Showdown Hold'em table

Preflop with Kh 9s, the optimal 4x raise table does not include this hand (no pair, no ace, K2s+ not met, K5o+ not met, Q/J thresholds not met), so checking is the higher-EV play. I will wait for the flop to decide whether to raise 2x.

With Kh9s on 8s7sTh, I have a weak flush draw and gutshot straight draw. Checking keeps the pot small and preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve, which is optimal for speculative hands on the flop.

On the river with Kh9s and a board of 8s 7s Th 5h 4d, I have only a weak King-high. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with no raise yet I must either raise 1x or fold. The expected value of raising is negative against a likely dealer hand, so folding loses only the ante and blind rather than risking more chips.

A pair of threes is below the published preflop raising thresholds (33+, any ace, K2s+, Q6s+, J8s+), so raising has negative expected value. Checking keeps the option to raise on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With a small pocket pair on a dry flop, I checked to keep the pot small and avoid committing more chips with a weak hand. I will evaluate the turn and river before deciding whether to raise.

On the river with a pair of threes, I face a high risk of losing to the dealer's likely qualifying hand given the board's pairs and straight draws. Folding preserves bankroll by avoiding the blind loss when my hand is unlikely to beat the dealer.

4s-2c is a weak offsuit hand with no playability; the optimal preflop table does not include it, so raising would be a negative-EV bet. Checking preserves capital and lets me see the flop cheaply before deciding.

With 4s-2c on a 5d-7d-2h flop, I have only a weak pair of deuces and no draw, so raising 2x has poor equity against the dealer's qualifying range; checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with 4s2c and a board of 5d7d2hTd6d, I have only a weak 6-high straight that loses to the dealer's likely pair or better. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with poor equity, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.

6h 9c is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop value; the published optimal preflop table does not include it, so raising would have negative EV. Checking keeps the option to play cheaply if the flop improves.

With 6h 9c on a Js Qc 9s flop, I have only a weak pair with no draw, so raising is not justified; checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves.

On the river with 6h 9c and a Js Qc 9s 3h 7s board, my best hand is a 9-high, which cannot beat a dealer hand that qualifies with a pair or better. Folding saves the 10-chip blind and avoids losing the ante when the dealer qualifies.

2c 3d is a very weak hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card value; preflop raising costs 30-40 chips and the dealer qualifies with a pair or better far more often than not, so checking to see the flop is the lowest-EV option here.

With 2c-3d on Ks-Jd-2d, I have only a weak backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips on a hand that rarely beats a dealer pair, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me evaluate the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 2c-3d and a K-J-2-4-8 board, my best hand is high card 8 with no pair, flush, or straight. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand has essentially no chance to win or hit the blind paytable, so folding loses only the ante and blind rather than risking more chips.

3h 9s is a weak hand that does not meet the published optimal preflop raising criteria, so checking minimizes expected loss against the dealer.

With 3h 9s on a Qs 5h Ts flop, I have only a weak high-card hand and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely pair or better, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with 3h 9s and board Qs 5h Ts 7h 2h, my best hand is a high-card Q-9 with a backdoor flush draw that missed. I have no pair, no draw, and the dealer qualifies with a pair or better, so calling the 10-chip raise risks the ante and blind with essentially no chance to win or hit a blind paytable hand.

Qd2s is a weak hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no high card synergy. Preflop EV for this holding is negative against the dealer's random range, so I avoid risking the 30- or 40-chip raise and instead check to see a cheap flop.

With Qd2s on a 5d-4s-5h flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; the hand is too weak to raise 2x and I should see the turn card cheaply.

On the river with Qd2s and a 5-5-4 board, I have only a high card. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand cannot beat that. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with almost no chance of winning, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.

With only Ace-high and a weak backdoor flush draw, the hand has poor preflop equity and no made pair, so raising risks losing 20-30 chips against a dealer that qualifies with a pair or better; checking keeps the option to evaluate the flop cheaply.

With Ace-high and no pair, flush, or straight draw on the flop, the hand has limited equity against the dealer's unknown two cards. Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the river if the turn and river improve the hand, and avoids committing more chips into a likely losing showdown.

On the river with only a backdoor flush draw and no pair, I have essentially no chance to beat a dealer who already shows a pair of sixes. Raising 1x risks 10 chips for a negligible equity gain, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.

Kd8h is not in the optimal preflop raising range (no pair, no ace, no suited K, no J8s+ or JTo), so raising has negative EV. Checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand.

