Hold'em table

Qh7h is a playable suited button hand three-handed, and a small open raises for initiative while keeping weaker holdings in.

Offsuit 76 out of the small blind facing a 2.5x button open, with the big blind still left to act, is a standard fold. Calling would leave me out of position with a weak hand.

J6 offsuit is a marginal but reasonable big-blind defend against a 2.5x button open, given the price and the small blind's fold.

With middle pair and a weak kicker out of position, checking keeps the pot manageable and lets me respond to the button's action.

Top pair with a strong heart draw is a high-equity value hand heads-up. I bet to build the pot and charge weaker queens, jacks, and draws.

Middle pair has enough showdown value against a button continuation bet to call once, though the weak kicker makes a raise unattractive.

Trips are strong here, and a turn bet can get value from queens and heart draws while charging them to see the river.

I have top pair with a strong heart-flush draw, making the turn price reasonable in position. Calling keeps weaker queens and draws in while avoiding an unnecessarily large pot against a jack.

My trips can get value from a queen or other bluff-catchers. A modest river bet limits my exposure against stronger jacks.

Our Q gives a bluff-catcher with two pair on this paired board, and the price is favorable against missed hearts and other river bluffs. Raising would mainly isolate us against stronger queens or jacks.

T9s on the button in 3-handed play is a clear open-raise; 2.5bb puts pressure on the blinds.

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

J5 offsuit is too weak to defend against the button raise out of position.

Q8 suited is a profitable button open three-handed. A 2.5 big blind raise applies pressure while keeping the pot manageable.

AsTs is a strong suited ace in a three-handed game and plays well as a value/protection 3-bet from the small blind. Raising also pressures the button's wide opening range and the big blind.

A9o in the big blind facing a button open and a small blind 3-bet, with the opener still left to act behind, is dominated too often to continue profitably. Folding is the standard play.

Q8 suited has enough playability to defend in position against this three-bet, especially with no rake.

Out of position in a 3-bet pot, ace-high with a gutshot has sufficient showdown and improvement value to check rather than inflate the pot on this coordinated board.

I have a gutshot straight draw and position, but little reason to build a pot against the preflop three-bettor. Checking takes a free card and preserves my equity.

I have two strong straight-gutshot cards (an 8 or queen) plus ace-high blockers, and the fourth diamond makes a sizable turn stab credible. This sizing pressures one-pair and unpaired holdings that checked back.

The gutshot alone does not provide enough equity to call this bet, and I have no diamond blocker to support a bluff raise.

Q6 offsuit is too weak to open from the button in this short-handed setup.

Blind vs blind with a suited hand; a raise to 3bb takes the initiative and applies fold pressure. A small-blind open with 92s is part of a standard wide BvB strategy, and it is better than limping into position.

9-2 offsuit is too weak to defend against a 3bb raise, even with position after the flop.

On the button in 3-handed play with no one in yet, K4o is a standard open. A small 2.5bb raise pressures both blinds.

A-T offsuit is strong enough to three-bet against a button open. Raising from the small blind also puts pressure on the big blind and avoids a multiway pot out of position.

The small blind's very large 3-bet makes set-mining with pocket sixes marginal at this stack depth, and we would be out of position postflop.

K4o is too weak to continue against a 3-bet to 10bb from the small blind; calling 750 into 1350 with a dominated hand is unprofitable.

Pocket fives are strong enough to open on the button in a three-handed game. A 2.5-big-blind raise gives me a chance to win the blinds while keeping the pot manageable.

Qs9h has reasonable playability and pot odds against a button min-raise in a three-handed pot. Calling keeps weaker hands and bluffs in while avoiding unnecessary preflop inflation out of position.

Getting 150 to win 600 (4:1) with K8o in the big blind; calling is fine given the price, though the hand plays poorly multiway.

With no pair or strong draw on a paired king-high board in a multiway pot, checking is the prudent option.

Trip kings with a weak kicker on a dry paired board; a small bet gets value from pocket pairs, 6x hands and draws-to-nothing while keeping bluffs in. Checking to the preflop raiser is also fine, but betting small protects against overcards and builds the pot in a multiway spot.

The small flop bet gives my pocket fives a reasonable price to continue. I'll use position to reassess on the turn.

With Q-high and no meaningful draw on a paired king board facing a bet and a call, continuing is unprofitable.

We have trips with a weak kicker on a board where flush and straight draws are possible, and the button called our flop bet. Betting about two-thirds of the pot gets value from 6x, 7x and draws while charging those draws to see the river.

Pocket fives are a weak bluff-catcher on this paired board. The larger turn bet leaves too little equity against the opponent’s likely value hands.