Showdown Hold'em table

9♥3♦ is a weak offsuit hand well outside the preflop raise range, so I’ll avoid adding risk and check.

My two pair is strong enough to commit the 2x flop raise, despite the weak kicker.

T9 suited is playable but below the stated preflop 4x raise range. Checking preserves the option to act on the flop rather than committing a large play bet now.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but raising now risks twice the ante before I know whether it completes. Checking keeps the option to raise on a favorable river and avoid putting in a play bet if I miss.

My pair of threes loses to many dealer holdings, including any ace, broadway card, or pocket pair. The remaining win and tie chances are just short of what a 1x raise needs to beat folding.

8♣7♦ is an offsuit, disconnected hand below the recommended preflop raising range. Check to preserve the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

A pair of sevens is weak on an ace-king-high board, so raising risks extra chips against many stronger hands. Checking preserves the option to act on the river if the hand improves.

My pair of sevens beats most unpaired dealer hands, and raising has positive value compared with folding even though stronger pairs can beat me.

2♦3♥ is well below the preflop raising range, so preserve the option to evaluate the flop without adding a bet.

I have three of a kind, which is strong against the dealer’s likely one-pair hands and should be wagered now. Only a few holdings already make a full house or tie my trips.

9♦3♦ is below the preflop raise range; checking preserves the option to act after seeing the flop.

My hand has no pair or immediate draw, and the backdoor possibilities are too weak to justify a 2x raise. I’ll preserve the option to decide on the river.

The ante and blind are already committed, so folding forfeits them. Raising risks only the additional 10-chip play bet and gives my two pair with a 9 kicker a chance to win against the dealer.

8-5 offsuit is well below the reference threshold for a preflop raise, so I’ll avoid committing a play bet and continue to the flop.

A weak bottom pair on a coordinated, two-club flop is not strong enough to commit a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to make a better-informed 1x decision on the river.

The board gives me two pair, queens and fives, with a king kicker. Dealer holdings that beat me are a minority, so raising is better than folding even though the raise loses when I’m beaten.

9♥8♦ is below the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll check and preserve the option to evaluate the flop.

A pair of eights plus an open-ended straight draw gives strong equity on this flop, making the 2x raise worthwhile.

9♣3♣ is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop before committing a raise.

I have a flush draw, but raising now risks twice as much before seeing the turn and river. Checking preserves the option to raise if the draw completes.

My pair of eights with A-Q-9 kickers can beat dealer hands that hold two distinct low cards, and raising has a better expected return than folding even though the showdown is close.

Qh4s is below the recommended preflop raise range, so I’ll avoid committing a raise and reassess on the flop.

I have a made pair and am ahead of many unpaired dealer hands, with chances to improve on the turn and river. Raising now takes value while that equity is present.

Q9 offsuit meets the reference preflop raise range (Q8o+), so I raise 4x.

7-4 offsuit is well below the preflop raising range; checking avoids committing a larger play bet with a weak hand.

A pair of sevens is vulnerable on an ace-high board, and checking preserves the option to evaluate the completed board before risking a play bet.

My pair of sevens beats the dealer’s unpaired hands and lower pairs. The dealer needs a higher pair or a stronger made hand often enough to matter, but the chance I win is still comfortably above the 50% break-even point for this raise.

K7 offsuit meets the stated preflop raising threshold of K5 offsuit or better, so raising 4x is preferable to checking.

K8 suited is above the provided preflop raise threshold, so raising 4x maximizes value with a favorable starting hand.

9-4 offsuit is below the preflop raising range, so I’ll keep the option to act on the flop.

I only have a weak pair of eights with a 9 kicker, while the dealer can readily hold a higher pair or improve. Checking preserves the option to make a better-informed decision on the river.

The board already gives both players two pair, so many dealer hands will tie and return the bets; folding loses the ante and blind. Raising is worthwhile even though higher dealer kickers and full houses can beat this hand.

Q-2 offsuit is well below the preflop raising range; checking avoids committing a large play bet with a weak hand.

