Showdown Hold'em table

Pocket tens are a strong preflop holding and fall comfortably within the optimal 4x raising range.

7♠4♠ is below the profitable preflop raise threshold, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

This is only seven-high on a king-high flop with no made pair and merely backdoor flush/straight possibilities. Preserve the option to evaluate the completed board at the river.

We have a seven-high straight, which beats nearly all dealer holdings. Only a dealer QJ combination can make a higher straight, so raising is strongly profitable.

9-3 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so preserving flexibility for the flop is best.

With only nine-high and no meaningful made hand or strong draw, checking preserves the option to fold at the river rather than committing a 2x play bet.

Raise 1x: although unpaired, this ace-high board lets my nine play, and many dealer holdings remain unpaired and weaker or tie. The river raise has positive value versus folding.

9-5 offsuit is too weak for a profitable preflop raise. Check and reassess with the flop information.

We have two pair, queens and nines, on the flop. This is strong enough to raise for value against the dealer's range.

Q5 offsuit is below the published preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves the option to make a more informed flop or river decision.

Queen-high with a weak five kicker has insufficient current showdown value and very limited improvement potential on this flop. Preserve the option to make the optimal river decision.

Q-high has enough showdown equity against the dealer’s unpaired holdings to make the mandatory river raise marginally preferable to folding.

Any ace is a published optimal preflop 4x raise in this game, and A-5 has sufficient showdown strength.

With only a paired board and a mediocre ten kicker, this is too marginal to commit the 2x play bet. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable rivers or make the smaller river raise when the runout improves the hand.

We hold kings and tens, a strong two-pair hand on this paired board. It beats most dealer holdings that miss a king or a better ten-kicker combination, making the river raise profitable.

K6 offsuit is within the published optimal preflop 3x raising range (K5o+). Raise now for value rather than checking.

King-ten offsuit is in the optimal preflop 4x raising range (K5o+). Raise for maximum value.

K2 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so I check and retain the option to evaluate the flop.

A made pair with a king kicker and a gutshot straight draw has sufficient showdown value to raise on the flop rather than defer to the smaller river wager.

9-5 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

I have a made pair of nines on the flop, which is generally strong enough against a random dealer holding to take the 2x raise rather than defer.

JTs is a strong suited connector and exceeds the optimal preflop 4x raising threshold.

Any ace is a published optimal preflop 4x raise. The suited ace also has flush potential and strong showdown equity.

9-8 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising range, so retain flexibility to evaluate the flop.

Raise with a made pair plus an open-ended straight draw; this has strong showdown equity and additional straight potential.

J7 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raise thresholds. Check and reassess with the flop.

A flopped pair of sevens has sufficient showdown equity against random dealer holdings to commit at the flop. Raising now captures value while retaining chances to improve to two pair or trips.

T8 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

With only T-high on an ace-high flop and no meaningful immediate draw, raising 2x is too thin. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable river runouts or raise selectively when improved.

I hold tens full of aces on this paired board, a very strong full house. Only an ace or the two remaining tens together can beat me, so raising is highly profitable.

K-Q offsuit is in the published optimal preflop 4x raising range (K5o+).

9♣5♦ offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

With only a gutshot straight draw and no made pair on this K-high flop, checking preserves the option to evaluate the river rather than committing 2x with weak current equity.

With only a 9 kicker behind the paired board, most dealer holdings make a better pair, two pair, or higher kicker. The river call is not profitable enough versus folding.

J4 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raise thresholds, so preserve flexibility and evaluate the flop.

With only a shared pair of sixes and a weak J-4 kicker structure on a two-spade board, this is not strong enough to commit the 2x play bet. Checking preserves the option to make a precise river decision.

My pair of sixes with a jack kicker is beaten by most dealer holdings that pair the board or hold a higher kicker. The showdown equity is too low to justify the river play bet.

T6 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising thresholds, so checking preserves flexibility for the flop and river.

This is only a gutshot straight draw with a weak unpaired hand, so preserving the option to evaluate the river is preferable to committing 2x now.

We hold a pair of tens, which is well ahead of the dealer’s many unpaired or weaker-pair holdings. Raising is substantially better than surrendering the posted ante and blind.

J5 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising threshold. Check and reassess with the flop.

J-high with no made hand and no meaningful draw is too weak to commit 2x on this flop. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable river runouts.

With the board pair, folding forfeits both posted bets; the one-unit raise retains substantial showdown equity against many unpaired dealer holdings.

Any ace is a published optimal preflop 4x raise category; the suited ace also has nut-flush potential.

A flopped pair of sixes has sufficient showdown value and improvement potential to commit at the favorable flop raise size. Raising now captures value rather than relying on a later marginal river decision.

Ace-nine suited is an ace hand and meets the optimal preflop 4x raising criteria.

4♥5♠ offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range, so preserving flexibility for a flop or river decision is best.

I have an open-ended straight draw, with either a 3 or 8 completing a strong straight, plus some additional pair and two-pair possibilities. This is a strong enough flop draw to commit the 2x play bet.

Q4 suited is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves flexibility for the flop and river.

Queen-high with a backdoor/runner-runner flush possibility is not strong enough to commit the 2x play bet on this paired flop. Check and use the river decision after all cards are known.

My paired nines with a queen kicker retain substantial showdown value against random dealer holdings. Raising is preferable to folding given the already-posted ante and blind.

Q4 suited is a marginal but playable preflop holding with suitedness and live high-card potential, making the smaller early raise preferable to checking.

8-2 offsuit is far below the profitable preflop raising range, so I check and preserve the option to evaluate the flop.

This is only eight-high with a weak backdoor draw and little immediate showdown value. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable rivers.

My paired-fives hand has only an eight kicker, while the dealer will almost always qualify and frequently has a higher kicker or a made straight. The river raise is not profitable.

J5 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising thresholds, so retain flexibility to evaluate the flop.

With only jack-high and limited immediate drawing value on this disconnected flop, preserving the option to make an informed river decision is preferable to committing a 2x play bet.

Raise the river: although this queen-high hand is weak, folding forfeits both ante and blind, while the one-ante play bet has better expected value against the dealer's unpaired non-qualifying holdings.

K7 offsuit is within the optimal preflop 4x raising range (K5o+). Raising maximizes value with this playable king-high holding.