Hold'em table

Suited ace on the button in 3-handed play is well ahead of opening ranges, so raise for value and initiative.

J2s is too weak to continue out of position against a button raise, even with decent pot odds.

Seat 1 opened to 250 from the button with 9hJc. Calling keeps the pot small and avoids a big preflop loss with a speculative hand; I'll play position postflop.

I have a backdoor straight draw with 9h Jc on a 4h 4c Qd flop, but no pair. Since I'm in position and there's no bet to call, checking keeps the pot small and lets me see a free card while preserving my stack.

In position after preflop raise, a small c-bet on the paired Q-4-4 board folds much of the big blind's missed range while my Ace-high with backdoor diamonds retains equity if called.

I have a gutshot straight draw with 9h Jc on a 4h 4c Qd board. Calling 200 keeps me in the hand to see a turn card without overcommitting with a weak draw.

I have a weak gutshot with 9h Jc on a paired 44Q board and the opponent already bet the flop; checking back keeps my hand disguised and avoids building a bigger pot with poor equity.

Ace-high has some showdown value on the paired board and no real draw after the turn, so checking takes a free river rather than bluffing into a flop caller who likely has Qx or a pocket pair.

Board is paired with 4s and I hold 9h Jc, so my hand is weak; checking lets me see a cheap showdown without risking more chips on a bluff-catching river.

I have two pair, fours and sixes with an ace kicker, which has showdown value but would only be called by better queens, fours, or higher pocket pairs if I bet. Checking back realizes that value for free.

A3o on the button in a 3-handed game is strong enough to open-raise and apply pressure on the blinds. Raising to 250 gives me initiative while risking little relative to stack depth.

I have 4h Jh, which is weak offsuit and unlikely to dominate the button's range. Folding preserves my stack against a preflop raise.

K6 suited in the big blind has good equity against a wide button open and excellent price calling 150 into 400. Calling keeps the pot manageable out of position versus 3-betting a marginal king.

Middle pair with king kicker out of position has showdown value but is vulnerable; checking controls the pot and lets the button's wide range bluff or bet worse.

As the preflop aggressor on a J-high board with only one caller, a small c-bet can fold out worse hands and take down the pot; if called, I can reassess on later streets.

With second pair and a king kicker I have enough equity against a wide button c-bet range, including flush draws and overcards, to call 250 into 800. Folding would be too tight and raising would inflate the pot out of position.

With two pair Jacks and Sixes and a King kicker I have showdown value but am vulnerable to trips and higher pairs, so checking controls the pot and lets me evaluate a turn bet.

My Ace-high has marginal showdown value and no real draw; checking controls the pot and avoids getting called by pairs or draws. I can reassess on the river.

I have two pair Jacks and Sixes with a King kicker, which has showdown value against missed spade draws and Ace-high but loses to a Jack, Ten, or higher pocket pairs. Checking avoids getting called only by better and may induce a bluff on the river.

Ace high has some showdown value against missed draws, and checking avoids getting raised by a jack or better on a paired river.

With 6h7s on the button and no callers, the pot odds don't justify a raise. Folding preserves my stack for better spots.

Blind versus blind after the button fold, completing costs only 50 into 150 with a ten-high hand that has enough raw equity versus a wide big-blind range to see a flop.

A7o is strong enough to raise against a small-blind limp, and raising takes initiative with position postflop. I want to charge the limper and often take the pot down preflop.

T4 offsuit is too weak to call a big blind raise out of position; folding preserves stack versus a strong raising range.

T9 offsuit on the button in 3-handed play is well within a raising range, with position and playability postflop. Raising to 2.5bb pressures the blinds and builds value over folds.

A9o has enough equity against a button open to call, and 3-betting out of position risks too much with a marginal hand.

Calling with 7d Td in position on the button is reasonable; I want to see a flop and play post-flop rather than fold or raise without a strong hand.

Ace-high has some showdown value on a paired low board, and as the first to act I prefer to check and evaluate rather than bloat the pot out of position.

Board is paired low with a weak kicker; my Td gives backdoor flush and straight potential but no immediate strong hand. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a larger pot with a marginal holding against two opponents.

In position after two checks on a dry paired board, a half-pot continuation bet can take the pot often despite only ten-high, and the price is reasonable for the fold equity.

Getting 3:1 with ace-high on a dry paired board; opponent's small bet looks like a continuation bet, so I call and reassess on the turn.

The board is paired with a 2, giving me a pair of Tens with a 7 kicker. I'm out of position but the pot is already 1500 and the opponent's raise to 375 is relatively small, so calling keeps my options open for the turn without overcommitting with a marginal hand.

The board is double-paired and I only have A-high, so I want to control the pot and see what the other seats do before committing more chips.

The board is paired on both the flop and turn, giving me a ten-high straight draw with backdoor flush potential. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids building a big pot with a marginal hand.

On a double-paired board my T-high kicker plays the board and loses to any ace, pocket pair, 6 or 2. Both opponents called the flop, so bluffing into two players is poor; I will take the free river.

My A-high has some showdown value on the paired board, but betting only folds out worse hands and gets called by better ones. Checking keeps the pot controlled and may induce a bluff from missed draws.

The board is paired with two 2s and two 6s, and my 7-T gives me a weak ten-high. With no raise possible and both opponents checking, I will check to realize equity and avoid bloating the pot with a marginal hand.

I have only board two pair with a ten kicker, which loses to ace/king kickers, pocket pairs, sixes, twos and flushes. Bluffing into two flop callers on a double-paired river has low fold equity, so checking preserves chips.

J4o is a weak offsuit hand with poor playability, and calling or raising from the button into two opponents is not profitable. Folding avoids unnecessary risk.

Folding 5c-Jc in the small blind when the big blind is defending and the button has folded. The pot odds don't justify a raise with this weak hand, and calling 50 more chips is too expensive for such marginal equity.

I have a backdoor nut flush draw with Ace-high, so calling the big blind is a low-cost way to see a flop without overcommitting. The pot is small and my stack is deep, so a call keeps me in the hand while preserving chips.

Calling only 50 into a 250 pot gives excellent pot odds even with 5-2 offsuit, and the big blind is likely to check behind.

A8o is a decent hand in a 3-handed game; raising to 300 takes initiative and can get called by worse hands.

With 4d Ad offsuit on the button facing a raise to 300, the hand lacks the strength to continue profitably. Folding preserves my 10,000-chip stack for better opportunities.

5-2 offsuit is very weak facing a big blind raise to 300, and I would be out of position postflop, so calling 200 is not profitable.