Showdown Hold'em table

T8 offsuit falls outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (JTo is the weakest offsuit jack-high raise), so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop or 1x on the river once more cards are seen.

With T-8 on an A-6-5 flop there is no pair, no flush draw and only a weak backdoor straight draw, which falls well short of the standard flop 2x raising threshold. Checking keeps the option to bet 1x or fold on the river.

The paired board means the dealer always qualifies. My 55-A-T-8 wins in only about 136 of 990 dealer holdings, so raising is worth about -22.9 chips versus -20 for folding.

Pocket fives are in the published optimal 4x raise range (33+), so a maximum preflop raise has the highest expected value.

85 offsuit is far outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so checking to see the flop for free is correct.

8-5 on K-7-6 gives only an open-ended straight draw with no pair. Standard flop strategy is to raise 2x only with a hidden pair or better, or a strong flush draw, so I check and take the river decision.

My pair of fives (with K-T-8 kickers) beats roughly a third of the dealer's possible hands, mostly ones that don't qualify. That puts the 1x raise at about -16 chips versus a certain -20 for folding, so calling the river is better.

K9 offsuit is in the published optimal 4x preflop range (K5o+), so raising 4x maximizes expected value.

9-3 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so I check and see the flop for free.

9-3 offsorted on an A-J-7 rainbow flop has no pair and no meaningful draw (only a gutshot-free backdoor), so raising 2x is clearly negative EV. Checking keeps the option of folding or raising 1x on the river.

A pair of threes beats the 404 of 990 dealer hands that do not qualify, and it ties many others. Raising has an EV of about -11.4 chips, which is better than the -20 from folding.

Pocket jacks are well inside the optimal 4x preflop raising range (33+), so the maximum raise has the highest expected value.

96s is not on the optimal 4x preflop table (33+, any ace, K2s+, Q6s+, J8s+ and similar), so checking and re-evaluating on the flop is correct.

I have top pair (sixes) on the flop. That is likely ahead of a random dealer hand often enough to justify the 2x raise, even with the monotone club board.

Q4 offsuit falls outside the optimal preflop 4x range, which needs Q8o or better for offsuit queens. Checking keeps the option to raise on the flop or river with more information.

Top pair of queens using a hole card is a hidden pair, which basic strategy raises on the flop. It is likely ahead of most dealer holdings even on a monotone board.

T3 offsuit is far below the optimal 4x preflop threshold (needs 33+, any ace, K5o+, Q8o+, JTo), so check and see the flop for free.

T3 offsuit on a 6-4-Q board leaves me with no pair, a gutshot at best (needs a 5) and no flush draw, so raising 2x would be badly -EV. Checking keeps the option to see the river for free before deciding to bet 1x or fold.

The board pair of queens means the dealer always qualifies. My ten kicker beats only about 11% of dealer holdings, so raising is worth about -22 chips against -20 for folding.

J4 offsuit falls short of the optimal 4x raise table, which needs JTo or J8s+ for jack-high hands, so checking keeps the option to act on the flop.

Jack-high with no pair and only backdoor straight potential is too weak to bet 2x on the flop. Checking keeps the option to decide at the river.

The dealer always qualifies because the board pairs queens, so folding costs 20 chips. By my rough count, calling with the jack kicker wins about 21% of the time and ties about 4%, giving an EV of roughly -18 chips, slightly better than folding.

Offsuit 5-3 is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so I check and see the flop for free.

With 3-5 offsuit on K-7-8 I have no pair and only a weak gutshot (I need a 6 for 4-5-6-7-8), so raising 2x is clearly -EV. Checking keeps the option to see the river and decide whether to raise 1x or fold.

My hole cards don't play, so my hand is just the board (pair of 8s, K-7-6), which can at best tie the dealer, and only about 8% of the time. Raising is worth about -27.7 chips versus -20 for folding, so folding loses less.

AQo contains an ace, which is in the published optimal preflop 4x raising range, so the maximum raise is +EV.

T2 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising table, so I check and wait to see the flop for free.

T2 offsuit on a 9-9-3 board gives only the board pair with a ten kicker. The dealer always qualifies here and beats me with any higher card, so raising 2x is clearly losing; I'll check and decide on the river.

We only play the board's pair of nines with a ten kicker. Counting dealer holdings, we win about 15% and lose about 81%, so calling is worth roughly -21.4 chips against -20 for folding, which makes folding slightly better.

AK offsuit is well inside the optimal preflop 4x table, which raises any ace, so the maximum raise has the highest expected value.

6-4 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x range (33+, any ace, strong kings/queens/jacks), so checking is correct. That keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop or 1x on the river.

6-4 offsuit on a Q-J-3 flop is no pair with only a weak backdoor flush draw and gutshot-free low cards, so raising 2x has negative EV. Checking keeps the river decision open at no extra cost.

