Hold'em table

Pocket sixes on the button in a 3-handed game are strong enough to raise for initiative and position. A 3x raise puts pressure on the blinds and can take the pot down preflop or set up good postflop spots.

Seat 1 raised to 300 and seat 2 folded, so I'm facing a 200 call. With Ac-7s I have top-card strength and a backdoor flush draw, making a call reasonable in position against a single raise. I'll see a flop and reassess.

I have a backdoor flush draw and overcard with 7s Ac on an 8c 4h Jc flop, but no pair yet. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a cheap turn card to improve.

Checking back the turn keeps the pot small and preserves the option to control the river with my backdoor straight draw, while avoiding building a big pot with a marginal hand.

Opponent checked twice, suggesting weakness. My two pair (8s and 6s) has showdown value and can get called by worse pairs or draws, so a bet for value/protection is profitable.

The board pairs the 8, giving me a backdoor flush draw and gutshot to a straight, but I have no made hand. Calling 400 into a 1050 pot keeps me in with implied odds while avoiding a raise that would price me out.

The board is a scary set of 8s with a J kicker; my 7s-2c is a weak high-card hand that likely only wins if opponent bluffs. Checking maximizes fold equity and avoids building a pot with a marginal hand on the river.

I have a full house (eights full of sixes) on a board with trips; opponent checked the river, so I bet for value.

The board is 8c 4h Jc 8h 8s, giving me a pair of Aces with a 7 kicker. Seat 1's river raise to 700 likely represents a set of 8s or a bluff; calling is reasonable to see a showdown without overcommitting.

With 4h 9d in the small blind facing a 50 chip call and no action from the big blind, the hand is too weak to continue. Folding preserves my stack for better opportunities.

I have a pocket pair of 7s, which has decent potential to hit a set on the flop. The pot odds are favorable at 150 to call 100, so calling is better than folding. I'll see a cheap flop and decide on later streets.

Pocket threes has set-mining value, and calling only 50 into a 250 pot is cheap; I want to keep the pot small out of position and fold to significant pressure.

K7o is a marginal hand and I can see a free flop from the big blind, so checking is the safest way to preserve chips while seeing the board.

With an underpair on a paired, draw-heavy board, checking controls the pot and avoids building a large pot out of position.

I have K-high with no real draw on a paired board, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free turn.

The board is paired with two Tens, and my 77 is vulnerable to overcards and sets; checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a bigger pot with a marginal hand.

I have a full house (threes full of tens) on a paired board. Betting for value to build the pot and charge any draws or weaker made hands.

I only have King-high with no real draw on a paired board, and facing a turn bet I don't have enough equity to continue. Folding saves chips for a better spot.

I have a pair of sevens with a ten on board; calling keeps me in the hand against a single opponent who raised turn, and the pot odds justify staying for a potential showdown or river bluff catch.

I have a full house (333TT) on a paired board and should bet for value against likely Tx, Qx, or flush hands. A pot-sized bet builds the pot while still likely getting called by worse.

Calling 600 to win a 1300 pot is +EV; my sevens are a strong bluff-catcher against a missed flush draw, and folding would be too cautious.

A2o is marginal but I have button position in a 3-handed game, and a small raise can steal the blinds or isolate weaker hands. I can shut down postflop if called.

Q8o is too weak to continue against a 3x button raise out of position, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding preserves my stack for better spots.

I hold 2s 5c, a very weak hand. Facing a 300 raise from the button with only 200 to call, the pot odds and hand strength do not justify continuing preflop.

KQo is strong enough to raise from the button, and I want to take control of the pot with position.

I hold 2h 8s, a weak offsuit hand. Facing a raise to 300 with only 250 to call, the pot odds don't justify a call with such a disconnected hand, so folding preserves my stack.

46o is too weak to defend out of position against a button raise; folding avoids playing a dominated hand with poor postflop equity.

I have QTs on the button with no prior investment. Calling the 100 big blind is a standard play to see a flop and realize equity without overcommitting preflop.

53o is too weak to complete out of position against a button limp, even with 5:1 pot odds; folding avoids postflop trouble.

Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity with middle pair out of position rather than bloating the pot against a limper who likely wants to see a flop.

I have a pair of sixes with an open-ended straight draw. Betting protects my hand and builds the pot.

Calling the 150 bet with QTs on a 3s-8h-7c board keeps me in the hand at low cost. I have a backdoor flush draw and gutshot straight draw, and the opponent's continuation bet is small enough to justify a call.

Board is paired with an 8, and my QTs is a weak showdown value hand. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me realize equity without building a big pot with a marginal hand.

My pair of sixes has some showdown value but is vulnerable on this paired, straight-completing board. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free showdown rather than value-betting into a better hand.

Board is paired with an 8, and my Q-high with a Ten kicker is unlikely to be best; checking to see a showdown is the safest play with no value in betting.