Showdown Hold'em table

Pocket tens is a medium pair; the published preflop optimal table does not include 10-10, so raising has negative EV versus the dealer's range. Checking keeps the option to raise cheaply on the flop if the board improves my hand.

On the flop with a pair of tens and a backdoor flush draw, checking is the optimal play to avoid overcommitting chips with a marginal hand, as the dealer's qualifying hand is unknown and the pot odds do not justify a raise.

On the river with Td Ts, my best hand is two pair (Jacks and Tens). The board is Jc 2c 8c Js Kd, so the dealer likely has at least a pair of Jacks and often better. With only a raise_1x or fold available, the small raise offers poor EV against a dealer that qualifies with a pair or better, so folding to preserve bankroll is the better choice.

7s4s is a weak hand with no pair and low suited connectors; preflop EV for this holding is negative, so checking avoids risking extra chips on a marginal spot.

On the flop with 7s4s and a 5s-9d-Kh board, I checked to keep the option of a cheap 2x raise later if I hit a flush or straight, since my hand is currently weak and the dealer's qualifying range is wide.

On the river with 7s4s, the board 5s9dKhTh6c gives only a weak flush draw that missed. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, and raising 1x risks 10 chips to win a play bet that is unlikely to be paid. Folding preserves bankroll by losing only the ante and blind.

9s3c is a weak hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card strength, so it falls well below the preflop raise threshold. Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves and avoids risking chips with negative expected value.

With 9s3c on a 4c-Th-Kd flop, I have only a weak backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x would risk 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely range, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with 9s3c and a board of 4c Th Kd Ac 7s, I have only high-card strength and no made hand. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better given the paired Ace and connected board, so calling the 10-chip raise risks losing the ante and blind with negligible showdown value.

9d 5s is a weak offsuit hand with no pair, no high card strength, and no flush or straight potential. Preflop optimal strategy folds this hand, so I check to minimize risk and see the flop cheaply.

With 9d5s on Qd9cQc, I have only a weak pair and no redraws; raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a thin value/blind edge, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me evaluate the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 9d 5s and a board of Qd 9c Qc 8d Jh, I have only a pair of nines with no redraw. Raising 1x risks 10 chips to win a blind that pays only when I beat the dealer, and the dealer qualifies with a pair or better; the expected value of a bluff here is negative, so folding is the correct play.

Qc5s is too weak to raise preflop; checking keeps the 20-chip risk minimal and lets me see the flop cheaply before deciding.

With Qc5s on a 6h-Tc-2d flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against a dealer that qualifies with any pair, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves.

On the river with Qc5s, I have only a weak high-card hand (Qc-high) and the board is uncoordinated. My equity against the dealer's 990 possible holdings is far too low to justify risking the ante and blind, so folding is the correct play.

With 5s-Ac, I don't meet the published preflop 4x raise threshold (no pair, no ace, no K/Q/J high enough), so I check to see the flop cheaply and avoid overcommitting with a weak hand.

On the flop with 5s Ac and board Kh 5c 3s, I have only middle pair with a weak kicker and no flush or straight draws, so a raise has poor equity against the dealer's range. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the hand improves, and avoids committing extra chips with a marginal holding.

On the river with only Ace-high and no pair, raising costs 10 chips for a low-probability win against a dealer that likely qualifies with a pair or better; folding preserves bankroll by cutting the loss to the ante and blind.

2h-Tc is a weak offsuit hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card strength, so it does not meet the preflop raise thresholds; checking preserves chips and lets the board develop.

With 2h-Tc on Kh-9d-Ks, I have only an open-ended straight draw (Q/J for a Q-J straight) and no made hand. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to win only 20 when the dealer likely qualifies with a pair of Kings, so the expected value is negative; checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the draw hits.

On the river with 2h Tc, I have only a pair of tens. The board shows two Kings and a Ten, so the dealer likely has a qualifying hand. My hand is weak and unlikely to beat the dealer, so folding minimizes losses.

Kd6h is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop edge; checking avoids risking 30-40 chips on a hand that rarely improves to beat a dealer pair.

With Kd-6h on 6d-3h-5h, I have a weak pair of sixes and a backdoor flush draw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips on a marginal hand where the dealer likely qualifies with a better hand; checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve or bluff, and lets me see the turn card cheaply.