Pair of sixes with K-Q-J kickers loses to about 459 of 990 dealer holdings. It still wins often, mostly against a non-qualifying dealer. That gives roughly -8 chips EV for raising versus -20 for folding, so raising loses less.

J5 offsuit is well outside the optimal 4x raising range (which needs J8s+ or JTo), so I check and see the flop for free.

Top pair of jacks that uses a hole card is a standard flop 2x raise. It beats most dealer holdings and should be worth more than checking.

Per the published optimal strategy, any ace is a 4x raise preflop, so A3o qualifies and raising 4x has higher EV than checking.

KJ offsuit falls within the optimal 4x preflop table (K5o+), so a 4x raise is the highest-EV play.

Q6 offsuit falls below the optimal 4x threshold (Q8o+ for offsuit queens), so checking preflop is correct. That keeps flop and river options open.

Queen-high with no pair and only a backdoor straight draw is well below the flop raise threshold. Checking keeps the option to bet 1x or fold on the river.

The paired board means the dealer always qualifies, so folding costs 20 chips. Raising wins roughly 27% and ties about 7% (dealer has a lone queen), for an EV near -14.5 chips versus -20 for folding.

T2 offsuit is well outside the optimal 4x preflop range (only JTo+ among ten-high offsuit hands), so checking is the better play. I'll reassess on the flop.

I have four to a flush, but my only hole club is the 2. I also hold no pair and have no clean straight draw, so standard flop strategy says check rather than raise 2x. If the flush comes in, I can still bet 1x on the river.

I hold an ace-high club flush (A-K-J-8-2), which beats most dealer holdings; only a dealer holding a higher club wins. Raising risks 10 more chips to win the play bet, the ante and the 3:2 flush blind payout, while folding forfeits 20 chips.

Q2 offsuit is well below the optimal preflop 4x threshold (Q8o+), so checking and seeing the flop for free is correct.

The paired board gives us nothing of our own: Q2 offsuit plays only as a queen kicker behind the board ace, with no draws, so raising 2x is clearly -EV. Checking keeps the option to fold or bet on the river.

The board already gives a guaranteed qualifying two pair, so the dealer always qualifies. By my count, a Queen kicker wins about 40% of the time and ties about 9%, for an expected value near -7 chips by raising versus -20 by folding.

The published optimal strategy raises 4x preflop with any ace, so A6 offsite is a 4x raise.

74 suited is far outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so checking to see the flop for free is correct.

Four to a club flush, but my hidden clubs are only 7-high with no pair, which is below the usual flop raise threshold of a hidden 10 or better. I'll check and decide on the river.

I have an ace-high club flush on an unpaired board, so only a dealer holding two higher clubs can beat it. Raising wins the play bet and the 3:2 blind payout in nearly every case.

98 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (33+, any ace, K5o+, Q8o+, JTo), so checking to see the flop is correct.

I've flopped a straight (7-8-9-T-J), which is well ahead of most dealer holdings even with three diamonds on board, so raising 2x maximizes EV.

Pocket sevens fall inside the optimal 4x preflop raising range (33+), so the maximum raise has the highest expected value.

Q7 offsuit is below the optimal preflop 4x threshold (Q8o+), so checking and reassessing on the flop is correct.

Queen-high with no pair and no real draw is too weak to put in a 2x raise on this flop. Checking keeps the option to see the river for free.

Queen-high with no pair loses to every dealer pair and to most unpaired ace or king hands. Raising works out to about -22.6 chips against -20 for folding, so folding is slightly better.

KQo is inside the published optimal 4x preflop range (K5o+), so raising the maximum is correct.

65s is not in the optimal preflop 4x raising range (33+, any ace, K2s+/K5o+, Q6s+/Q8o+, J8s+/JTo), so checking is correct. I'll reassess on the flop.

The 12-out spade flush and gutshot straight draw has only about 45% to hit by the river. A 2x raise risks too much when I miss, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on a made hand or fold cheaply.

Five spades (5s 6s with 7s Ts Qs) give a Q-high flush. It beats almost every dealer holding and pays 3:2 on the blind, so raising clearly beats folding.

T9 offsuit is not in the optimal 4x table (which only includes JTo+ among offsuit non-ace/king/queen hands), so I check and wait for the flop.

Top two pair using both hole cards is far ahead of most dealer holdings, even with the heart draw on board. Raising 2x on the flop has higher EV than checking.

9-5 offsuit is far below the optimal 4x preflop raising threshold, so checking to see the flop for free is correct.

9-high with only a backdoor club draw on an A-Q-6 board is far too weak for a 2x raise. Checking keeps the option to fold cheaply on the river or play if the turn and river help.

With only ace-high (A-K-Q-9-7) and no made hand, the dealer qualifies about 69% of the time, and many non-qualifying dealer hands still outrank us. My estimate puts a raise at roughly -22 chips versus -20 for folding, so folding loses less.