Hold'em table

J9 suited is a playable button hand three-handed, and a small open-raise can exploit positional advantage while risking little.

K9o is well ahead of a wide 3-handed button opening range. From the small blind, a 3-bet works better than a flat call because it takes the initiative and squeezes out the big blind.

Five-deuce suited is too weak to defend against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

J9 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large 3-bet, particularly out of position in this short-handed configuration.

Pocket fours on the button in a 3-handed game are a clear open, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to take the initiative and put pressure on the blinds.

A small pocket pair has enough value against a button open to call at this price, with the potential to win a large pot when it hits a set.

Defend the big blind with a suited? Actually 9c8d is an offsuit connected hand with reasonable multiway equity and favorable pot odds.

With a small pocket pair on a paired, two-spade flop against two opponents, I prefer to check and avoid building the pot.

With only 9-high and no immediate made draw on this paired, two-spade board in a multiway pot, checking keeps the pot controlled.

Flopped fours full of fives, which is very strong. After two checks, a small value bet keeps weaker hands like 5x, overpairs and flush draws in the pot.

Pocket threes have little room to improve on this paired, two-spade flop. With the big blind still behind and no position on later streets, calling the bet is unlikely to be profitable.

We have no made hand or credible draw on this paired board, and calling the continuation bet out of position is unprofitable.

J4 offsuit is a weak, easily dominated button hand. With no read on the blinds, folding is preferable to opening it.

Complete the small blind with A8 offsuit heads-up against the big blind; it has sufficient equity and avoids overinflating the pot out of position.

J9o plays well against a limped small blind range, and we hold position postflop. Raising to 4x isolates the limper and takes the initiative, while checking would also be acceptable.

A8 offsuit is not strong enough to continue from the small blind against a large big-blind isolation raise.

Button 87 offsuit is a playable steal hand three-handed; raising applies pressure to the blinds while retaining initiative.

A4o from the small blind against a button open is too weak to flat out of position with the big blind still to act, so I prefer a 3-bet or a fold. A4 has good blockers, so I'm choosing a 3-bet to 10bb as a semi-bluff, accepting that this is a mixed spot.

Pocket nines are strong enough to continue against a small blind three-bet in a three-handed game. Calling keeps weaker hands in without building a large pot out of position against the button.

Suitedness is absent and 87o performs poorly facing a large 3-bet plus a cold call. Folding avoids continuing out of position in a bloated multiway pot.

This K-Q-high board favors my 3-bet range. A small c-bet with the ace blocker and a backdoor nut flush draw applies pressure and can take the pot down now.

The small flop bet gives a reasonable price to continue in position with pocket nines. I can reassess if the opponent bets heavily on the turn.

I have ace-high with no draw on the turn, and the big blind's flop-calling range is heavy with kings, queens and draws that won't fold to a barrel. Checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me give up cheaply.

My pocket nines have some showdown value, but a turn bet is unlikely to get called by worse hands often enough. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me reassess on the river.

Ace-high almost never wins at showdown here. The river completed both the flush and the broadway straight, and holding the Ac blocks the nut flush, so a bet of about 70% pot credibly represents a strong hand and can fold out their Kx, Qx and pocket pairs.

Pocket nines beat very few hands that would make this river bet after three-betting preflop. The jack and third club also improve several plausible hands, so calling 2600 is unlikely to be profitable.

J9o is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play; a 2.5bb raise to steal the blinds with position.

T5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

K9 offsuit is comfortably strong enough to defend the big blind against a button 2.5bb open, especially heads-up in position disadvantage. Calling preserves its equity without inflating the pot.

K-high has little showdown value on this ace-high paired board, but checking preserves flexibility and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

K-high has little showdown value, but the paired ace board is difficult to credibly pressure after checking the flop. Checking preserves equity and avoids an unnecessary bluff.

The big blind has checked twice, which caps their range as weak, and our J-high has almost no showdown value. A roughly 64% pot stab should take it down often and will be credible for an ace or a six.','table_message':''}? no

K-high has no pair, no meaningful draw, and little showdown value facing a turn bet on an ace-high paired board.

K9 suited is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot while keeping the opening size controlled.

K3 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still behind.

62o is near the bottom of the big blind defense range against a 2.5x button open. It plays poorly out of position, so folding is standard even at these pot odds.