Hold'em table

Three-handed on the button, K5o is good enough to open-raise and apply pressure to the blinds rather than limp or fold.

AJo is strong against a button opening range, and raising from the small blind avoids playing a multiway pot out of position.

Five-four offsuit is weak, and facing a 1050 raise with 950 to call and another player still to act, the price is too high to continue profitably.

K5 offsuit is too weak to continue against a sizable small-blind 3-bet, and calling would leave me out of position with a dominated hand.

T2 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two unknown blinds.

With the button already folded, I'm in position against the big blind, and K8 offsuit is a reasonable heads-up steal raise to take the initiative and pick up the blinds.

68o is too weak and out of position against a small blind raise; calling only invites difficult postflop spots with poor playability.

Holding 2-4 offsuit is a weak hand, but calling the 100-chip completion from the button is cheap and keeps the pot options open in a 3-handed game.

With AKs in a 3-handed pot and only 50 to call, I raise for value and to take initiative against the limper and big blind.

K3 offsuit is too weak to defend against a four-big-blind raise with the limper still in the pot.

Seven-deuce-level junk (2s4h) facing a 400 raise from the small blind with 300 to call; the hand is too weak to continue profitably out of position.

With pocket eights on the button in a 3-handed game, raising to isolate and take initiative is stronger than just calling. A 3x raise applies pressure to the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

9-2 offsuit is too weak to defend the small blind against a three-big-blind open, especially with the big blind still to act.

I'm getting about 2.3-to-1 on a 200-chip call against a button raise, and 8-J offsuit is a reasonable defend from the big blind heads-up. Folding would give up a cheap chance to see a flop.

I have no made pair but hold an open-ended straight draw with 8-high-to-J coverage, and checking is free with no bet to call. I'd rather see the turn cheaply than bloat the pot out of position.

I have a pair on a coordinated but not overly scary flop, and the big blind checked to me. A c-bet for value/protection can fold out overcards and weaker draws, while keeping the pot manageable.

I have only a weak draw (a 10 would complete a straight) facing a 350 bet into a 1000 pot, which needs roughly 26% equity to call, so folding is the better play.

K6 offsuit is strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

J4 offsuit is a weak hand, and calling 200 more into a button raise out of the small blind is not worth the investment.

Closing the action preflop with 150 to call into a 400 pot, 5d9d has enough equity and playability against a button raise to defend profitably.

I missed the flop with 5d9d and have no strong draw; checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the button's action before committing more chips.

On this dry flop, a small bet with bottom pair can get value from weaker hands and deny free cards to overcards.

I have a flush draw with 5d9d on a Qd-high flop and am getting good pot odds to call the 200 bet. Raising into a preflop raiser with only a draw is unnecessary here.

I have a strong combo draw (flush draw plus open-ended straight draw) and want to semi-bluff, applying pressure while building the pot in case I improve.

Bottom pair is unlikely to be ahead often enough against the big blind’s turn lead. Calling 600 into a 1,550-chip pot is too costly with so few reliable ways to improve.

Q4 offsuit is weak, but calling only 100 to complete from the button is a cheap way to see a flop in position against two players.

Getting 5:1 immediate odds with a connected offsuit hand in a three-handed pot, so calling the 50-chip completion is cheap and keeps the pot controlled out of position.

With an offsuit connector against two limpers, I can see the flop for free without building a pot out of position.

With only a gutshot and no made hand, checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a pot out of position against two opponents on a king-high flop.

With a weak gutshot and no made hand in a three-way pot, I prefer to check and avoid building the pot.

I have Q-high with no pair on a T-8-K board, and checking is free, so I take the free card rather than bluff into two players who have both checked.

Semi-bluffing the turn with a gutshot plus flush draw; all opponents checked the flop, so a bet can take it down or build a pot if I improve on the river.

My straight draw has only four outs, and a river heart would make a weak flush on a four-heart board. Calling the turn bet is unlikely to be profitable.

I have only Q-high with a four-heart flush draw facing a 200 turn raise into a 500 pot, about 28.6% pot odds needed, and my equity is roughly 20-25%, so folding is the better play.