Hold'em table

Pocket aces are the strongest starting hand. A standard button raise builds the pot while leaving room for worse hands to call.

86o from the small blind facing a 3x button open with the big blind still to act is a clear fold; it is out of position and too weak to call or 3-bet.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button 3x open from the big blind.

Q6o is a reasonable button open in a 3-handed game with only the blinds left to act, so I'm raising to 2.5bb to steal.

Calling from the small blind with suited-by-rank-connected 87o is reasonable at this small raise size in a three-handed pot, preserving playability and closing action before the big blind responds.

Calling 150 into a 600-chip pot is a reasonable price with K-T offsuit, though playing out of position makes a reraise unattractive.

With middle pair and a gutshot in a three-way raised pot, checking keeps the pot controlled and allows us to evaluate opponents' actions.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot manageable in this multiway pot and lets me respond to the button's action.

Top pair on a draw-heavy board after both opponents check to me in position; a half-pot bet gets value from worse pairs and draws and denies equity.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is unlikely to be best against the preflop raiser's multiway flop bet, and there is little immediate drawing value. Folding preserves chips.

I have an open-ended straight draw with eight strong outs. The small flop bet gives me a reasonable price to continue without building a large pot out of position.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and the turn did not change the board much. Checking lets me see whether I can take a free river card or face another bet.

Top pair with a weak kicker in position; a small bet gets value from Jx and draws, and charges them, while keeping the pot manageable against better queens.

I have an open-ended straight draw, and the small turn bet gives me reasonable odds to continue, especially with a chance to win more if I hit.

King-high has some showdown value against missed draws. Leading as a bluff risks getting called by a jack or better, so I’ll check.

Trip queens with a 6 kicker lose to any better-kicker queen and to the flush that just completed. Most worse hands in the big blind's check-call range won't call a river bet, so checking back for showdown is best.

K7 suited is a reasonable button opening hand three-handed, and raising applies pressure to the blinds while retaining positional advantage.

Q5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

QTo in the big blind against a button 2.5x open is getting good odds (150 to win 400) and plays well enough against a wide button range, so calling beats folding. A 3-bet isn't necessary with this hand.

QTo missed a low paired board that favors the button's range, so I check to the preflop raiser and keep the pot small with just overcards.

Betting in position with an open-ended straight draw and king-high equity puts pressure on unpaired holdings while building a pot when we improve.

Getting about 2.6:1 on a dry paired low board against a wide button c-bet range, Q-T has two overcards and reasonable equity, so calling is a fine float.

Queen-high with no draw on 6-5-6-2; I called the flop as a float, but leading the turn is thin. Checking keeps the pot small and leaves a chance to bluff later if the button checks behind.

With only king-high on a paired board and limited immediate fold equity after a flop call, I check back to preserve showdown value and avoid inflating the pot.

Queen-high has almost no showdown value against a range that checked back the turn, which is full of overcards like AK and AJ that beat us. The 3 on the river completes 4-x straights, so a lead of about two-thirds pot tells a credible story and only needs roughly 40% folds.

K-high has no showdown value. The river raise represents a straight or strong six and can pressure missed draws and weak one-pair river probes.

My river bet was a bluff with queen-high, and it got raised big on a paired board with a possible straight. Queen-high almost never beats a raising range, so calling 2150 is burning chips.

QTo is a strong enough button hand to open three-handed. A 2.5 big-blind raise puts pressure on the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Q9o from the small blind facing a 2.5bb button open, with the big blind still to act behind, is a marginal hand that plays poorly out of position. Folding is the standard low-risk choice; a 3-bet bluff is possible, but it's not needed with this hand.

9c3c is too weak to defend against a button raise at this sizing from the big blind.

On the button in a 3-handed game, 54o is a reasonable steal. A 2.5bb open pressures both blinds, and the hand has playability postflop if called.

2h3c is a very weak offsuit hand facing a raise from the small blind, with the big blind still behind.

AQ offsuit is strong against a button opening range. A larger three-bet compensates for playing out of position.

54o facing a large 3-bet out of position... actually in position, but calling 850 into 2250 with a weak offsuit hand isn't profitable against a BB 3-bet range. Folding is best.

A suited? Actually this is offsuit ace-three, which is still a reasonable button opening hand three-handed. I raise to apply pressure and retain initiative.

9-4 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Getting 150 to win 400 (27% equity needed) against a wide button open in 3-handed play, T7o is a reasonable defend from the big blind.

T7 has missed this paired Q-Q-2 board, which strongly favors the button raiser's range. Checking out of position to the preflop raiser is standard, and I can fold if they bet.

A small continuation bet leverages the paired board and can fold out unpaired hands while risking little. Our ace also retains some showdown value if called.

The bet is small: 200 into 550, so I need about 21% equity. On a paired board, ten-high with a backdoor flush draw and some showdown value against a wide button c-bet range is worth a call.

T7 on a double-paired QQ22 board is ten high, and the flop call was light. Leading out rarely gets better hands to fold, so I'll check and give up unless the river offers a cheap showdown.

Our ace kicker gives us a strong two-pair hand on this paired board, and the checked turn is a good spot for thin value and protection. A moderate bet can be called by worse pocket pairs and weaker ace-high holdings.

Ten-high on QQ22 loses to almost any value hand and to most of the button's overcard bluffs. Pairing the river gives too little equity for 24% pot odds, and a check-raise bluff is unconvincing here.