Showdown Hold'em table

King-Jack offsuit is well above the published 4x preflop threshold (K5o+ and J8s+ range), so raising four times the ante maximizes expected value.

6-7 offsuit is below the 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to raise 2x on the flop.

Six-high with an 8 on the flop is a weak, mostly high-card hand with only a modest straight draw, so raising 2x is poor value. Checking keeps the option to fold on the river and avoids putting extra chips at risk.

I have a straight, 4-5-6-7-8, which beats almost any dealer hand that can qualify on this board, and the only real tie risk is a dealer 6-7 hole pair. Raising 1x on the river is clearly +EV.

Ace-five offsuit is an any-ace hand in the published optimal 4x preflop table, so raising four times the ante is the standard play.

Q7 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+), so I'll check and reassess on the flop, where a 2x raise is available.

A pair of queens on the flop is strong enough to beat most dealer holdings, so betting 2x now is better than giving up value on the river.

Five-nine offsuit is below the published 4x opening range, so checking keeps the ante and blind at risk low while I see the flop before committing more chips.

My 5-9 has only nine-high and no made hand or real draw on this board, so I'll check and keep the option to fold on the river instead of risking an extra 2x.

Folding guarantees losing the ante and blind (-20 chips), while raising has an expected value of roughly -1.5 chips since my pair of nines beats a dealer pair of 2s in about 57% of holdings. Raising is clearly better than folding.

Six-deuce offsuit is below the published raise range, so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop without risking extra chips preflop.

Six-high with no pair and only a weak straight draw is too weak to bet 2x on the flop. Checking keeps the option to fold cheaply on the river if the board stays unhelpful.

My best five cards are only a pair of 3s with Q-T-9 from the board, and the dealer always holds at least that same hand, so I can at best tie and most likely lose. Folding loses 20 chips, while raising loses about 23 in expectation, so folding is better.

J5 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to decide on the flop.

Jack-high with a weak gutshot and no pair is too weak to risk 2x on the flop, so I check and keep the option to fold on the river.

A pair of fives with K-J-8 kickers beats any dealer hand without a pair, which is roughly 45% of deals, and a raise's expected loss of about -0.9 units is better than folding's certain -2 units.

Any ace is a raise_4x hand in the published optimal preflop table, and A-Q offshore is a strong starting hand against a dealer that needs a pair to qualify.

Queen-ten suited is inside the published optimal 4x range (Q6s+), so raising four times the ante maximizes expected value.

9s-Jh offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (J8s+ or JTo), so checking keeps the option to act on the flop without risking the full raise.

A pair of jacks on the flop is strong enough to beat most dealer qualifying hands, so a 2x raise has positive expected value here.

6-7 offsuit is below the published 4x threshold, so I won't risk a 4x or 3x play bet preflop. Checking keeps my options open for the flop, where I can still raise 2x if the board helps.

A pair of sevens with a king and ten on board is a marginal holding, so I'll check and keep the cheaper option to decide on the river with all five cards.

I hold a pair of sevens with a King-Jack-Ten kicker, which beats many dealer hands even though it loses to any King, Jack, or Ten pair. Raising 1x costs about zero expected chips here, while folding loses the ante and blind for certain.

7-J offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to act on the flop.

Seven-high with king-queen-two on board is a weak no-pair hand, so raising 2x now is poor value. Checking keeps the option to decide on the river with all five cards and costs nothing.

Our hand is A-K-Q-J-7 with no pair, so any dealer pair beats us; the dealer fails to qualify roughly 40% of the time, making a 1x raise about -14 chips in expectation versus -20 for folding.

J9 offsuit is below the published optimal 4x preflop range (J8s+ or JTo only), so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop without risking the larger preflop bet.

Nine-high with no pair and no real draw is too weak to put 2x more chips in on the flop, so I'll check and decide on the river with the full board.

I have a pair of nines with King-Queen-Jack kickers and no flush. Dealer non-qualification (about 42%) pushes my ante but still pays my play bet, and my estimated call EV (about -9 chips) beats folding, which loses the ante and blind (-20).

4c5c is below the published 4x preflop range (33+, any ace, K2s+, Q6s+, J8s+), so checking keeps the option to see the flop and act with at most a 2x raise, limiting risk on a weak holding.

I hold two pair, kings and fours with a five kicker, which beats most dealer holdings, so raising 2x on the flop is strong value before more cards come.

Ace-Jack suited is well above the published 4x threshold (any ace), so raising 4x preflop is the optimal play.

9-5 offsuit is below the published 4x and 3x preflop thresholds, so checking keeps the option to continue on the flop or river at lower risk.

A pair of nines with a strong flop-equity profile is worth raising 2x here, since it beats most dealer holdings and wins the play bet on a showdown win.

K4 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (K5o+), so checking keeps the option to continue on the flop without risking a full preflop raise.

My King-high with a Q-T-3 board has no pair and only weak straight draws, so I'll keep the risk low and decide on the river.

I have King-high with no pair or straight, so I win only if the dealer misses a pair and has no higher high card. Folding loses the ante and blind for certain, while raising risks one more ante-sized play bet with a better expected result.

