Showdown Hold'em table

4-5 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With no pair or strong draw on an ace-high flop, committing a 2x raise is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

My hand plays the board, and the dealer can at best tie with low, unpaired hole cards. That happens too rarely to justify the river raise.

Pocket queens are well above the optimal preflop 4x-raise threshold, so raising now maximizes expected value.

Ace-ten offsuit is a profitable preflop 4x raise under the published strategy, which recommends raising any ace.

Pocket sevens are in the optimal preflop 4x raising range; raising now maximizes value against random dealer holdings.

Any ace is in the recommended preflop 4x range; ace-nine offsuit is strong enough to raise now.

With 4-3 offsuit, raising preflop is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

With 4-3 offsuit on an A-Q-J flop, I have no pair or meaningful draw. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river rather than committing a 2x raise.

Bottom two pair beats many dealer holdings, making the river raise better than folding.

T3 suited is too weak for a preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

Middle pair with a weak kicker and no club is vulnerable on this three-club flop. Checking preserves the option to fold on an unfavorable river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

Two pair, tens and threes, is vulnerable to a club flush but beats many dealer holdings without a club. Raising has better expected value than forfeiting the ante and blind.

Q5 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise after seeing the flop.

The kings are shared, and Q-5 has no strong draw or made hand advantage. Checking preserves the option to make a better-informed decision on the river.

The paired board means the dealer qualifies, and my queen kicker beats many unpaired dealer holdings. Raising has better expected value than forfeiting the ante and blind.

T7 suited is outside the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

With only ten-high, no immediate straight or flush draw, and two cards still to come, committing a 2x raise is unattractive. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

Ten-high can beat enough unpaired dealer hands to make the river raise preferable to folding, despite losing to any pair.

5-4 offsuit is too weak for a preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Middle pair is ahead of many dealer holdings, with some chances to improve. Raising now takes advantage of that equity rather than waiting for a river decision.

T5 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

Middle pair on the flop is strong enough to raise now rather than wait for a river decision.

K2 offsuit falls below the recommended preflop 4x raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise after seeing the flop.

K-high with one overcard and only a backdoor flush draw is too weak for a 2x flop raise. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

The king-high flush beats most dealer holdings, and the dealer qualifies with the pair on the board. Raising is much better than forfeiting the ante and blind.

Eight-deuce suited is outside the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll wait for the flop before committing a play bet.

Eight-deuce has no pair or immediate draw on this flop. Checking avoids a 2x raise with a weak hand and preserves the river decision.

My 8-2 leaves me with only the board’s pair of threes and a weak kicker. Too few dealer holdings lose to this hand to justify the river bet.

7-2 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to improve on the flop.

Seven-high has no made hand or strong draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to decide with all five community cards rather than committing a 2x raise now.

My best hand is the pair of fives already on the board, so I cannot beat the dealer. The dealer is much more likely to improve than to tie, making a fold cheaper than a 1x raise.

8-6 offsuit is outside the profitable preflop 4x raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

With no pair and only a weak backdoor straight draw on a J-7-3 flop, raising 2x is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

With only the board's pair of sevens and weak kickers, too many dealer holdings beat this hand. Raising is unlikely to recover more than folding saves.

8-3 offsuit is too weak for a profitable preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

My weak kickers on a paired board make a 2x raise unattractive. Checking preserves the option to raise on the river if the hand improves.

My best hand is the board, so I can only tie or lose. But the dealer is likely enough to play the board too that raising has a better expected return than folding.

Any ace is in the published optimal preflop 4x range, including A7 offsuit.

K7 offsuit falls within the recommended preflop 4x-raise range of K5 offsuit or better.

Nine-three offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With only the board’s pair of sixes and weak kickers, raising 2x is unattractive. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the full board.

My two pair beats many dealer holdings that play only the board pair. Calling for one ante is better than forfeiting the ante and blind.

6-5 offsuit is outside the recommended preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

The paired king-high flop gives 6-5 little immediate strength and few ways to improve. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

My hole cards do not improve the board's pair of nines. The dealer can only tie or beat the board, so raising cannot win.

7♠2♠ is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Bottom pair gives me a made hand on this unpaired flop. Raising 2x now is preferable to waiting for a river decision with only a 1x raise available.

K-3 offsuit falls below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

King-high on this rainbow flop has no pair or strong draw. Checking preserves the option to raise or fold after seeing the full board.

King-high wins often enough against the dealer's unpaired hands to make the 1x raise slightly better than folding.

J-2 offsuit is too weak for a preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or make a cheaper river decision.

The pair of sixes is shared, and my jack-deuce adds only one useful overcard with no strong draw. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

My jack kicker beats enough unpaired dealer holdings to make the river raise narrowly better than folding, even though the board has three clubs.

Q6 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With only queen-high on a king-jack flop and no strong draw, committing a 2x raise is less attractive than seeing the remaining cards before deciding.

A pair of queens is strong enough to continue against a random dealer hand. The chance to win or tie makes the 1x raise preferable to forfeiting the ante and blind.

Unsuited 5-3 is outside the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the chance to improve on the flop before committing a play bet.

The 5 gives me an open-ended straight draw: a 4 or 9 completes it. That strong draw makes the 2x flop raise preferable to waiting for the river.

Q6 offsuit is below the recommended preflop 4x-raise range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

The paired board gives both hands a pair of nines, but my Q-6 offers no strong draw or made-hand advantage. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

The board’s pair of nines gives the dealer a qualifying hand, but my queen kicker beats many dealer holdings. Raising has better expected value than forfeiting the ante and blind.

J7 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

J-high has no pair or immediate straight or flush draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river rather than committing a 2x raise with a weak hand.

The paired board gives me queens with a jack kicker. Against an unknown dealer hand, raising has better expected value than forfeiting the ante and blind.

8-6 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

With eight-high, no pair, and no immediate straight or flush draw, a 2x raise is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

My best hand is the pair of fours on the board. I cannot beat the dealer—only tie or lose—so raising has no upside.

Any ace is in the published optimal preflop 4x range, including A9 offsuit.

T4 offsuit is too weak to raise preflop. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves it.

Top and bottom two pair on the flop is strong against a random dealer hand. Raising now captures more value than waiting for a smaller river bet.