Hold'em table

92 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in 3-handed play against two players left to act, so folding costs nothing.

With the button folded, ace-seven offsuit is strong enough to raise heads-up from the small blind and pressure the big blind.

AhQh is a premium heads-up hand versus a small-blind open. I 3-bet for value and to deny realization to weaker broadways and pairs.

A7 offsuit is often dominated by a big blind three-bet range and plays poorly out of position. Calling another 600 chips is unlikely to be profitable.

AJo is a strong button opening hand three-handed. Raising to 2.5 big blinds builds the pot while keeping the opening size efficient.

43 offsuit is far too weak to defend from the small blind against an early raise with the big blind still behind.

A7o in the big blind against a 2.5bb button open in 3-handed play is a clear defend, since we are getting 150 to win 400. Calling keeps the button's wider range in and avoids bloating the pot out of position.

I have ace-high with a gutshot-less backdoor on a board that favors the button's raising range, so I check to the preflop raiser and keep the pot small out of position.

Top pair with top kicker is strong against the big blind's calling range. A 300-chip bet gets value from weaker pairs and draws.

Getting about 3.8:1 against a wide button c-bet, ace-high with an ace overcard, a backdoor nut-flush draw and a backdoor broadway draw has enough equity to continue. It is marginal, since I'm out of position with few outs.

I have the nut flush draw plus an ace overcard. Checking to the preflop raiser lets me realize my equity cheaply, and I plan to call a reasonable bet.

Top pair with the best kicker is ahead of many hands that called the flop. Betting for value also charges straight and diamond draws.

The Ad with Td-6d gives me the nut flush draw, and an ace may add some outs. The price is about 27.5% equity needed, and implied odds with the nut draw make calling better than folding or raising out of position.

I have only ace high after missing my draw. Checking keeps some showdown value against missed diamond draws, while a river lead would rarely fold out the pairs that bet the flop and turn.

Top pair with an ace kicker can get value from weaker jacks and some tens. A modest river bet limits exposure to straights and two-pair hands.

Ace-high with a missed draw rarely beats a button range that has bet all three streets. Even at 20% pot odds, calling is thin because the few bluffs are outnumbered by made pairs and straights.

8-2 offsuit is a very weak button holding and should be folded rather than entering the pot.

Blind vs blind with T3 suited: the button folded, so this hand is playable, and raising takes the initiative. A 3x open can win the pot preflop and still gives us suited equity when called.

42 offsuit is near the bottom of the deck and plays poorly against a three-big-blind raise, even with position.

A3o on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open; ace blocker and steal equity make a 2.5x raise profitable.

7-5 offsuit is too weak to defend from the small blind against a button raise with the big blind still to act.

Pocket nines is well ahead of a typical button opening range and benefits from building the pot while denying equity. I use a standard out-of-position 3-bet size.

We are in position and getting about 2:1, so we need roughly 34% equity. A3o holds up acceptably against a fairly wide big-blind 3-bet range and plays well post-flop with the ace blocker, so calling beats folding.

I have an overpair on a low, relatively dry board in a heads-up 3-bet pot. A moderate continuation bet extracts value and denies equity while preserving flexibility.

We need about 20% equity to call a small bet. A wheel gutshot, an overcard ace and backdoor potential, plus implied odds, justify calling rather than folding.

Checking preserves showdown value with an overpair on a coordinated turn after the flop was called. Betting risks getting called mainly by stronger overpairs, made straights, and strong draws.

Villain checked a turn that connects heavily with my calling range, which suggests a give-up with AK/AQ or a cautious overpair. A half-pot semi-bluff folds out those unpaired hands and still has four clean outs to a straight.

Pocket nines retain solid showdown value plus an open-ended straight draw on this connected board. Calling keeps weaker overpairs and draws in while avoiding a raise that is likely called mainly by stronger hands.

Our pair is a reasonable showdown hand, but the opponent's turn bet and call line contains many straights and stronger pairs. Checking avoids turning it into a thin value bet against that range.

Ace-high has almost no showdown value against a 3-bettor's range, which is full of pairs. Our range credibly holds straights (98s, 43s, 84s), and we block 43, so a sizable bluff can fold out the overpairs that check-called the turn.

Pocket nines are a bluff-catcher on this paired board, but the opponent's check-call turn followed by river overbet can contain missed spade draws and overcard bluffs. The price warrants a call against that polarized line.

J4 offsuit is too weak to open profitably from the button against two blinds at this stack depth.

T2 offsuit is too weak to continue from the small blind against the big blind, especially with no positional advantage.

J5 offsuit is too weak to profitably open from the button at this stack depth.

Blind vs blind with a suited connector-ish hand; raising to 3bb applies pressure and has good equity when called.

Calling 200 with 7-6 offsuit is reasonable against a small-blind raise: the pot odds are favorable, and I’ll have position after the flop.

The ace-high dry board favors my preflop raising range, so a small one-third-pot c-bet works well with air plus a backdoor flush draw. Folding out the BB's weak pairs and overcards gains immediate equity.

Seven-high has no immediate draw on this ace-high flop. Calling the bet is unlikely to be profitable.