Hold'em table

Q7 suited is a reasonable button opening hand three-handed, and raising applies pressure to the blinds while retaining positional advantage.

JTs from the SB against a button open is a strong 3-bet candidate. It plays well and denies the BB a cheap overcall, so I'll 3-bet to 10bb.

J-3 offsuit is too weak to continue against a large three-bet, especially with the original raiser still to act.

Q7 offsuit is too weak to continue facing a large 10bb three-bet, especially out of position postflop.

A3o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open; the ace blocker and position favor a standard 2.5bb raise.

J2 offsuit plays poorly out of position against a button raise, especially with the big blind still to act.

Q8 offsuit has adequate equity to defend the big blind against a button min-raise, despite playing postflop out of position.

I have a medium-strength pair in a heads-up raised pot and prefer to check to the preflop aggressor, keeping their bluffs and weaker hands in range.

Nut flush draw with a backdoor wheel draw and an overcard, in position against a check, makes a good c-bet candidate. A small bet gains fold equity and builds the pot for when we hit.

I have middle pair with a decent kicker and a heart, which is strong enough to continue against this small continuation bet. Calling keeps weaker bluffs and draws in while avoiding an inflated pot versus stronger jacks or overpairs.

Top two pair is strong on this coordinated board and benefits from charging single-heart hands, straight draws, and one-pair holdings. A medium lead builds value while retaining flexibility against a large raise.

We hold the nut flush with Ah on a three-heart board. Raising builds the pot against sets, two pair and lower flushes before the river.

My 8-high flush is too weak against a large turn raise on a three-heart board, where villain's value range is heavily weighted toward higher flushes. Folding avoids continuing with a dominated hand.

T5 suited is playable from the button in a three-handed game. A standard-sized raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping position if called.

8-high suited is too weak to defend profitably from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

T8s in the big blind facing a 2.5x button open is getting good odds (150 to win 400), and it plays well enough postflop that defending is profitable; a flat call keeps the button's wide range in.

T8 with a gutshot and two overcards is a decent hand, but out of position the standard play is to check to the preflop raiser. I can then continue against a bet, or check-raise as a semi-bluff.

Middle pair with a modest kicker has showdown value, but this connected board favors the big blind’s defending range. Checking keeps the pot manageable.

Top pair with a gutshot after the button checked back the flop; a medium-sized bet gets value from weaker pairs and draws while protecting my equity.

A pair plus a flush draw has enough equity to call this small turn bet. Staying in position also lets me make a more informed decision on the river.

Middle pair with a ten kicker has showdown value, but the river completed the flush and brought an overcard queen. Betting would mostly get called by better hands, so I'll check and aim for a cheap showdown.

My flush is strong enough to value-bet against straights and other made hands. A bet of 800 into 1,250 can get called by worse hands without overcommitting against a higher flush.

A pair of eights with a ten kicker is weak on a board where the Qd completed the flush and also pairs many Qx hands. The button's turn calls include many diamond draws and 6x straights, and there are few natural missed draws to bluff with, so we likely win less than the 28% needed to call.

Button opening with suited ace-six is profitable three-handed, leveraging position and suitedness. A 2.5bb raise gives folds while keeping weaker aces and suited hands in.

Facing a 2.5x button open from the small blind with 65s, a call puts me out of position with the big blind still to act behind, so folding (or a rare 3-bet) is standard. Folding keeps it simple.

A4 offsuit is strong enough to defend the big blind against a button raise to 2.5 big blinds. Calling keeps the pot manageable with a hand that can be dominated.

I have bottom pair on a dry flop, but betting would often get called by better hands. Checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to my opponent's action.

Betting a small continuation bet heads-up applies pressure to missed overcards and weaker holdings while retaining equity with an ace and backdoor diamond potential.

Bottom pair with an ace kicker has enough equity to call this small flop bet. Raising would unnecessarily inflate the pot with a weak made hand.

I have bottom pair on a coordinated turn and am out of position. Checking controls the pot and lets me assess a bet before committing more chips.

I will apply pressure with the nut-flush draw and ace-high equity after the turn check. This sizing can fold out unpaired hands while retaining strong river improvement potential.

Bottom pair is too weak to continue against a second bet on this increasingly connected board. Calling would require too much equity against the bettor’s likely range.

A small pair on the button in 3-handed play is a standard open; a 2.5bb raise steals the blinds often and plays fine postflop in position.

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

5-4 offsuit is far too weak to continue facing a 10bb 3-bet out of position with the opener still behind.

A small pair in position, with about 12x effective stack-to-call implied odds, makes a marginal but acceptable set-mining call. I also keep some showdown equity against overcard hands.

This connected flop favors the preflop caller, and ace-six has only a gutshot and a possible ace overcard. Checking avoids building a pot with a weak hand.

Pocket threes on a connected T-8-7 board are a weak showdown hand against a 3-bet range that is full of overpairs. Checking back keeps the pot small and realizes equity against AK/AQ without getting check-raised off my hand.

A-high with a gutshot has some chance to improve, but this connected board favors the preflop caller's range. Checking avoids building a pot with a weak hand.

A small pair has showdown value against the unpaired high cards in SB's 3-bet range. Betting mostly folds out worse hands and gets called by better ones, so I check back to control the pot.

Ace-high has some showdown value against missed draws and weaker unpaired hands. After both players checked the flop and turn, a river bluff is unlikely to fold out enough pairs to be worthwhile.

33 has showdown value against the unpaired broadways that make up much of a 3-bettor's check-check-check range. A bet would mostly get called by the better pocket pairs, so I'll take the free showdown.

Seven-three offsuit is too weak to open from the button, even three-handed.

AJs is a strong heads-up blind-versus-blind holding; raising for value and initiative is preferable to completing.

Getting 2:1 in position against a blind-vs-blind 3x open, 87o is a profitable defend with good playability.

I have top two pair on a coordinated ace-high flop and want value from weaker aces, jacks, and draws while charging equity.

I have 8-high with no draw on an A-J-4 board, facing a 450 bet into 1050. That price needs about 30% equity and I have far less, so fold.