Showdown Hold'em table

Pocket eights are a strong pair and fall within the published optimal 4x raising range (33+), so raising maximizes expected value.

Q4o is below the published optimal preflop raising range (Q8o+ or Q6s+), so checking preserves the option to raise on the flop and avoids putting extra chips at risk with a weak offsuit hand.

With a weak middle pair (4s) and a king on board, checking preserves the option to fold on the river if the board worsens, while still allowing a 1x value raise if my hand holds up.

I have two pair (kings and fours) with an ace kicker; against the dealer's possible holdings this is well ahead, and the 1x river raise has positive expected value compared with folding.

8-3 offsuit is far outside the published 4x raising range (pairs 33+, any ace, K5o+/K2s+, Q8o+/Q6s+, JTo/J8s+), and it has poor equity against a dealer who qualifies with any pair. Checking keeps the hand alive for free and lets me decide on the flop instead of committing 40 chips with a weak holding.

I have a pair of threes on the flop, which is ahead of a random dealer hand often enough to raise for value. Checking would allow the dealer to see free cards and reduce my profit when ahead.

97o is below the published preflop raising threshold, so I check and preserve the option to raise later if the flop improves my equity.

With middle pair (7s) and an open-ended straight draw on 8-7-T, my hand has strong equity against a random dealer, so I raise 2x for value.

JTo is in the published optimal 4x raising range, so I maximize expected value by raising preflop rather than checking.

Ks9o is within the published optimal preflop 4x raising range (K5o+), so raising maximizes expected value against the dealer.

4h6h is outside the published optimal 4x raising range, so checking preserves chips and allows a later flop decision.

My 4h6h missed this T-5-9 flop with only backdoor straight potential, so I avoid risking an extra 2x raise and take the free turn card.

Ace-high offsuit with an ace qualifies under the published optimal 4x preflop table, so raising maximizes value from the strong starting hand.

Ace-high with an offsuit kicker is in the published optimal 4x raising range (any ace), so raising maximizes expected value preflop.

23o is far below the published preflop raising threshold, so checking keeps the hand cheap and avoids putting extra chips in with a very weak holding.

With an open-ended straight draw but no made hand, checking keeps the option to fold on the river if I miss and to raise 1x if I improve, avoiding the extra 2x commitment on a draw against a dealer who never folds.

My best hand is only the board's pair of sevens with no useful improvement, and the dealer already qualifies via that same board pair. I can only tie in the rare case the dealer holds exactly one 2 and one 3, so raising adds more risk without a winning path.

T5o is outside the published optimal preflop raising range, so I check and preserve the option to raise on later streets.

With only ten-high and no pair or strong draw on a 4-9-7 flop, raising 2x would put extra chips at risk with a weak hand. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river if I do not improve.

I have trip 9s with a T kicker on a 999 board. The dealer needs a higher kicker, a paired board card, or a pocket pair to beat me, and I win about 81% of showdowns, so the 1x river raise is clearly profitable.

6s4s is outside the published optimal preflop raising range, so checking avoids putting extra chips at risk with a weak speculative hand.

I have a pair of sixes on the flop, which is a strong enough made hand to raise for value according to optimal Casino Hold'em strategy.

8c2c is far below the published preflop raising threshold, so checking avoids putting extra chips at risk with a weak hand.

My 8c2c missed this A-high flop with only weak backdoor potential, so I check and preserve chips rather than raise into a likely dealer pair or better.

I have two pair (6s and 2s) with an ace kicker. The dealer only beats me when they qualify with a pair or better; if they miss, my play bet pays and the ante/blind push. Raising risks 10 more chips, but folding loses 20, and the math favors a 1x raise.

A6 suited is any ace, which is in the published optimal preflop 4x raising range, so I maximize expected value by raising 4x.

Q7o is below the published preflop raising threshold (Q8o+ for offsuit queens), so checking avoids overcommitting with a weak, dominated hand.

Our Q7o only has a weak pair of fives with a Q kicker on a paired board. Raising 2x commits extra chips with less than 50% equity against the dealer's random hand, while checking preserves the option to fold or raise 1x on the river after seeing more cards.

I have two pair (7s and 5s) with a Q kicker. The dealer beats me only with a 5, an 8, a higher pocket pair, a straight, or a 7 with A/K; my win probability is about 70%, so raising 1x is clearly +EV versus folding.

J6o is below the published optimal preflop raising range, so checking avoids putting extra chips in with a weak offsuit hand.

