Hold'em table

Q7o on the button in 3-handed play sits well inside a standard opening range, so I'm stealing the blinds with a 2.5bb open.

JTs is a strong suited connected hand that can profitably continue from the small blind against a button open, especially with deep stacks.

J3 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a raise and a call. The favorable pot odds do not make up for how rarely it can realize its equity.

With only jack-high and a backdoor diamond draw on an ace-high flop, checking preserves flexibility and avoids inflating the pot out of position.

The ace-high board favors my button opening range, and a small c-bet gets called by weaker hands. Q7 also has a gutshot to a straight with a 4 and some backdoor equity.

J-high has no made hand or meaningful immediate draw on this ace-high board, so folding to the continuation bet is best.

Button open with an ace in a three-handed game; a modest raise applies pressure while keeping weaker ace situations manageable.

J-2 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 150 into 400 (27% equity needed) against a button open, Q8o is a comfortable defend from the big blind heads-up.

Middle pair with a weak kicker out of position against the button's range; checking controls the pot and lets me check-call a reasonable bet.

I’ll make a small continuation bet in position, leveraging the ace-high heart draw and my preflop range advantage while giving weaker holdings a difficult decision.

Middle pair with a heart backdoor draw is getting great odds (200 to win 750) against a small c-bet from the button, so calling is the best option. Folding is too tight and raising turns the hand into a bluff.

Top-and-bottom two pair is strong on this turn; a medium lead gets value from Qx, Jx and draws while denying free cards, and keeps the pot controlled against made flushes.

I have the nut flush on a coordinated board and should raise for value against smaller flushes, sets, and strong one-pair hands. A moderate raise keeps worse hands and draws involved.

Queens and eights is too strong to fold at 22% pot odds, but on a three-heart board a shove mostly gets called by flushes and sets. Calling keeps their bluffs and draws in and controls the pot.

Queens and eights is weak against a turn check-raise on a three-heart board, where the raiser's range is heavy with flushes, straights, sets and better two pair. The king river also improves hands like KQ and AT. I'll check and avoid betting into a range that dominates me.

I have the nut flush with the ace of hearts on this completed three-heart board. Shoving maximizes value against lesser flushes, straights, and strong one-pair hands after the aggressive turn action.

Queens and eights is weak against a turn raise and river shove on a three-heart board where the river king completes AT. Value hands like flushes, straights, sets, KQ and KJ dominate villain's range, so I don't have the ~38% equity needed to call.

T5 suited is playable on the button three-handed. I raise to take initiative and pressure the blinds.

86s out of position in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a marginal hand. Folding avoids a tough spot, though a 3-bet to 900 would also have been a reasonable mix.

Defend the big blind with suited T8 against a button min-raise; it has adequate playability heads-up for the price.

Check the gutshot and backdoor hearts from out of position, preserving flexibility against the button's continuation bet.

Middle pair has showdown value, but this low connected flop favors the big blind's range. Checking back controls the pot and avoids facing a check-raise.

I have top pair on a coordinated board and should bet for value while charging diamond draws and straight draws. A substantial sizing also protects against overcards.

I have a pair and a flush draw with position. Calling preserves my draw without building a large pot against a possible straight.

Our pair of eights is a marginal showdown hand on a river that completes the diamond flush. Checking avoids turning it into a low-quality bluff against a turn caller.

I made a flush on the river. After the big blind checked, an 800-chip bet can get value from straights and weaker flushes.

One pair is a weak bluff-catcher on this coordinated three-diamond board. The river sizing is likely value-heavy from flushes, straights, and Qx.

A6 suited is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play; a standard 2.5x raise puts pressure on the blinds.

5h6h is a playable suited connector against a button open and works well as a mixed 3-bet bluff from the small blind. Raising also pressures the opener and prevents the big blind from realizing equity cheaply.

A4 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet with the original raiser still in the hand.

A6s has good playability and an ace blocker. With position and a reasonable price (650 to win 1900) against a wide 3-handed small-blind 3-bet, calling is profitable.

A small continuation bet applies pressure with our range advantage in the 3-bet pot and gives our low-equity hand a chance to win immediately.

Facing a small c-bet of about a third of the pot, we only need about 19% equity. Our ace-high with a backdoor nut flush draw, playing in position, has enough equity against a 3-bet range to continue.

We have only a weak flush draw with no made hand, so checking takes the free river card and avoids bloating the pot.

Ace-high with no draw on a wet board. The 3-bettor's checking range is full of overpairs that won't fold, so bluffing has poor fold equity. Checking back takes a free card and keeps the pot controlled.

The river pair is a strong card to represent a nine or a full-house-heavy value range after betting the flop. A substantial bluff can fold out missed overcards and some marginal one-pair holdings.

Ace-six high on a paired, straight-heavy board loses to AK, AQ and any pair, and villain's 3-bet range is full of those. Calling 2200 needs about 29% equity, and my hand beats almost none of his value range.

Pocket threes are a profitable button open three-handed, leveraging position and initiative. I use a modest 2.5bb raise.

A6 offsuit blocks strong ace holdings and is a reasonable three-bet against a button open. Raising also avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

Facing an open plus a 3-bet from the small blind with 54o, calling 850 would put me out of position in a multiway pot. My equity doesn't justify the call, so I fold.

Call in position with the small pair; the effective stacks provide sufficient implied odds to continue versus the small blind's 3-bet.

This connected flop favors the caller's range. With only ace-high and a gutshot, I prefer to check rather than build the pot out of position.

With a weak underpair on a coordinated board after the preflop 3-bet pot, checking back preserves showdown value and avoids facing a check-raise.

Ace-high has some showdown value and a gutshot, but a turn bet is unlikely to fold out many better hands after the flop checked through.

With a small pair and some showdown value against unpaired overcards, checking keeps the pot controlled after the opponent has checked twice.

Ace-high has some showdown value after both players checked the flop and turn. Betting would often fold out worse hands while getting called by pairs.

Our pocket threes have modest showdown value after the opponent checked all streets. Betting mainly folds worse hands while being called by better pairs, so checking is best.

Seven-three offsuit is too weak to play from the button against two blinds at this stack depth.

AJs is a strong hand for a blind-vs-blind spot, so I raise to 3x to take the initiative and build the pot while out of position.

Defend the big blind heads-up with a connected hand getting a favorable price against the small blind's likely wide raising range.

Top two pair on a dry A-J-4 board out of position; a moderate c-bet gets value from Ax, Jx and draws.

This dry ace-high board heavily favors the preflop raiser, and 8-high has insufficient equity or useful draws versus the continuation bet.