I have a made pair with a queen kicker, giving me a reasonable edge over the dealer’s unpaired hands. Raising now captures value rather than waiting for the board to run out.

8-3 offsuit is well below a profitable preflop raising range, so avoid committing a play bet.

I have no pair and only a remote backdoor straight chance, so raising is not worthwhile. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the river before risking a bet.

With only ace-high, I have no made pair and no meaningful draw. Most dealer holdings either make a pair or beat my kicker, so raising is worse than folding.

Any ace qualifies for a preflop raise in the reference strategy; A♦2♦ meets that threshold, so I choose the largest legal raise.

Ace-eight offsuit is within the recommended preflop raising range; raising 4x maximizes expected value with this hand.

2♦3♦ is well below the stated preflop raising range; check to see the flop before committing more chips.

I have a flush draw, but raising now risks two antes before I know whether it completes. Checking preserves the option to raise cheaply on the river if the draw comes in.

My hole cards make a king-high diamond flush, a strong hand worth putting in the one-chip-unit river raise despite possible higher flushes or full houses.

T-8 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raise range; checking preserves the option to continue based on the flop.

I have an open-ended straight draw but only a weak made hand on a paired board. Checking preserves the option to decide after the turn and river rather than committing a 2x bet now.

My two pair with a ten kicker beats many dealer holdings, and raising has positive expected value compared with folding even after accounting for the extra play-bet risk.

9♠7♦ is below the recommended preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to act on the flop.

I have only a weak backdoor flush draw and no made hand; raising now risks more chips without enough equity. Check and reassess on the river.

My best hand is only a pair of threes, and the dealer qualifies from the board. I’m unlikely to beat a random holding, so risking the extra play bet is worse than folding.

Ace-queen offsuit is in the reference 4x raising range; the strong starting hand favors maximizing the preflop wager.

5♣2♣ is well below the threshold for a preflop raise; checking avoids committing a large play bet with a weak hand.

I have a made pair and a gutshot straight draw, giving me enough showdown value to raise rather than defer the decision.

5-4 offsuit is below the preflop raising range; checking avoids risking an additional play bet with a weak hand.

I have only a weak five-high hand with runner-runner draw possibilities, so raising risks more chips without enough showdown equity.

The board already gives the dealer a qualifying pair of sevens, and my 5-4 hole cards have very weak kickers. Raising would win only against a tiny fraction of dealer holdings, so folding avoids the extra risk.

T-8 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing extra chips with a marginal hand.

A pair of tens is a strong made hand on this flop and is likely to remain ahead at showdown, so raising now has positive value.

QTs is within the published preflop 4x raising range, so raising maximizes expected value here.

8-3 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising range, so checking avoids adding risk with a weak hand.

An 8-high hand with no made pair is too weak to commit a 2x raise; checking preserves the option to improve and decide on the river.

Raising risks only one additional ante-sized play bet. A win or tie improves substantially on folding, and even a loss against a nonqualifying dealer costs no more than folding.

Pocket deuces fall below the preflop raising range; checking avoids committing a large play bet with a weak starting hand and preserves the option to act on the flop.

Pocket deuces are vulnerable on a king-high, two-diamond flop, and I have no meaningful draw. Checking avoids committing a 2x raise while preserving the option to evaluate the river.

Raising adds only 10 chips of risk beyond folding, while a dealer who fails to qualify can still be beaten for a 10-chip play-bet payout. The board offers ample chances for the dealer to remain unqualified, so raising has better expected value than folding.

K9 suited is above the reference preflop raising threshold, so raise 4x to maximize expected value on the final hand.

Q3 offsuit is well below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids adding risk with a weak hand.

With only a pair of fives and a queen kicker, my hand is vulnerable to many dealer holdings. Checking keeps the option to make a better-informed river decision without adding a play bet now.

My hand is queens full of fives, which wins against nearly every dealer holding; only a few holdings beat it and some tie. Raising is strongly profitable, and the full-house blind payout adds value when I win.