I have top pair with jacks on a dry board. Raising 2x is optimal with any pair on the flop in Casino Hold'em, as it extracts value from a likely best hand.

T9o is outside the published optimal preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing extra chips with a marginal offsuit hand.

With T9o on a 4-5-8 flop, I have no pair and only overcards; my equity is well below the 50% needed to justify a 2x play bet, so checking to see the turn and river is the higher-EV play.

My 9-T high with only the board pair has very weak kickers; the dealer qualifies automatically on this paired board, so raising 1x risks another 10 chips with low win probability. Folding limits the loss to the ante and blind.

With an ace and a ten, this falls within the published optimal preflop 4x raising range (any ace), so raising maximizes expected value against the house dealer.

Any ace is in the published optimal 4x preflop raising range, so Ac2s is a clear raise despite the weak kicker.

Ace-high is in the published optimal preflop 4x raising range, so raising maximizes value with a hand that benefits from building the pot before the flop.

K2o is below the published preflop raising threshold (K5o+), so raising would put extra chips at risk with a weak offsuit hand. Checking keeps the hand alive for a cheaper flop decision.

With a pair of eights on board and a king kicker, the dealer only beats me with an ace, a king plus a higher kicker, any board pair, or any pocket pair. Raising risks 10 more chips but wins 20 when the dealer misses, making it better than folding for a 20-chip loss.

9c4c is well below the published preflop raising threshold, so checking avoids putting extra money in with a weak holding.

My 9-high has no pair, no flush draw, and only a very weak straight possibility, so raising 2x would risk extra chips with little equity. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river if the board does not improve my hand.

Raising 1x has a higher expected value than folding (-14.2 vs -20 chips) because our pair of nines still wins when the dealer fails to qualify or holds a lower pair, and the extra play bet is profitable enough to offset the many losing dealer hands on this coordinated board.

9c3c is well outside the published preflop raising range, so raising 3x or 4x would risk too much with a weak, disconnected hand. Checking keeps the hand alive for a possible flop or river decision while limiting immediate exposure.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is not strong enough to raise into a dealer who qualifies with any pair or better; checking keeps the hand alive and lets me decide on the river after seeing more cards.

Our two pair (6s and 3s) beats the dealer's one-pair hands and ties most 3-x hands, giving ~52.7% win and ~3.8% tie. Raising risks 10 more but yields EV about -2.5 chips, much better than folding's -20.

Q5s is below the published 4x threshold (Q6s+), so raising preflop is not justified. Checking preserves the option to raise later only if the flop improves my equity.

5-6 offsuit is outside the published preflop raising range, so I check and preserve the option to raise on the flop if it improves.

With a pair of 5s on the river, raising 1x has higher expected value than folding: we win when the dealer fails to qualify and against lower pairs, and the play bet pays 1:1 even when the dealer does not qualify. Folding would forfeit the ante and blind for a certain -20, while raising reduces the expected loss.

4h3d is a weak offsuit hand outside the optimal preflop raising range, so I check and preserve the option to raise or fold later.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is marginal against a dealer who qualifies with any pair or better. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river if the hand does not improve, avoiding an unnecessary 2x raise with a likely losing holding.

With a pair of 3s on this board, the dealer is unpaired or holds only a lower pair often enough that raising 1x is clearly better than folding. Folding loses the ante and blind immediately, while raising reduces the expected loss.

9-4 offsuit is well outside the published preflop raising range, so checking avoids putting extra chips at risk with a weak hand.

With only 9-high and no pair on a coordinated flop, checking avoids risking an extra 2x ante and preserves the option to fold on the river if the hand does not improve.

With a pair of nines and a king kicker, raising 1x has higher expected value than folding (-7.9 vs -20 chips). The dealer often fails to qualify or holds a lower pair, making the raise profitable.

Pocket deuces are below the published 4x threshold; checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or fold later, avoiding a large preflop commitment with a weak underpair.

Pocket deuces beat any unqualified dealer high-card hand, and the dealer fails to qualify about 39.6% of the time. Raising 1x risks 10 more chips but improves the expected result versus folding, which would lose the 20 chips already posted.

T5o is outside the published optimal preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing extra chips with a weak offsuit hand.

With only T-high and no pair or viable draw on Q93, raising 2x would put extra chips at risk with very low equity. I check and reassess on the river.

5s7d is well outside the published optimal preflop raising range, so checking controls risk and keeps the hand alive to the flop.

Open-ended straight draw with 8 outs; standard Casino Hold'em strategy raises 2x on the flop with an open-ended straight draw.