On the flop with Kd-8h and a 2s-Kc-4h board, I have only a weak king-high with no pair and no draw. Raising 2x would risk 20 chips to win a blind that only pays on a win, and my hand is too weak to justify the investment against the dealer's range. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves my hand.

On the river with Kd8h and a board of 2s Kc 4h 6s Th, I have only a weak King-high with no pair, no straight, and no flush draw. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, and raising 1x risks 10 chips with poor equity, so folding minimizes expected loss.

9c 6h is a weak offsuit hand with no pair, no suited connectors, and no ace. Preflop EV for this holding is negative against the dealer's random two cards, so I avoid risking extra chips and check to see the flop cheaply.

With 9c-6h on a 7d-6s-Th flop I have middle pair with a weak kicker and no draw; raising 2x risks 20 chips into a board where the dealer likely has a better hand, so checking keeps the pot small and lets me evaluate the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 9c6h, the board is 7d6sTh7hJh. My best hand is a 9-high straight (6-7-8-9-T), but the dealer's two hole cards plus the board will almost always make a pair or better, so the dealer qualifies. The blind only pays when I beat the dealer, and with a marginal straight I'm unlikely to do so; raising 1x risks 10 more chips for little edge, so folding loses only the ante and blind.

3h Qd is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop raise value; checking preserves the option to raise on the flop if the board improves the hand.

On the flop with Qd-3h and a 4d-2s-5d board, I have only a weak gutshot to a straight and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's unknown range, so checking keeps the option to raise on the river if the board improves.

On the river with 3h Qd and a 4d 2s 5d 6d 5s board, I only have a pair of fives and a backdoor flush draw that missed. The dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is too weak to risk the ante and blind; folding minimizes expected loss.

2d Kd is a weak preflop holding with no pair, no ace, and offsuit. It does not meet the published optimal 4x/3x thresholds, so checking minimizes expected loss against the dealer's range.

My hand is weak (King-high with no pair or draw), and raising 2x on this flop has negative expected value against the dealer's range. Checking keeps the pot small and avoids risking chips on a marginal hand.

On the river with Kd-2d, I have only a pair of Jacks using the board. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is unlikely to beat a random dealer holding that qualifies. Raising 1x risks 10 chips to win only 10 chips (play bet) plus a blind that likely pushes or pays little, so the expected value is negative; folding saves the blind and avoids a likely loss.

Pocket Kings are a strong premium hand. Preflop optimal strategy calls for raising 4x with any pair of 33 or better, and KK is far above that threshold. Raising maximizes expected value by building the pot with a hand that dominates the dealer's range.

Td8s is a marginal preflop hand that does not meet the published optimal raise thresholds (33+, any ace, K2s+, K5o+, Q6s+, Q8s+, J8s+, JTo). Checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand, and avoids risking chips with a weak holding.

On the flop with Td8s, raising 2x costs 20 chips and only wins when the dealer fails to qualify (no pair), which happens roughly 30% of the time; the expected gain from that is small and the risk of losing the raise when the dealer pairs is high. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the turn or river improves the hand, and preserves the blind payout upside if the dealer misses.

On the river with Td8s on a QdTs7c2cAd board, I have only a weak ten-high. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with no raise yet I must choose raise_1x or fold; the expected value of a 1x raise is negative here, so folding loses only the ante and blind.

With Ace-high and no pair, suitedness, or strong kicker, preflop EV is negative against the dealer's random two cards; checking preserves bankroll for the 15 remaining hands.

With Ace-high and no pair or draw on a paired board, raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely pair; checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves.

On the river with As4d and board Jd7cJc7s4s, my best hand is a pair of 7s with As4d kickers. The dealer already has at least two pair (Jacks and 7s) from the board, so they qualify and beat me. Raising 1x costs 10 more chips for a losing showdown, so folding saves the blind.

99 is a marginal hand; checking preflop preserves the option to raise on the flop if the board improves the hand, avoiding overcommitting with a weak pair.

Top pair on a dry flop with a weak kicker; checking keeps the pot small and avoids overcommitting against a dealer hand that likely has a better kicker or draws. The 2x raise costs 20 chips with limited upside given the board texture.

I have a pair of nines with a flush draw on the board, giving me a strong hand that likely beats the dealer's random holding. Raising 1x on the river secures the play bet and blind payout potential while the flush possibility adds extra value if the dealer qualifies with a weaker hand.