On the river with Kd-6h, my best hand is a pair of sixes. The board is paired and contains a flush draw, so the dealer's two hole cards are very likely to make at least a pair or better, meaning the dealer qualifies and I would lose the blind. Raising 1x costs 10 chips for a marginal chance to win only the ante, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct decision.

Td Kh is a marginal preflop hand that does not meet the published optimal 4x raise threshold (no pair, no ace, king is offsuit and below K5o). Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand, and avoids committing 40 chips with a hand that is likely behind the dealer's random pair-or-better qualifying range.

With Td Kh on a Jc Qd 9c flop, I have a weak open-ended straight draw (8 outs) but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve, since I can only raise once per hand.

On the river with Td Kh and board Jc Qd 9c 6s 5d, I have only a weak high-card hand. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, and raising 1x risks 10 chips for a low-probability win, so folding minimizes expected loss.

With 2d Kh, I don't meet the published optimal preflop raising criteria (no pair, no strong ace, no suited connectors), so checking preserves chips and keeps the option to raise cheaply on the flop if the board improves my hand.

With 2d Kh on a 5h 2s 3c flop, I have only a weak king-high with no pair, draw, or backdoor flush. Raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's range, so checking preserves capital and keeps the option to raise small on the river if the turn improves my hand.

On the river with 2d Kh, I have only a high-card hand. The board is 5h 2s 3c As Ts, so the dealer almost certainly has at least a pair. Raising 1x costs 10 chips and only wins if the dealer fails to qualify, which is unlikely. Folding saves the 10-chip blind.

5c 9h is a weak offsuit hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card strength. Preflop raise tables start at 33+ or any ace, so this hand has negative EV when raising. Checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves, and avoids committing chips with a hand that rarely beats a dealer pair.

With 5c9h on 9c8sKh, I have a weak pair of nines with a backdoor flush draw and no strong made hand. Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the turn if the board improves, and avoids committing chips with a marginal holding on the flop.

On the river with 5c9h, I have only a pair of nines with a King kicker. The board contains a pair of nines, so the dealer qualifies with a pair or better. My hand is unlikely to beat the dealer's range, and raising would risk additional chips with poor equity. Folding limits the loss to the ante and blind.

Jc-Tc is not in the published optimal preflop raise table (no pair, no ace, not K2s+ or Q6s+), so checking minimizes expected loss against the dealer's unknown holding.

On the flop with Jc-Tc and a 4h-9h-Th board, raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a flush draw and two pair, but the dealer only qualifies with a pair or better and the blind pays only on a win. Checking preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if the hand improves, and avoids overcommitting with a speculative draw that often loses to the dealer's likely made pair.

On the river with Jc-Tc, the board is 4h-9h-Th-Kh-6c, giving only a Ten-high straight. The dealer qualifies with any pair, and the blind only pays on a win, so the expected value of raising 1x is negative against the dealer's likely qualifying range. Folding preserves the bankroll for the remaining 18 hands.

With only Ace-high suited and no pair, preflop raise EV is negative against the dealer's range; checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves my hand.

With As6s on AdAhJh, I have a backdoor flush draw but no pair. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a low-equity draw against a dealer who likely has a pair from the Aces. Checking preserves capital and keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

River with As6s on Ad Ah Jh Qd 9s gives only a high-card hand. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, so raising risks the ante and blind with poor equity.

8c9d is a weak suited connector with no preflop raise value; checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With 8c9d on an 8s-Th-3h flop, I have middle pair with a weak kicker and no flush or straight draw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a thin value/bluff line that is unlikely to be +EV against the dealer's range, so checking preserves capital and lets me evaluate the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 8c9d and board 8sTh3h6sAd, my best hand is a pair of 8s. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and I have no redraws to improve. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with poor equity, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct decision.

7h-Jd is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop raise value; checking preserves chips and lets me evaluate the flop before committing more.

On the flop with 7h Jd and a 7s Qs 5c board, I have only a pair of sevens with no redraw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to win a pot where the dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with 7h-Jd and a 7s-Qs-5c-4s-Kh board, I have only a pair of sevens. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is unlikely to beat a random dealer holding. Raising 1x risks 10 chips with poor equity, so folding to preserve bankroll is the better expected-value decision.

8c Ts is a weak suited connector with no high card strength; preflop EV is negative against the dealer's random range, so I check to see the flop cheaply and only raise when I improve.

With 8c-Ts on Ad-4h-Qd, I have only a weak gutshot to a 9 and no made hand, so raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely range; checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if a runner improves me.

