Hold'em table

4h8d is a weak offsuit hand, and facing the big blind from the button in a 3-handed game it is a marginal, low-equity spot, so I fold rather than play out of position against two opponents.

In the small blind after the button folds, raising with pocket fives is standard to take initiative and build the pot blind vs blind.

K6 offsuit has enough equity to defend the big blind against a small-blind open to 300, especially with position after the flop.

Holding an underpair out of position on an 8-T-2 two-tone board, checking is standard to keep the pot controlled.

King-high has some showdown value, but this flop gives me little reason to build the pot. I’ll take the free card in position.

Holding an underpair on a wet, four-to-a-straight and three-flush board, checking is the most prudent play to see the river cheaply.

The opponent has checked twice, so a turn bet can pressure weak holdings. I also have a straight draw and a club draw if called.

With an underpair of fives on a coordinated three-club board offering no redraws or reasonable equity against a turn bet, folding is the clear plus-EV play.

97 offsuit is too weak to profitably open from the button in 3-handed play, making fold the standard play.

A3 offsuit is strong enough to raise against the big blind after the button folds. Raising gives me a chance to win the pot preflop and builds value when called.

9s3s is a weak hand, and calling 200 more out of position against a 3x raise from the small blind is unprofitable. Folding is the simplest choice.

With 6-4 offsuit and no money committed, folding avoids playing a weak hand against both blinds.

Ace-five suited-ish (offsuit) A5o is a solid hand heads-up against the big blind after the button folded; raising in the small blind for value and fold equity is better than a passive call.

Defending the big blind in position with suited one-gapper J8s getting 2:1 pot odds against a standard SB open.

Heads up on a paired 8-8-3 flop with ace-high and a backdoor flush draw, acting first as the preflop raiser. A small continuation bet of about half the pot should take the pot down often against a wide big blind calling range, and I can check back later streets if called.

Flopped trips with a strong kicker in position against a half-pot c-bet; calling keeps the opponent's bluffing range wide and protects our calling range.

I have ace-high with a weak backup draw on a paired 8-8-3-T board. Seat 2 called both the preflop raise and the flop bet, so a bluff is unlikely to work and a bet would mostly get called by better hands. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

We hold trips on a board with several draw possibilities; betting half pot extracts value from flush draws, straight draws, and pocket pairs.

Ace-high with a wheel draw and a backdoor-ish outs; pot odds are 1800+600 to call 600 (4:1, needing ~20%). Calling with ace outs and a gutshot (A-5 with 3 on board plus a 4 needs 2 more) is reasonable, and raising would only get called by better hands. Folding surrenders too much equity against a wide betting range on a paired board.

Ace-high has some showdown value but rarely beats a bettor's range, and it folds out worse hands if I bet. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me decide against any bet.

We hold trips on a relatively dry runout, and seat 1's line of check-calling the turn and checking the river strongly suggests a pair like Kx or Tx that can call a half-pot value bet.

Calling 1200 to win 4800 needs about 25% equity. Ace-high beats the many missed diamond and club draws in the villain's range, and the half-pot river bet gives a fair price for a bluff-catcher.

AJo on the button in a 3-handed game is a strong hand. A 3x raise builds the pot with position against two players.

54o is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise.

QTo has enough equity to defend the big blind against a button open, and calling avoids inflating the pot out of position.

Top two pair is very strong on this dry flop. Checking lets the preflop raiser continuation-bet while keeping weaker hands in the pot.

Ace-high with a gutshot (J-T-Q needs K for Broadway) and backdoor equity on a Q-T-5 board, heads-up in position after the big blind checked. A bet of about 60% of the pot is a good semi-bluff that can fold out hands like a weak pair or draws, and it keeps decent equity if called.

Top two pair is strong on this board. Raising gets value from weaker queens and draws while charging them to continue.