7dKs is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop raising equity; checking preserves bankroll variance late in the session and lets me play the flop cheaply.

Ks7d on a Kd Jh 9s flop is a weak king with no draw; raising 2x risks 20 chips into a hand that likely loses to any dealer pair or better, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the turn improves the hand.

On the river with Ks7d, I have only a pair of kings and no flush or straight draw. The board is Kd Jh Jd Qs 9s, so the dealer's two hole cards easily make a qualifying hand like two pair or a full house. Raising 1x risks 10 chips to win 20 when the dealer likely qualifies and beats me; folding saves the blind and is the higher-EV choice.

Tc6h is a weak hand that does not meet the published preflop raise thresholds (no pair, no ace, no K-high suited, no Q/J high enough), so raising would be a negative-EV bet against the dealer's random range; checking keeps the ante and blind at risk only if the board improves the hand.

On the flop with middle pair and a weak kicker, checking preserves the option to raise later if the turn improves my hand; raising now risks chips against a dealer who likely qualifies with the board's pair.

On the river with Tc6h, the board Td6s6d5sQs gives me only a pair of sixes. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with three low cards and two queens on board, the dealer almost certainly has at least a pair. My hand is weak and unlikely to beat the dealer, so folding minimizes expected loss of the ante and blind.

K2o is a weak hand with poor equity preflop; the published optimal table does not include it, so checking minimizes expected loss against the dealer's range.

With Kc2s on a 3c8dTs flop, I have only a weak king-high with no pair, no draw, and no backdoor flush potential. Checking preserves the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve, and avoids committing chips with a hand that is unlikely to beat a dealer pair or better.

On the river with Kc2s and a board of 3c8dTs4d9h, I have only a weak king-high with no flush or straight draw. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is unlikely to beat that, so folding saves the blind and ante.

4s-2h is a very weak hand with no playability; raising would risk 30-40 chips on a longshot, so checking minimizes expected loss against the dealer's unknown holding.

My hand is 4s2h, a weak offsuit with no pair and no flush draw on a Ks-2s-9s board. Raising 2x risks 20 chips with almost no chance to beat the dealer's likely pair or better, so checking is the only sensible play to see the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with 4s-2h and a board of Ks-2s-9s-Qh-9c, my best hand is a pair of 9s. The dealer already has a pair on board (9s-9c), so the dealer qualifies and beats my hand. Raising 1x would lose 20 chips with no chance to win, so folding loses only the 10 ante and 10 blind.

2d 4c is a very weak hand with no pair and poor connectivity; preflop raise EV is negative against the dealer's range, so checking to see the flop cheaply is the optimal play.

With 2d-4c on Ks-Jh-2s, I have no pair and only a backdoor straight draw; raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a low-equity hand against a dealer that qualifies with a pair or better, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the turn and river improve me.

With 2d-4c and a K-J-2-8-7 board, I have no pair and virtually no chance to beat the dealer's likely qualifying hand; the river raise only costs 10 chips with poor equity, so folding saves the ante and blind.

Pocket deuces are a marginal preflop hand; the published optimal 4x table does not include 22, so raising is not justified. Checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With a pair of twos on a dry flop, raising 2x risks 20 chips with marginal equity against the dealer's qualifying range. Checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the board improves, minimizing expected loss.

On the river with a pair of twos, I face 990 dealer holdings; the dealer qualifies with a pair or better and my hand is weak, so folding saves the blind and avoids a likely loss.

Jd Qs is a marginal suited connector that does not meet the published preflop 4x raise threshold, so checking preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With Jd Qs on a 3s 4h Tc flop, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's likely range, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if the turn improves my hand.

On the river with Jd Qs and a board of 3s 4h Tc 3d 7d, I have only a weak queen-high with no pair, draw, or made hand. The dealer likely has at least a pair from the paired 3s and the ten, so I almost certainly lose at showdown; folding saves the 10-chip blind and avoids losing the ante when the dealer qualifies.

With only Ace-high and no pair, suitedness, or strong kicker, preflop EV is negative against the dealer's random two cards; checking preserves bankroll for the 6 remaining hands.

On the flop with As-7d and a 9h-3c-5s board, I have only back-door flush and straight draws with no made hand. Raising 2x risks 20 chips with poor equity against the dealer's range, so checking keeps the pot small and preserves chips for better spots.

