Hold'em table

Qd3d suited on the button in a 3-handed game is a standard open; raising 2.5x to steal blinds and play in position.

95s from the small blind against a 2.5x button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a weak out-of-position spot. Folding is standard here.

Getting 2.7-to-1 pot odds against a button raise from the big blind, and a button open is often wide, so calling with J5 offsuit is a reasonable defense.

I have a weak 5-J high with no pair on an A-Q-4 board, and checking is free, so I take the free showdown chance rather than bloat the pot with a bluff.

Middle pair with range advantage as preflop raiser on an A-high board; a small c-bet folds out weaker hands and extracts value from flush draws and worse while keeping the pot manageable.

Calling 200 into a 750 pot needs about 21% equity, and with Jack-high plus a possible backdoor draw against a c-bet range, a call is a reasonable price.

I hold Jack-high with no made pair on a four-card board, and checking is free with no bet to call, so I take the free card rather than bloat the pot.

Second pair with a weak kicker on a scary Ac Qh 4h Kh board with three hearts; betting folds out worse and gets called by better, so checking back to realize showdown value is best.

My J-high has no showdown value against an Ace-high board, and seat_1 checked the turn, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids a costly bluff.

I have second pair with a weak kicker on a scary board (three hearts, A and K high). Opponent called flop and checked twice; betting gets called by better and folds worse, so checking to showdown is best.

Q5 suited is a standard button open in 3-handed play, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal the blinds with a playable hand.

Ace-nine offsuit is strong enough to continue against a button raise to 250 in a three-handed pot, and calling 200 more is cheaper than a raise with my position.

ATo in the big blind facing a small button raise and a small-blind call; getting 4:1 odds to close the action with a decent hand, so calling is clearly profitable while 3-betting out of position against two players is unnecessary.

I have ace-high with a weak three-heart board draw and I'm first to act, so checking keeps the pot small and avoids bloating it out of position.

Ace-high with a backdoor flush draw on a dry low board in a 3-way pot against the preflop raiser; checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the button's action before committing chips.

Checked to me in position with a flush draw, a gutshot to the 5 (3-5-6 completes 3-6), and a queen overcard; a small c-bet on this dry, low board takes it down often and builds the pot when I hit. The 350 bet into 750 is cheap and keeps semi-bluff equity whether I'm called or not.

I have the ace of hearts with a flush draw on a three-heart board, plus ace-high backup. Calling 350 into a 1100 pot gives roughly the odds needed to continue with about nine outs.

Ace-high with only backdoor draws facing a bet and a call multiway; equity is too thin against two ranges that likely include pairs and real draws, so folding is the disciplined play.

I have a pair of nines with an ace kicker and there is no bet to call, so checking keeps the pot controlled and lets me see whether seat_2 bets again.

We turned a queen-high flush on a three-heart board, so we bet for value. Weaker flushes, sets, two pairs and single-heart draws can all call, and betting also charges hands drawing to a full house or a higher flush.

I have a pair of nines with an ace-high heart flush draw, but calling 1000 into a 2450 pot needs about 22% equity against a player who has bet aggressively on every street. That is marginal at best, so folding is the safer choice.

Button with 9s-Kc in a 3-handed pot with two limpers-in-blind positions; a raise to 300 steals the blinds with a playable suited-ish king and wins often enough preflop.

Q8 offsuit in the small blind facing a 3x open from the button with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it plays poorly out of position and is dominated by much of the button's range.

In the big blind against a 3x button open, I need 200 to win a 650 pot (about 31% equity needed). 96o is a defensible call against a wide 3-handed button range.

We have 9-high with only a weak gutshot-free backdoor draw (just a 9 and 6 on a T32 board) out of position against the preflop raiser, so checking is the standard play. Bad cards for us to bluff with.

I have king-high with no pair on a 2-3-T board, so checking to see the next card is reasonable and keeps the pot small.

With pure air, a small stab is worthwhile because the button checked back the flop, which caps its range, and the ace on the turn fits my calling range well. Checking has almost no showdown value.

I have only King-high with no pair or real draw on a 2-3-T-A board, and facing a 350 turn raise into a 1000 pot I lack the equity to continue.

Q7 offsuit on the button in a 3-handed game is marginal; it's near the bottom of a reasonable button opening range and folding avoids playing a dominated hand out of position postflop against potential 3-bets.

Q9o is a solid hand for blind-vs-blind play from the small blind. Raising to 3x takes the initiative and lets me pick up the pot with fold equity.

Facing a 200-chip call into a 400-chip pot as the big blind with a heads-up pot, 6-4 offsuit has roughly enough equity against a wide small-blind raise to justify defending.

Top pair with a weak kicker on a paired board, out of position as the preflop raiser. A small third-pot c-bet gets value from worse queens, eights-less hands and club draws, and protects against overcards while keeping the pot manageable.)

Six-four high with no pair and no real draw facing a 200 bet into an 800 pot, so calling needs far more equity than we have.

K8o is a solid button open in 3-handed play; a 2.5bb raise puts pressure on the blinds.

Nine-five offsuit is a weak hand, and facing a button raise from out of position with a 200-chip call, folding loses only my 50-chip small blind and avoids a marginal, dominated spot.

Q2 offsuit is a weak, easily dominated hand out of position against a button open; folding is the standard play despite decent pot odds.

Queen-seven suited is a playable button hand in a 3-handed game, and calling the 100-chip big blind keeps the pot small with a speculative hand.

9-2 offsuit is one of the weakest hands; completing from the small blind out of position against two players isn't profitable even at 5:1 odds given poor playability.

Q4 suited plays fine as a free check out of position against a button limp, and raising out of position with a marginal hand gains little. I'll take the free flop.

Q4 with no club on a monotone club board has almost no equity, so I check and give up unless the button checks behind and the turn brings a good card.

Pair of sevens with a queen kicker is a medium-strength hand, so I'll check to see the turn and keep the pot small.

On a four-club board with no club, my pair of fours is weak, and any club beats it. Checking keeps the pot small and gives a free showdown chance.

We hold a pair of sevens on a four-club board with no club, and the field has checked to us, so checking for a free showdown is the sensible line.

With four clubs on board and no club in my hand, my two pair (7s and 4s) only beats non-club hands, and a bet would mostly be called by flushes. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me reach a cheap showdown.

Our pair of sevens is likely best against a passive checking opponent, and betting into four clubs on the board risks running into a flush, so checking to showdown is the safer line.