Showdown Hold'em table

9-3 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising range, so preserving the option to assess the flop is best.

With two pair (tens and nines) on the flop, this is a strong made hand against the dealer’s random holdings. The 2x raise captures value now despite the paired, two-spade board.

Ten-Nine suited is a strong connected suited hand and falls within the optimal preflop 4x raising range.

8♣7♦ offsuit is below the profitable preflop raise thresholds. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

Bottom pair with weak kicker on an ace-king board is too vulnerable to commit the larger flop raise. Checking preserves the option to fold or make the smaller river raise after seeing both remaining cards.

My pair of sevens has meaningful showdown value and can win against many unpaired dealer holdings. Raising is preferable to surrendering the posted ante and blind.

2-3 offsuit is far below the profitable preflop raise range, so preserving the option to evaluate the flop is best.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker is not strong enough to commit a 2x raise on this flop. Checking preserves the option to improve or make a better-informed river decision.

I have trip threes on this paired board, which is a strong showdown hand. Only a limited set of straights, a better-kicker trip hand, or stronger holdings beat me.

9♦3♦ is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so I retain flexibility for a flop and river decision.

With only a weak pair and a gutshot draw on an ace-high board, the hand is not strong enough to commit the 2x play bet. Check and retain the option to fold or call appropriately on the river.

The board gives only two pair with a 9 kicker; most dealer holdings have a higher kicker, a pocket pair, or improve to a full house. The river call is negative versus preserving the posted bets by folding.

8-5 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising range, so retain flexibility and evaluate the flop.

A made pair is comfortably strong enough to commit on the flop against a random dealer hand, with additional chances to improve to two pair or trips.

9-8 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves the option to make a more informed flop or river decision.

Pair of eights with an open-ended straight draw on this connected flop has strong showdown equity and valuable straight/flush-blind upside. Raising now captures that equity at the larger available play bet.

This is a weak ace-high board with no made pair and only thin backdoor club potential. Checking preserves the option to make the optimal river decision after seeing both remaining cards.

My 9 kicker behind the paired board is beaten by most dealer holdings, while the dealer always qualifies from the board pair. The small set of wins does not justify the river call.

Q4 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range, so checking preserves the option to make a more informed flop or river decision.

Bottom pair with a weak kicker on a king-high, two-heart board is too marginal for the larger flop raise. Checking preserves the option to make a more informed river decision.

I have a king-high straight, which beats most dealer holdings; only an ace-queen straight, a flush, or a stronger made hand can beat it.

Q9 offsuit is within the optimal preflop 4x raising range (Q8o+).

7-4 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising range, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

A flopped pair of sevens has sufficient showdown value and improvement potential to commit at the favorable flop raise size.

K7 offsuit is within the published optimal preflop 4x raising range (K5o+). Raising now captures its positive expected value.

K8 suited is in the optimal preflop 4x raising range. Its suited king strength warrants taking the maximum early raise.

9-4 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising thresholds, so checking preserves flexibility for the flop and river.

This weak nine-high holding on a paired board has insufficient equity to commit the 2x play bet; preserve the option to fold or call correctly on the river.

My hand plays the board, so I can only tie or lose. The dealer ties often enough on this paired board that the 1x raise has better value than folding.

Q2 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop before committing a play bet.

Bottom pair with a queen kicker is too vulnerable on this uncoordinated flop to commit a 2x play bet. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable rivers or raise when the final board improves the hand.

My pair of twos is too vulnerable on this three-spade board, and too many dealer holdings make a higher pair, two pair, a straight, or a flush. The river raise has negative value here.

8-3 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising thresholds, so retain flexibility to evaluate the flop.

This is only eight-high with no made hand and limited immediate draw value on an ace-high board. Check and preserve the option to make the optimal river decision.

With only an eight kicker on this unpaired board, nearly all dealer qualifying holdings beat me, while my few winning outcomes do not justify the river call.

Any ace is a published optimal preflop 4x raise in this ruleset. The suited ace also retains strong flush and straight potential.

Any ace is a published optimal preflop 4x raise. Ace-eight has sufficient showdown strength and high-card advantage.

2♦3♦ is below the profitable preflop raise thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

This low diamond holding has only a backdoor flush draw and very little immediate showdown value. Checking preserves the option to fold on an unfavorable river.

We have a king-high flush, a very strong river hand that beats most dealer holdings. The flush blind payout further makes raising clearly profitable despite occasional higher diamonds or full houses.

Ten-eight offsuit is below the profitable preflop raise thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

I have a made jack-high straight on the flop, giving strong showdown value and straight blind-payout potential. Raise now for value.

9-7 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves the option to make a better-informed flop or river decision.

With only nine-high and no made pair or meaningful draw, preserving the option to make an informed river decision is preferable to committing 2x on the flop.

We hold a king-high flush on this paired board. Only a higher spade flush or the extremely rare remaining 3-3 quads beats us, so raising is strongly profitable.

Ace-queen is a strong preflop holding and falls within the optimal any-ace 4x raising range.

5c2c is far below the optimal preflop raising thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

Pair of fives with an open-ended straight draw has substantial showdown equity and strong improvement potential, supporting the flop raise rather than delaying.

5-4 offsuit is below the published profitable preflop raise thresholds, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

This low, unpaired hand has only weak backdoor straight and flush possibilities on a coordinated flop. Checking preserves the option to make a precise river decision.

Our lone paired-board hand has weak kickers and is beaten by almost every dealer holding; only a tiny set of low unpaired combinations loses to us. Folding preserves the additional play bet.

Ten-eight offsuit is below the published profitable preflop raising threshold, so preserving the option to evaluate the flop is preferable.

Top pair with an eight kicker is a strong made hand on this flop, with useful straight potential and enough equity to commit at the flop sizing.

Queen-ten suited is comfortably within the optimal preflop 4x raising range (Q6s+). Its suitedness and connected ranks give strong equity and straight/flush potential.

8-3 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising thresholds, so I check and retain the flop/river decision.

This weak eight-high hand has little current showdown value and insufficient equity to commit the 2x play bet on the flop. Checking preserves the option to fold or make a value decision on the river.

With only king-high and weak kickers on this board, the dealer will usually have a qualifying pair or a better high-card hand. The rare unqualified hands I beat do not justify the extra river wager.

Pocket twos are below the published optimal preflop raise threshold of 33+, so preserving flexibility for flop and river decisions is preferable.

A pocket pair gives immediate showdown value and can improve to trips or a full house. Raising on the flop captures value before later cards can create difficult river decisions.

King-nine suited is within the published optimal preflop 4x range (K2s+), so maximizing the raise has positive expected value.

Q3 offsuit is below the optimal preflop raising threshold, so checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop.

Queen-high with a weak kicker on a paired king board is not strong enough to commit a 2x play bet. Checking preserves the option to fold unfavorable rivers or raise only with improved showdown value.

I hold queens full of fives, an extremely strong full house. Only the remaining queen can give the dealer quads, so raising is overwhelmingly favorable.