Showdown Hold'em table

45o is well below the published optimal 4x range (33+, Ax, K2s+/K5o+, Q6s+/Q8o+, J8s+/JTo), so checking preserves the option to raise later with more information.

45 offsuit on A-T-7 rainbow has no pair, no draw, and little equity, so checking preserves the option to fold on the river if I miss.

Board pair of aces means both sides have at least AA T87; dealer can only tie or beat me, never lose, so a 1x raise only adds losses.

Pocket queens are well above the published optimal 4x threshold (33+), so I raise the maximum preflop.

AdTc is any ace, which is in the published optimal preflop 4x range, so I raise the maximum.

Pocket sevens are in the published optimal 4x range (33+), so I raise the maximum preflop rather than check.

Ace-nine offsuit is in the published optimal preflop 4x range (any ace), so I raise the maximum.

43 offsuit is well below the published 4x range and has little preflop equity, so I check and wait for a flop before committing more chips.

43 offsuit on A-Q-J has no pair and no meaningful draw, so a 2x raise is -EV; check and reassess on the river.

Two pair (fours and threes) beats about 880 of 990 dealer holdings and only loses to better two pair, trips, or a straight. Raising 1x is strongly +EV versus folding for -20.

T3s is below the published preflop 4x range (J8s+), so checking preserves the option to raise later with a better board.

Pair of tens is a made hand that meets the standard Ultimate Texas Hold'em flop raise threshold, so I put in the 2x play bet rather than check.

Q5 offsuit is outside the published 4x range (Q8o+ or Q6s+), so checking preserves the option to raise 2x on a favorable flop or fold the river.

Board pair gives me kings with a queen kicker, but the dealer is ahead or tied in nearly half of current holdings and two cards remain. Checking preserves a river decision instead of committing a 2x raise as a small favorite.

Board kings mean the dealer always qualifies, and 420 of 990 holdings lose to my A-Q-9 kickers while 69 tie. Raising 1x is about +13 chips versus folding.

T7 suited is below the published 4x range (J8s+), so checking preserves the option to raise 2x on a favorable flop.

Ten-high with no pair and no meaningful draw on J-4-3; raising 2x is -EV, so check and decide on the river.

King-high KJT74 loses to 813 of 990 dealer holdings and only nets +10 on the 168 wins, so calling is about -20.8 versus -20 for folding.

54o is well below the published 4x range (no pair, no ace, no suited connector of value), so checking preserves the option to raise 2x on a favorable flop or fold the river.

Second pair with a weak kicker and no strong draw is not worth a 2x commit; checking keeps the option to raise or fold once the board is complete.

I have a six-high straight, which wins against 825 of 990 dealer holdings and only loses to 56. Raising 1x is strongly +EV versus folding for -20.

T5o is well below the published 4x range (JTo+, Q8o+, suited broadways and pairs), and 3x is dominated by 4x when raising, so check and reassess on later streets.

Second pair with a five kicker and a queen on board is too thin to commit 2x; checking keeps the river fold option if the board runs out badly.

Two pair tens and fives beats the large majority of the 990 dealer holdings, including every non-qualifying hand, so a 1x raise is clearly +EV versus folding.

K2o is below the published 4x range (K5o+ or K2s+), and 3x is not part of the optimal preflop table, so checking preserves the later decision.

King-high with only a backdoor spade draw and no pair or straight draw is too weak to raise 2x on a queen-high flop. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x or fold on the river.

I have a king-high flush on a paired board. Only about 74 of 990 dealer holdings beat it, so a 1x raise is strongly +EV versus folding.

82s is well below the published 4x range (no pair, no ace, and not a strong king/queen/jack hand), so checking preserves the option to raise 2x only if the flop connects.

8-2 has no pair and no draw on this flop, so checking preserves the option to fold on the river if the hand does not improve.

Board already pairs the threes, so the dealer always qualifies, and 8-2 only beats the pure board. That happens too rarely to justify risking the 1x play bet, so folding the ante and blind is the higher-EV line.

2-7 offsuit is far below the published 4x range and has little equity or blind-pay potential, so checking preserves the option to raise later only if the board improves.

2h7d has no pair, no draw, and no connection to Jd-9s-5d, so a 2x raise is negative EV. Check and reassess on the river.

The board is already paired fives with J-9-8 kickers, which is exactly my best hand, so the dealer can always play the board and can only tie or beat me. Raising risks another 10 with no chance to win, while folding loses only the ante and blind.

86 offsuit is well below the published optimal preflop 4x range (no pair, no ace, and not a suited or high broadway hand), so checking preserves the option to raise later with more information.

86 offsuit has no pair and only a weak straight draw on this flop, so checking preserves the option to fold or raise 1x on the river.

Board pair of sevens gives me only J86 kickers, and the dealer has that pair with a better kicker or a stronger hand in about 93% of holdings. Raising 1x is clearly negative EV versus folding.

