small and takes a free river.

The board is 4h 9d Kd Td Th and I hold 6s 7c, which is just 7-high, so I can't win at showdown unless the opponent also has nothing. Both of us checked the flop and turn, so the button's range is capped and weak. A small bluff of about half the pot should fold out hands like a small pair or a bare ace-high, and it risks little if called.}

My fives are only a weak bluff-catcher on this paired, three-diamond board. Calling requires about 26% equity, and without useful value blockers or evidence of frequent river bluffs, folding is preferable.

Q8s on the button is strong enough to raise in a 3-handed game, applying pressure on the blinds and taking initiative with position.

5h4c is a weak offsuit hand. Calling 250 more out of position against a button raise, with the big blind still to act behind me, is not profitable, so I fold.

53 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb button raise out of position. Its poor equity realization makes calling unprofitable, and it lacks useful blockers for a bluff raise.

7-2 suited is the worst starting hand and I'm out of position postflop against two opponents, so I fold rather than pay 100 to call.

Pocket jacks are a strong value raise heads-up against the big blind. Raising to 3 big blinds builds the pot against weaker hands and denies cheap equity while out of position.

We are getting 2:1 pot odds with a suited connector that can flop well; calling is profitable given implied odds and deep stacks.

JJ has showdown value but is vulnerable on this two-overcard, two-spade flop. Checking keeps the pot manageable out of position and avoids betting into a range whose stronger hands and draws readily continue.

I have bottom pair plus a four-flush draw on a coordinated board, so betting as a semi-bluff can take the pot down or build value with strong equity if called.

The half-pot bet requires 25% equity, and JJ retains enough showdown value against a wide blind-versus-blind stabbing range that includes draws and bluffs. Call once and reassess the turn; raising would mostly isolate stronger hands.

JJ has showdown value, but betting is unlikely to get called by many worse hands or fold out better ones. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets the opponent continue bluffing with draws.

I have two pair (Kings and Sixes) plus a flush draw, so I bet for value and to protect my hand against draws.

JJ is only a bluff-catcher against this second barrel, and holding two jacks blocks several natural straight-draw bluffs. With many Kx and Qx hands available to defend instead, folding this weaker pair is preferable.