Hold'em table

With suited cards on the button in a three-handed, rake-free game, a small open can profit from stealing the blinds and playing in position. This sizing keeps the risk modest with a marginal hand.

5c9c suited has decent equity against a button open, and we're getting almost 2:1 pot odds. Calling to see a flop in a multi-way pot is reasonable.

Nine-deuce offsuit is too weak to defend against a raise and a caller, even with favorable pot odds. Its poor playability and weak equity realization make folding preferable.

I have 9-high with no pair or draw on an A-Q-2 board, so checking is the only sensible option to avoid putting more chips in with a weak hand.

This ace-high flop favors my preflop raising range, so a small continuation bet can profitably pressure underpairs and unpaired hands. My hand has little showdown value but retains a backdoor club flush draw.

My hand 5c9c has no pair and no draw on QsAc2s. Calling 180 into 730 with virtually no equity is unprofitable.

A7o is a playable hand on the button in 3-handed; raising to 2.5x aims to steal the blinds or build a pot with decent equity.

Seven-three offsuit is too weak to continue against a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

Calling costs 150 to contest a final pot of 550, making this suited connector a reasonable big-blind defense against a button open. At 100bb effective, its straight and flush potential favors calling rather than folding or inflating the pot out of position.

With no meaningful showdown value and only a backdoor club draw, checking avoids investing in a weak hand. This board favors the preflop raiser, making a lead unattractive.

I have Ace-high with no draw on a paired board; checking back for a free card is best to avoid getting check-raised and to realize my minimal showdown value.

With almost no showdown value, this is a reasonable turn bluff after the opener checks back the flop. The bet pressures unpaired hands, while my low cards leave those potential folds unblocked.

With only ace-high and no draw on a paired board, my hand is too weak to continue against a turn lead. Folding preserves my stack for better spots.

Pocket sevens are a strong opening hand on the button three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds value while taking advantage of position and giving the blinds a chance to fold.

T6 suited is too weak to defend profitably from the small blind against a 2.5bb button raise with the big blind still to act. Its limited connectivity and positional disadvantage favor folding.

Q7s is too weak to defend from the big blind against a button raise, even with good pot odds, and I would be out of position postflop with a hand that rarely flops well.

Eight-six offsuit is near the bottom of a button opening range, with weak high-card value and limited playability. Without evidence that the blinds overfold, folding is the safer default.

Q3o is a very weak hand and we are out of position against the big blind. Folding now preserves our stack, since calling or raising would likely lead to a negative expected value situation.

Button with suited Ace, standard raise to steal blinds in 3-handed game.

J9 offsuit is too weak to profitably defend the small blind against a 2.5bb raise with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids playing a potentially dominated hand out of position.

Calling costs 150 into a 400-chip pot, giving favorable odds against a typical wide button-opening range. T8 offsuit has enough equity and straight potential to defend the big blind without inflating the pot out of position.

Ten-high has no meaningful draw on this dry queen-high flop, which favors the preflop raiser. Check rather than invest chips in a low-equity bluff out of position.

We have second pair with top kicker on a dry flop. A continuation bet of ~55% pot can fold out unpaired overcards and extract value from weaker draws, maintaining initiative.

Ten-high has no pair or meaningful draw on this board. Facing a substantial bet out of position, calling is unprofitable and this hand is a poor bluff-raise candidate.

K3 offsuit is a reasonable button steal with only the blinds left to act. Raising to 2.5 big blinds applies pressure while retaining positional advantage if called.

42 offsuit is too weak to defend against a button raise from the small blind, especially with the big blind still to act. Folding avoids investing more chips with poor equity and positional disadvantage.

J4o is a weak, poor-playability hand out of position against a button raise, and calling or raising risks losing more than the posted big blind.