3-8 offsuit is far below the published preflop 4x range (no pair, no ace, and neither card is high enough). Checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop or fold on the river.

Board pair only with 8-high kickers and no real draw; raising 2x is -EV, so check and decide on the river.

I am playing the board (pair of sevens, A-K-9), so the dealer can only tie or beat me. The dealer fails to improve on 513 of 990 holdings, and that tie rate makes a 1x raise worth about -14.5 chips versus -20 for folding.

A7o is in the published optimal 4x range (any ace), so I raise the maximum preflop.

K7o is inside the published optimal 4x range (K5o+), so I raise the maximum preflop.

9-3 offsuit is well below the published optimal 4x range (no pair, no ace, and neither suited nor high enough), so checking preserves the option to raise later with a better board.

Board pair only with weak kickers and no draw; checking keeps the option to fold on the river if the dealer is likely ahead.

Two pair sixes and threes with a king kicker wins about 550 of 990 dealer holdings and ties 62, and the dealer always qualifies on the board pair. Raising 1x is far better than folding for a sure loss of ante and blind.

65o is well below the published 4x range and too weak to commit 3x preflop, so I check and reassess on the flop.

65 offsuit on a paired 9-9-K board has no pair, no draw, and no blind-paytable equity, so a 2x raise is negative EV. Check and reassess on the river.

Board pair of nines with K-Q-7 means the dealer always ties or beats my 6-5, so a 1x raise loses about 26 chips in expectation versus 20 for folding.

72s is well below the published 4x range (no pair, no ace, and not a strong king/queen/jack hand), so checking preserves the option to raise 2x only if the flop connects.

Bottom pair with only backdoor equity is too weak to commit 2x; checking preserves a free river decision.

Pair of sevens wins 502/990 and ties 30/990 of dealer holdings. Raising nets about -7.7 chips versus -20 for folding, so the 1x raise is clearly better.

K3 offsuit is below the published 4x range (K5o+), so checking to see the flop is the higher-EV line versus committing 3x or 4x with a weak king.

King-high with no pair or draw on a disconnected rainbow flop; raising 2x risks more chips with little equity, so check and reassess on the river.

King-high only wins when the dealer fails to qualify and does not hold an ace or king. That happens too rarely: the 1x raise is about -21 chips versus -20 for folding.

J2 offsuit is well below the published preflop 4x range (J8s+ or JTo), so checking preserves the option to raise later with a better board.

Jack-high with no pair, no flush draw, and no straight draw on a paired board has too little equity to raise 2x; check and reassess on the river.

Board pair means the dealer always qualifies, but 205 of 990 holdings still lose to sixes with K-J-8 and 44 tie. That makes a 1x raise about -18.3 chips versus -20 for folding.

Q6 offsuit is outside the published 4x range (Q8o+ or Q6s+), so checking preserves the option to raise later if the board improves.

Queen-high with no pair, no flush draw, and only a remote straight chance is too weak to raise 2x; check and reassess on the river.

Pair of queens wins about 573 of 990 dealer holdings and ties 40 more. Calling loses far less in expectation than folding the ante and blind.

3-5 offsuit is well below the optimal preflop 4x range, so checking preserves the option to raise later if the board improves.

Made 8-high straight on the flop is well ahead of a random dealer hand, so locking in the 2x play bet is better than checking for a smaller river raise.

Q6 offsuit is below the published 4x range (Q8o+ or Q6s+), so checking is the +EV preflop line.

Queen-high with no pair and no draw on a paired board is too weak to raise 2x; check and reassess on the river.

Board pair means the dealer always qualifies, and queen-kicker nines still beat enough holdings that a 1x raise loses less than folding.

J7o is below the published 4x range (J8s+ or JTo), so checking preflop is the higher-EV line versus a 3x or 4x raise.

J7 offsuit has no pair and no flush or straight draw on Q95 with two diamonds, so a 2x raise is -EV; check and reassess on the river.

Board queens mean the dealer always qualifies, and Jh-7s still wins about 211 of 990 holdings (plus 24 ties) on kickers. That win rate clears the 20% threshold, so a 1x raise loses less in expectation than folding.

86 offsuit is outside the published optimal 4x range (no pair, no ace, and not a qualifying king/queen/jack hand), so checking preserves the option to raise later with more information.

8-6 offsuit has no pair and no draw on Tc Kh 4h, so a 2x raise is negative EV. Check and reassess on the river.

Board pair of fours is the whole hand, so the dealer ties unless those two cards improve. That happens about half the time, so a 1x raise loses less than folding.

A9o is in the published optimal 4x range (any ace), so I raise the maximum preflop.

T4o is well below the published preflop 4x range (JTo+, Q8o+, K5o+, any ace, 33+), so checking preserves the option to raise later with more information.

Two pair (tens and fours) plus a club flush draw is well ahead of the dealer’s random two cards, so the 2x flop raise is the value play.