Showdown Hold'em table

Pocket eights are comfortably within the preflop raise range; raising 4x maximizes value with a strong starting hand.

Q4 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing extra chips with a weak hand.

A single pair of fours with a king on the board is vulnerable. Checking preserves the option to make a smaller river raise if the runout improves the hand or keeps it favorable.

The board gives me two pair, kings and fours, with an ace kicker. The dealer qualifies from the board’s king pair, but raising is still favorable: I beat enough dealer holdings to outweigh the risk of losing the play bet.

8♣3♦ is well below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing a larger play bet with a weak hand.

A low pair on an ace-king board is often behind, so raising now risks extra chips without enough showdown equity. Checking preserves the option to improve and reassess on the river.

My pair of threes is weak, but raising is still better than folding: I can beat dealer hands that fail to pair the board, while folding immediately loses both the ante and blind.

9-7 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing a large play bet with a weak hand.

A pair of sevens plus an open-ended straight draw gives this hand solid improvement and showdown potential, making the flop raise worthwhile.

JTo is included in the published preflop raise range, so I’ll make the maximum preflop raise.

K9 offsuit meets the supplied preflop raise threshold of K5o or better, so I raise 4x.

6♥4♥ is below the recommended preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop before risking a play bet.

My hand is only ten-high with weak backdoor straight and flush possibilities, so it is not strong enough to risk a 2x raise.

My hand is only a pair of tens with weak kickers, and the paired board gives the dealer at least tens as well. A river raise is unlikely to win often enough to justify the added risk.

The reference preflop strategy raises 4x with any ace, and Ah is a strong high-card holding.

A4 offsuit is within the published preflop 4x raising range because it contains an ace.

2c3h is a very weak offsuit starting hand, well below the preflop raising range. Check and retain the option to evaluate the flop.

I have only a weak open-ended straight draw, with no made pair. Checking avoids committing a play bet now and lets me decide on the river if the draw improves.

My best hand is just the board’s pair of sevens, so I can at best tie if the dealer also plays the board; raising cannot produce a win.

T♦5♥ is below the usual preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing a large bet with a weak hand.

With T-high and no immediate pair or strong draw, raising is unlikely to be profitable. Check and retain the option to act on the river.

Raising has better expected value than folding: the trips on the board create enough winning and tied outcomes to offset the added play bet, despite a substantial chance the dealer has better kickers.

6♠4♠ is below the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll check and retain the option to act on the flop.

A weak pair of sixes with a poor kicker is vulnerable, and checking preserves the option to make a smaller river raise if the runout improves the hand.

Raising risks only the 1x play bet and is preferable to folding, which forfeits both the ante and blind. My pair of sixes can still beat an unqualified dealer or a lower pair.

8♣2♣ is well below the preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing a larger bet with a weak hand.

With only 8-high, a backdoor flush draw, and a runner-runner straight possibility, this hand is too weak to invest a 2x raise on the flop.

My two pair (sixes and twos) beats a dealer holding only the board’s pair of sixes, so the 1x play bet has positive expected value.

A♠6♠ is within the recommended preflop raise range for any ace, so I raise 4x.

Qh-7s is offsuit and falls below the recommended preflop raising range, so checking avoids committing a larger play bet with a weak hand.

On the paired flop I have only a pair of fives with a modest kicker, and dealer holdings often have better kickers or improve. Checking preserves the option to make a smaller river bet if the board or my hand improves.

The board gives me two pair, but a dealer holding a 5 or 8 beats it, making a river raise too risky. Folding avoids adding the play bet when the chance of losing is substantial.

J-6 offsuit is below the preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to act on the flop without committing a larger bet.

Top pair gives a strong enough chance to stay ahead against a random dealer hand, so raising now is preferable to waiting for the river.

T9 offsuit is below the recommended preflop raise range, so checking avoids committing a larger play bet before seeing the flop.

I have only ten-high on the flop, with no made hand and just a backdoor straight possibility. Checking avoids risking a 2x raise with a marginal hand and preserves the option to act on the river.

My best hand is only a pair of fours with modest kickers. The dealer’s shared board pair and available kickers or board matches make a win too unlikely to justify adding a play bet.