On the river with As-7d and a 9h-3c-5s-Ah-6c board, I have only a pair of Aces with a 7 kicker. The dealer qualifies with any pair or better, and my hand is too weak to beat that range. Raising 1x risks 10 chips to win only 20 when ahead, but I'm likely behind, so folding loses just the ante and blind.

Kd5d is a weak preflop hand that does not meet the optimal raise thresholds (33+, any ace, K2s+ or K5o+, etc.), so checking preserves the option to raise cheaply on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With Kd5d on a 4d-Ah-Ad flop, I have a backdoor flush draw but no made hand and the board pairs dangerously. Checking preserves the option to raise on the river if I improve, and avoids committing chips with a weak holding against a dealer that likely qualifies.

My hand is Kd5d with a diamond board, giving only a weak flush draw that missed. The board contains a pair of Aces and a Queen, so the dealer almost certainly qualifies with at least a pair. Folding loses only the ante and blind (20 chips) versus risking a raise with a negligible chance to win.

9h Kc is a weak offsuit hand with no pair and no suited connectors; the published optimal preflop table does not include this holding, so raising would have negative EV. Checking preserves the option to evaluate the flop and avoids risking chips on a hand that is unlikely to beat the dealer.

On the flop with Kc9h and a QdKdTh board, I have only a weak pair with a poor kicker and no backdoor flush draw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase a thin value/bluff with limited equity, so checking is the higher-EV play to see the turn and river cheaply.

On the river with Kc9h and a board of Qc Kd Th 5h 8s, I have only a weak king-high. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with four community cards to paired ranks plus a 5 and 8, the dealer almost certainly has at least a pair, so calling the 10-chip raise is a negative EV play.

Jh 9h is not in the published optimal preflop raising range (33+, any A, K2s+, K5o+, Q6s+, Q8o+, J8s+, JTo), so checking is the correct play. With only 3 hands left, preserving bankroll by avoiding a -EV raise is prudent.

On the flop with Jh 9h and a Qs-4s-Qh board, I have a backdoor flush draw and gutshot but no made hand; raising 2x risks 20 chips with only ~30% equity against the dealer's unknown range, so checking keeps the option to raise 1x on the river if I improve.

On the river with Jh-9h, I have only a weak high-card hand and no made hand. The board shows two Queens and a Ten, so the dealer almost certainly has a pair or better and qualifies. Raising 1x would only lose an extra 10 chips when I'm likely behind, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.

With Ace-high and no pair, suitedness, or strong kicker, preflop EV is negative versus the dealer's pair-or-better qualification threshold; checking preserves bankroll for the two remaining hands.

With Ace-high on a board containing an Ace, I have no made hand and only a backdoor flush draw. Raising 2x risks 20 chips to chase equity against a dealer who likely qualifies with a pair, so checking preserves bankroll for the final two hands.

On the river with As-3d and a board of Ac-6s-Js-5s-9s, I have only Ace-high with no pair, flush, or straight. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and my hand is unlikely to beat that, so folding saves the blind and limits losses.

8h6s is a weak offsuit hand with no preflop raising value; checking preserves the option to raise cheaply on the flop if the board improves the hand.

With 8h6s on an 8d-Js-8c flop I have a pair of 8s but the board is paired and dangerous; the dealer likely qualifies with a pair or better, so I check to see the turn and river cheaply rather than risking a raise with a marginal hand.

On the river with 8h 6s, the board is 8d Js 8c Jd 6c, giving me only a pair of 8s with a 6 kicker. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and with two pair (Jacks and 8s) plus a 6 on board, the dealer almost certainly qualifies and beats my hand. Raising 1x costs 10 chips to win 20 (ante + play) only if I beat the dealer, which is highly unlikely here, so folding minimizes expected loss.

With 2d Kc, I have no pair, no high card strength, and no suited connectors. Preflop raise EV is negative for this hand, and checking preserves the option to see a cheap flop and only continue with playable boards.

On the flop with Kc-2d, I have only a backdoor flush draw and no pair; the board is coordinated with a J-T-5 straight draw, so raising 2x is too expensive without a made hand. Checking preserves chips and lets me see the turn and river cheaply to decide whether to raise 1x or fold.

On the river with 2d Kc and a 5s Jd Ts 2h 3c board, my best hand is a pair of twos. The dealer qualifies with a pair or better, and I have no raise left to make. Raising 1x costs 10 chips with poor equity against a likely qualifying dealer hand, so folding to preserve bankroll is the correct play.