On the river with 8c-Ts, I have only a weak ten-high straight using the board. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is vulnerable to any pair, two pair, or better. Folding saves the 10-chip blind, which is the correct play against a likely qualifying dealer.

Ks-Qh is a marginal preflop hand that does not meet the published optimal raise thresholds (no pair, no A-K, and offsuit J-T or better). Raising 3x or 4x would risk 30-40 chips on a weak holding against a dealer that qualifies with any pair, so checking preserves bankroll and keeps the option to raise small on the flop if the board improves the hand.

Preflop I checked with Ks Qh; the flop 6s 5c 2c is disconnected and gives me no made hand or strong draw, so raising 2x would only risk chips with poor equity against the dealer's range. Checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the turn and river cheaply before deciding.

On the river with Ks Qh and a 6s 5c 2c 9d Qd board, I have only a weak high-card hand with no pair, straight, or flush draw. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, so calling the 10-chip raise risks losing the ante and blind with very low showdown equity.

9c 5d is a weak offsuit hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card synergy. Preflop EV for this holding is negative, so minimizing risk by checking is optimal.

With 9c-5d on a Jh-Ks-8c flop, I have no pair and only a backdoor flush draw; raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a weak draw against a dealer that likely qualifies with a pair or better, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river only if the turn and river improve my hand.

On the river with 9c5d and a board of Jh Ks 8c 3s 3h, my best hand is a 9-high. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with two pair (Jacks and threes) already on board, the dealer almost certainly qualifies and beats me. Raising 1x would lose the raise plus the ante and blind, so folding to save the ante and blind is the correct play.

Js4d is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop raise value; checking preserves chips and lets me evaluate the flop before committing more.

Js4d on a 6c6s7s flop has only a gutshot to a straight and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against a dealer that likely has a pair from the paired board. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if a runner improves the hand.

On the river with Js4d, the board 6c6s7sTc5h gives only a weak pair of sixes. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, so I almost certainly lose the showdown. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with negligible equity, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.

Td6h is a weak preflop holding with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card strength; the optimal preflop table does not include it, so raising would risk 30–40 chips with poor equity against the dealer's range. Checking keeps the ante and blind at risk only if the board helps, which is the correct play for a marginal hand.

With Td 6h on a 7h 2c 8s flop, I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking preserves the option to raise on the river if I improve, and avoids risking chips with a weak draw on a board that could easily pair the dealer's hand.

On the river with Td6h and a board of 7h2c8s3dTh, my best hand is a 9-high straight (5-6-7-8-9), which is weak and unlikely to beat the dealer's qualifying hand. Since the blind only pays when I win and folding loses only the ante and blind, folding minimizes expected loss.

Jc5d has no preflop raise value under the optimal table (no pair, no ace, not K2s+ or K5o+, not Q6s+ or Q8o+, not J8s+ or JTo). Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With Jc5d on a 2d 4h 7h flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against a dealer that qualifies with any pair. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves, and limits losses when the dealer likely qualifies.

On the river with Jc 5d and board 2d 4h 7h Qh Qd, my best hand is a Q-high with no pair. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and the board contains a pair of Queens, so the dealer will almost certainly qualify and beat me. Raising 1x would lose the raise plus the ante and blind, so folding to lose only the ante and blind is the correct play.

Ac-2c is a weak suited hand with no pair and poor straight potential; the published preflop optimal table does not include it, so raising has negative expected value. Checking preserves the option to raise cheaply on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With 2c, I have almost no chance to improve to a winning hand on this dry flop, and raising would only risk more chips with negligible equity. Checking keeps the option to win the blind if the dealer fails to qualify.

On the river with Ac2c and board 2d 6c Qd Ad Jh, my best hand is Ace-high with no pair. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, so I am almost certainly behind. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with negligible equity, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct decision.

6s5c is a weak hand with no pair, no high card strength, and no suited connectors or pocket pairs. Preflop optimal strategy for this hand is to check and see the flop for free.

With 6-5 offsuit on a 6d-2d-Js flop, I have bottom pair with no backdoor flush draw and a weak kicker. Raising 2x commits 20 chips into a pot where the dealer likely has a better hand, and the blind paytable only rewards me if I beat the dealer, so I'll check to see the turn cheaply and preserve bankroll for better spots.