Ace-ten is within the recommended preflop raising range; raising 4x maximizes value with this strong starting hand.

The reference preflop strategy raises with any ace, so Ac2s qualifies for the 4x raise.

The published optimal preflop range includes any ace, so A-2 qualifies for the 4x raise.

K2 offsuit falls below the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll check and preserve the option to act on the flop.

I have an open-ended straight draw, but no made hand; checking preserves the option to raise on the river if the board improves.

My pair of eights with a king kicker should beat more than half of the dealer’s possible hands; the added play bet is therefore worthwhile.

9♣4♣ is below the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll keep the option to evaluate the flop before committing a raise.

I have no pair, no flush draw, and only a remote backdoor straight draw. Checking preserves the option to respond to the river without risking a larger play bet now.

With only a pair of nines, I lose to any dealer spade for a flush and to many non-spade holdings that make a higher pair or two pair. Raising is unlikely to beat the 50% threshold needed to justify the additional bet.

9♣3♣ is well below a reasonable preflop raising range; checking preserves the option to continue if the flop improves the hand.

A low pair of threes is vulnerable to dealer pairs and later improvement, so raising now risks too much. Checking preserves the option to decide after seeing the full board.

My hand is a full house, sixes full of threes. It beats most dealer holdings and earns the full-house blind payout when it wins, so raising is worthwhile.

Q5 suited falls below the stated preflop raise threshold, so checking avoids committing a large raise with a marginal hand while preserving the option to act on the flop.

I have a strong flush draw, but checking lets me see the turn and river without committing a play bet; I can raise on the river if the hand improves.

I have a queen-high flush, which should beat most dealer holdings; the raise is worthwhile despite some risk from higher flushes or full houses.

6-5 offsuit falls below the profitable preflop raise range; checking preserves the option to continue if the flop improves the hand.

A pair of fives with a weak kicker is vulnerable on an ace-high, queen-high board. Check and retain the option to make a smaller river raise if the hand improves.

My pair of fives beats many dealer high-card hands and lower pairs, while the one-ante play bet adds relatively little risk compared with folding. The board offers no likely blind-paytable bonus, but raising has positive expected value.

4♥3♦ is well below the profitable preflop raising range, so I’ll avoid committing a larger bet and see the flop.

A pair of threes with a weak kicker has limited showdown equity, so raising now risks extra chips against likely overpairs or improved hands. Checking preserves the option to raise on the river if the final board improves me.

My pair of threes beats unpaired hands and pairs of twos; although higher pairs can beat me, raising is worthwhile with only one ante-sized play bet at risk.

9♥4♣ is below the recommended preflop raising range, so I’ll check and retain the option to act on the flop.

I have only nine-high with no made hand, so committing a 2x play bet is not worthwhile. Checking preserves the option to fold or make a smaller river raise if the board improves substantially.

A pair of nines is vulnerable on this board: dealer holdings that pair the king or ten, make two pair, or complete a straight beat it. The chance of a qualifying dealer hand beating me is too high to justify the extra river bet.

Pocket twos fall below the stated preflop raise range. Check and evaluate the flop before committing a play bet.

A pair of deuces is weak on this connected board and is often already behind. Checking avoids committing the larger flop raise and preserves the option to act on the river.

My pair of twos is weak on this connected board, and the dealer will often have a pair or a straight. Raising risks an additional 10 chips compared with folding, with too little chance of winning to justify it.

T5 offsuit is below the preflop raise range. Checking keeps the option to continue if the flop improves the hand.

I have no pair and only weak runner-runner draws, so raising now risks too much. Checking preserves the option to make a smaller river raise if the board improves.

The board gives everyone a pair of threes, but my T-5 only supplies modest kickers. A dealer holding a higher kicker or making a stronger pair will often beat me, so raising has negative expected value.

7-5 offsuit is well below the profitable preflop raising range. Checking preserves the option to continue only if the flop improves the hand.

I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking preserves the option to see the river and raise only if the completed board gives me a favorable spot.

I have an 8-high straight, a strong made hand that should beat most dealer holdings. Raising risks only one ante and earns the play-bet payout when I win.