Showdown Hold'em table

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

Two pair on the flop is strong against a random dealer hand. Raising now captures more value than waiting for a smaller river raise.

T9 suited falls outside the recommended preflop 4x raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

The open-ended straight draw has eight immediate outs, and the 9 and T offer additional ways to improve. Raising now is preferable to waiting for the river.

8-7 offsuit is below the preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to raise after seeing the flop.

I have a pair on the flop. Despite the two overcards, raising now is preferable to waiting for a river decision.

2♦3♥ offsuit is too weak for a profitable preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

The flop gives me a pair of threes. Raising 2x is preferable to checking with a made pair.

9♦3♦ is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or make a smaller river decision.

With no pair, flush draw, or one-card straight draw, raising 2x on this ace-high flop is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

The paired board leaves me with two pair and a 9 kicker. Too many dealer holdings beat that hand, so risking another 10 chips is worse than folding.

Offsuit 8-5 is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

A pair of fives using a hole card is strong enough to raise on this flop. Raising now captures more value against the dealer’s many unpaired holdings.

9-8 offsuit is outside the recommended preflop 4x raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Middle pair plus an open-ended straight draw gives this hand strong showdown equity, making the 2x raise preferable to waiting.

Nine-three suited is below the recommended preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Nine-high on an ace-high flop has little chance to win unimproved and no immediate draw. Checking avoids committing a 2x raise and preserves the option to decide on the river.

My pair of eights with a nine kicker loses to many dealer holdings on this board. The chance of winning is too low to justify the river bet.

Q4 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

A pair of fours with a queen kicker is strong enough to raise on this flop against a random dealer hand. Checking would give up value when the pair holds.

Q9 offsuit is in the published optimal preflop 4x range (Q8 offsuit or better).

7-4 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

My seven pairs the board, giving me a made hand against two random dealer cards. Raising now captures value rather than waiting for the smaller river raise.

K7 offsuit is within the recommended preflop 4x raising range (K5 offsuit or better).

K8 suited is in the optimal preflop 4x raising range, and raising now captures its equity against a random dealer hand.

9-4 offsuit is below the profitable preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Nine-high on a paired flop is too weak to commit a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to act after seeing the turn and river.

My hand plays the board, so it cannot win, but many dealer holdings tie. Raising is better than folding because the expected loss from the losing holdings is less than the 20 chips forfeited by a fold.

Q2 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

I have a pair with a queen kicker on a dry flop. Raising now captures value against the dealer’s random hand.

8-3 offsuit is too weak for a profitable preflop raise. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Eight-high on an ace-high flop is too weak to commit a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the completed board before betting.

With only ace-high and a weak kicker, very few dealer holdings lose to this hand. Calling is unlikely to recover the additional chips at risk.

Ace-deuce suited is in the optimal preflop 4x raising range. Raising now captures value from the ace and flush potential.

Any ace is in the published optimal preflop 4x range, including A-8 offsuit.

Three-deuce suited is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

The low flush draw has potential, but raising 2x now risks too much when it misses. Checking preserves the option to make a smaller decision on the river.

The diamond flush beats most dealer hands. Only a stronger flush, full house, or four of a kind can beat it, so raising is clearly better than folding.

T8 offsuit is outside the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

The open-ended straight draw has eight immediate outs, with additional ways to improve through a pair or a backdoor flush. That makes the 2x raise worthwhile despite the paired board.

9-7 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

Nine-high has no pair or immediate draw on this flop. Checking preserves the option to fold on the river rather than committing a 2x raise.

My pair of threes has only a nine kicker. Too many dealer holdings beat it, so the extra play bet is not worth risking.

Any ace is in the optimal preflop 4x range; ace-queen offsuit is a strong raise.

5♣2♣ is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking keeps the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

A pair of fives is worth raising on the flop, and a 3 can also complete a straight. The connected, two-heart board adds risk, but checking gives up value against many weaker dealer holdings.

Unsuited 5-4 is below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise if the flop improves the hand.

With five-high, no pair, and no immediate straight or flush draw, this hand is too weak to commit a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the full board.

My pair of sevens has a weak kicker, and almost every dealer holding beats it. Calling for 10 more chips is worse than folding.

T8 offsuit is outside the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop.

Top pair on the flop is strong enough to raise now, despite the weak kicker and possible heart draws.

Q-T suited is in the recommended preflop 4x range and has strong straight and flush potential.

8-3 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 eight-high, no pair, and no immediate straight or flush draw, this hand is too weak to commit a 2x raise. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

I have only king-high on an unpaired board. Too few dealer holdings lose to this hand to justify the river bet.

Pocket deuces are below the published preflop 4x-raise threshold of 33+. Checking preserves the option to raise on a favorable flop or decide on the river.

Pocket deuces are a vulnerable pair on this king-high flop, with little chance to improve. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river rather than committing a 2x raise now.

My pair of deuces beats the dealer's unpaired hands. That chance is enough to justify the 1x raise rather than forfeiting the ante and blind.

K9 suited is in the published optimal preflop 4x range, with king-high strength and flush potential.

Q3 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking preserves the option to raise after seeing the flop.

With only queen-high behind the paired board and few strong draws, raising 2x is unlikely to be profitable. Checking preserves the option to decide on the river.

I have a full house, queens over fives. Only a few dealer holdings can beat it, so raising is much better than folding.