Top pair with ace kicker-ish (pair of jacks with A high, gutshot to Broadway: A-J-Q-T needs K) has a decent amount of equity: a pair of jacks isn't top pair, but there's a gutshot plus an overcard ace. Pot odds of 1000 into 3450 need about 22%, and calling is fine versus a check-raise range that includes bluffs and draws; re-raising would risk too much.

The king improves many hands that could have called the flop raise, including straights and better two pair. Checking keeps the pot manageable while preserving the option to respond to a bet.

I have the nut straight (A-K-Q-J-T) on the turn. The opponent check-raised the flop and then checked the turn, so they likely hold a strong hand or a draw. I bet about half the pot to build it and get called by worse.

Two pair is strong enough to continue, but the king completes some straights and improves several hands that beat us. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding a costly raise.

Top two pair is strong enough to value-bet this blank river against hands like AK, AA, and KJ. A moderate size can get called by worse while limiting the loss when the opponent has a straight or better two pair.

Ace-Jack makes the nut Broadway straight (A-K-Q-J-T) on this board, so I shove for maximum value against a river bet.

Calling 4,300 into a 15,750-chip pot requires about 21% equity. My two pair loses to straights and stronger made hands, but it can still beat bluffs or an overplayed one-pair hand.

T6o is too weak to open from the button even in 3-handed play. Standard fold.

Pocket nines are strong heads-up against the big blind. Raising from the small blind builds value and avoids giving a free flop.

A8o offsuit is a decent hand heads-up against a small blind's 3.5x raise. Calling 250 more gets good pot odds (about 2.8:1) and I'm closing the action from the big blind. Ace-high plays fine here without inflating the pot out of position.

On this paired, dry flop, a small bet with 99 can get value from weaker pairs and deny free cards to overcards without building a large pot.

Ace-high on a paired J-2-J board has decent showdown value and an ace blocker. The pot odds are good (200 to win 900+), and a small flop c-bet from the SB is wide, so calling is better than folding or bloating the pot.

The queen makes my pocket nines less likely to be ahead of hands that called the flop. Checking controls the pot while keeping weaker hands and draws in.

Ace-high on a paired J-J board with a flush draw possible; my hand has little showdown value beyond a bluff-catcher, and seat_3 checked the turn after betting the flop. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the river cheaply.

Pocket nines have showdown value, but a river bet is unlikely to get called often by worse hands. Checking avoids building a pot against a queen or jack.

Villain checked twice after a flop c-bet, so their range is capped and includes many weaker pairs and ace-high hands. Jacks and eights with an ace kicker should win often enough to bet about half pot for thin value.

The river bet is small enough that pocket nines need to win only about 24% of the time. After the turn checks through, the opponent can have missed draws and weaker hands as well as value bets.

Q9 suited is a profitable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

T7 offsuit is weak from the small blind facing a button raise to 250 with a big blind still to act behind me. Calling 200 more out of position with this hand has poor expected value, so I fold.

Defending the big blind with KTo getting attractive pot odds against a button open.

I flopped top pair with a decent kicker in a single-raised pot out of position. Standard play is to check to the preflop aggressor and evaluate their bet.

A small continuation bet pressures the big blind's missed hands on this king-high board. My backdoor flush and straight possibilities give me some equity when called.

I have top pair with a decent kicker on a dry board, and facing a small continuation bet of 200 into 550, calling is the most standard play to keep their range wide.

I hold top pair with a gutshot straight draw on a coordinated board; checking out of position to control pot size and see how the button acts.

I have only a gutshot straight draw and little fold equity against the flop caller on this turn. Checking preserves my chance to hit a ten without investing more chips.

I have top pair with a mediocre kicker on a connected board. Checking to realize showdown value or induce a bluff from missed hands is safer than betting.

Queen-high is unlikely to win at showdown after the flop call. The river completes plausible straights, so I’ll bet to pressure weak pairs.

I hold top pair on a board where the turn was checked through. Getting better than 2.3-to-1 pot odds, calling is standard against a button river bet that can contain bluffs and weaker pairs.