Ace-ten suited-off is an 'any ace' hand in the published optimal 4x preflop table, so raising four times the ante is the highest-EV play.

4-10 offsuit is well below the published preflop raise range, so I check and keep the option to act on the flop.

I have only a Ten-high hand with no pair and weak straight potential on a 5-6-J board, so I'll check and reassess on the river rather than risk 2x now.

I have only ace-high with no straight, so folding loses the ante and blind for certain. Calling with the river raise has better expected value: the dealer qualifies about 58% of the time and beats me then, but when the dealer fails to qualify my ace-high often wins the play bet.

9-5 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range, so checking keeps the ante at risk low and preserves the option to decide on the flop.

9-5 on a 3-4-T flop is only high card with no real draw, so betting 2x would risk 20 chips on a weak hand. Checking keeps the option to fold on the river if no improvement comes.

I hold only a pair of tens with a jack kicker on a paired board, and the dealer qualifies and beats this often, so a 1x raise has negative expected value compared with folding.

Two-five offsuit is below the published 4x raising range, so checking preflop keeps the option to act on the flop with a cheaper 2x raise.

A-J-8-7-2 is only ace-high on the flop, so I'd rather keep the hand cheap and decide on the river with full information, when raise_1x is the only raise and folding is available.

My hand is ace-high with no pair, so folding guarantees losing the ante and blind (-20). Raising 1x risks 10 more, but the dealer fails to qualify about 41% of the time, and then I usually win the play bet while the ante pushes. The expected value is about -15, which beats folding.

The 2s5s hand is too weak to raise 3x or 4x preflop, so I check and keep the option to play later on the flop or river at lower risk.

My 2s5s with the 7s-4c-Js flop gives only a spade flush draw and weak high-card value, so I'll check and keep the river option to bet 1x only if I improve or fold otherwise.

I hold a five-spade flush (2s 5s 7s 4s Js), which beats almost every dealer holding that can qualify, so raising the river 1x has strongly positive expected value.

Jd2c is well below the published 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to raise 2x on the flop.

Ace-high with a Jack kicker and no pair is too weak to justify a 2x raise on the flop. Checking keeps the river option to raise 1x or fold once the full board is known.

I hold a pair of jacks with an ace kicker on the river, which should win often enough that raising 1x beats folding and losing the 20-chip ante and blind outright.

Jh Qd offsuit is above the published optimal 4x preflop threshold (JTo or better), so raising four times the ante is the standard play.

4-8 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to raise on the flop.

Pair of tens with an 8 kicker is medium-weak against a dealer who also has tens on board and can beat us with a better kicker or any pair in the hole. Checking keeps the option to fold at the river for free, while a 2x raise now risks too much on a marginal hand.

I hold only a pair of tens with an eight kicker on a four-diamond board, and the dealer qualifies automatically and beats this with most two-card holdings. Calling the river bet wins only about 5-6% of the time, so folding loses less in expectation.

Ace-7 offsuit is in the published 4x preflop range (any ace), and the ace gives a solid chance to beat the dealer's qualifying hand.

Nine-eight offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+ and up), so checking keeps the ante at risk minimal and preserves the option to play later streets.

I have no pair and only a weak straight draw against a board that already pairs sixes, so I'll check and keep the option to fold or raise 1x on the river rather than risk 2x now.

I hold a pair of sixes with A-K-9 kicker, and the dealer always qualifies off the board pair. Dealer hole cards beat me most of the time, but raising 1x (about -1.97 ante EV) edges folding (-2 ante, which loses the ante and blind).

Deuce-ten offsuit is well below the published 4x and 3x preflop raising ranges, so checking keeps the option to continue on later streets without putting extra chips in preflop.

I have an open-ended straight draw (8-9-T-J) but no made hand, and the dealer qualifies only with a pair or better. Checking keeps the option to call a 1x river bet only if the straight or a strong hand improves, avoiding a 2x flop bet with about a 30% chance of completing.

I have only a Jack-high hand (no pair, flush or straight), so I likely lose to a qualifying dealer pair. Folding loses 20 chips, slightly less than the roughly 20.6-chip expected loss from raising.

J5 offsuit is below the published preflop 4x range, so I'm checking to keep the option of a flop 2x raise at lower risk.

I hold only J-5 with a pair of fours on the board, which is a weak showdown hand that wins only when the dealer's hole cards miss a higher kicker. Checking keeps the 2x play bet out of the pot and preserves the river option to fold.

I hold a pair of fours with an ace-jack-ten kicker, and the dealer's qualifying hand only beats me if their hole cards are a higher pair, two pair, or a K or Q kicker, which is about 76% likely. Even so, raising 1x edges the fold's certain -20 chips, since I win about 21% of runouts for +20 and lose 76% for -30.

K3 offsuit is below the published 4x raising range, so checking keeps the ante and blind at risk minimal while preserving the option to continue on later streets.

King-high with a 3 and no pair on a 4-5-9 board is too weak to raise 2x on the flop. Checking keeps the river decision open, where I can raise 1x only if the final board improves my hand.

Folding loses the ante and blind for a certain -20, while calling the river adds a 10-chip play bet with an estimated EV of about -8 given our pair of kings. Raising is the better expected choice.