River decision with 6s5c on 6d2dJsKh2s. My best hand is a pair of sixes with a 2 kicker. The board pairs of 2s and 6d give the dealer many combinations to make a qualifying pair or better. With only raise_1x or fold available, the small raise does not justify the risk against a likely qualifying dealer hand.

With A9o, I don't meet the published preflop 4x threshold (no pair, no strong ace, K2s+ or K5o+, Q6s+ or Q8o+, J8s+ or JTo). Checking keeps the raise option alive for the flop and avoids overcommitting with a marginal hand.

On the flop with Ac-9c and a Td-8d-8s board, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair, so raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely made hand. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve, and the dealer's pair of 8s likely qualifies, making a showdown call expensive without a strong hand.

On the river with only Ace-high and no pair, the dealer qualifies with a pair or better and the board is paired three times, so the dealer almost certainly qualifies and beats me; raising 1x risks 10 chips to win 10 when I'm likely behind, so folding loses only the ante and blind.

4h-5s is a weak disconnected hand with no pair, no suitedness, and no straight potential; preflop EV is negative against the dealer's random two cards, so I preserve chips by checking and seeing a cheap flop.

With 4h5s on a 6s7dQc flop, I have an open-ended straight draw but no made hand. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if I hit, while avoiding committing chips with a weak draw against a dealer who only needs a pair to qualify.

On the river with 4h 5s and a board of 6s 7d Qc Kc Ks, I have only a 6-high straight. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and the board contains a pair of Kings, so the dealer almost certainly qualifies and beats my hand. Raising 1x costs 10 chips for a negligible chance to win, so folding to lose the ante and blind is the correct expected-value decision.

With 4sQs, there is no premium hand to raise preflop; checking preserves the option to raise on the flop and avoids risking chips with a weak holding.

With 4sQs on a 9s Kh 9c flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with low showdown equity against a dealer holding a pair or better, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me see the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 4s Qs and a board of 9s Kh 9c 3s Ah, I have only a weak queen-high with no pair, flush, or straight. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, so I cannot expect to win the play bet or trigger the blind paytable; folding saves the blind and avoids losing it.

Qc4c is a weak preflop hand that does not meet the optimal 4x raise threshold (no pair, no ace, no K-high suited, no J8s+). Raising would risk 30–40 chips on a hand with poor equity against the dealer's random range, so checking keeps the ante and blind at risk only if the board improves the hand.

With Qc4c on a 6d-9s-8c flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with little chance to beat a dealer pair, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with Qc4c, the board 6d9s8c4s7h gives only a weak 6-high straight. The blind pays only on a win, and the dealer qualifies with a pair or better, so this hand is unlikely to beat the dealer and the blind is at risk. Folding preserves bankroll by avoiding the blind loss.

2h 8d is a weak hand with no preflop play value; the published optimal preflop table does not include it, so checking preserves chips against a dealer that only qualifies with a pair or better.

With 2h-8d on a Ts-7d-5c flop, I have only a weak 8-high with backdoor flush and straight draws and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips on a hand that likely loses at showdown, so checking keeps the option to evaluate turn and river cards cheaply.

On the river with 2h-8d and a board of Ts-7d-5c-9d-5d, my best hand is a 5-high straight (2-3-4-5-6) using the 5c and 9d, but the dealer's pair of 5s already qualifies and beats me. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with no equity, so folding loses only the ante and blind.

With 5s Jh on the final hand, I have no strong preflop equity and the blind is at risk if I lose, so I check to see the flop cheaply and avoid committing more chips with a weak hand.

Jh5s on 2d-8c-3d is a weak flop with no pair, draw, or backdoor flush; raising risks 20 chips with poor equity against a dealer that qualifies with a pair. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves, and the blind only pays when I beat the dealer.

On the river with Jh-5s, I have only a pair of Jacks and no flush or straight draws. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with three diamonds on board the dealer is very likely to have at least a pair, so my equity is too low to risk the ante and blind.

7h Ks is a marginal hand with no pair, no suited connector, and no high-card dominance; preflop EV for this holding is negative, so preserving the ante and blind by checking is the correct play.

With Ks-7h on 3c-5s-Ad, I have only a weak king-high with no draw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to win a small pot when the dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better; checking keeps the pot small and lets me evaluate the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with Ks-7h and a board of 3c-5s-Ad-8c-4d, I have only a weak King-high with no pair, flush, or straight. The dealer qualifies with any pair, and my hand is unlikely to beat that, so folding saves the 10-chip blind rather than risking it on a low-equity showdown.