Hold'em table

Q6 offsuit on the button in 3-handed play is a reasonable steal hand, so I'm opening to 2.5bb. That puts pressure on both blinds.

J8 offsuit is a marginal hand to defend from the small blind against a 2.5 big-blind raise, with the big blind still to act.

85 offsuit is a weak hand, but the small call price and big-blind discount make defending reasonable against a button open. I’ll see a flop rather than inflate the pot with a 3-bet.

My 8-high has no meaningful showdown value or draw on this paired-ace flop. Check and avoid building a pot with a weak hand.

On a dry paired ace board we hold the range advantage as preflop raiser, and our Qd gives a backdoor flush draw, so a small c-bet of about a third of the pot works well as a bluff with some equity.

I have only 8-high with no meaningful draw on a paired ace board, so calling the flop bet is unlikely to be profitable.

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

With the button folded, calling 50 more gives favorable pot odds to complete from the small blind with 8-high. I avoid inflating the pot with a weak offsuit hand.

A4o is well ahead of a small blind limping range, so raising for value and initiative is better than checking. Being in position postflop adds to it.

8♠6♦ is a weak offsuit hand and does not warrant calling a sizable raise from the big blind out of position.

A♣8♦ is a solid button-opening hand three-handed. Raise to 2.5 big blinds to apply pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

42s out of position in the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a clear fold.

J4 offsuit is a weak, easily dominated hand. Calling the button’s raise out of position is unlikely to be profitable.

J9 suited is a clear open from the button in 3-handed play. A standard 2.5bb raise puts pressure on both blinds.

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

A7 offsuit is a reasonable big-blind defend against a button raise, and calling gets a favorable price without bloating the pot with a marginal hand.

A-high has some showdown value but no strong draw on this connected board. I’ll check and avoid inflating the pot out of position.

Top pair with a gutshot plus a backdoor flush draw, in position against a check. A bet of about 2/3 pot gets value from worse 9s, 8s and draws while also protecting my hand.

A-high has little equity against the button’s sizeable flop bet on a connected board, and the backdoor draws are too weak to justify calling out of position.

J9 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise pressures the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

9♦7♦ has reasonable playability as a suited hand, and calling the small additional amount preserves it without inflating the pot out of position.

AKs is a clear squeeze from the big blind against a button open and a small-blind flat call. Sizing to about 11.5bb applies pressure and builds a pot with a premium hand.

J9 offsuit is too weak to continue against the large three-bet, especially with the small blind still in the pot.

9♦7♦ is too weak to defend out of position against a large squeeze, especially with the button already folded and poor equity realization postflop.

J♦2♦ is weak but playable from the button in a three-handed game, so I’ll open and use position rather than limp.

32 offsuit from the small blind facing a button open, with the big blind still to act, is a clear fold. It plays poorly out of position and has little equity.

Q2 offsuit is too weak to defend out of position against a 2.5-big-blind open.