Showdown Hold'em table

KJ offsuit falls within the optimal preflop 4x table (K5o+), so a max raise is correct.

76 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so checking to see the flop for free is the higher-EV play.

With 7-high, no pair and only backdoor straight and flush draws, a 2x raise is unprofitable. Checking keeps the option to see the river for free before deciding.

I hold an 8-high straight (4-5-6-7-8) that the dealer can at best tie with 7-6, and it also pays 1:1 on the blind, so raising is clearly better than folding.

The published optimal strategy raises 4x preflop with any ace, so A5 offsite qualifies. Raising beats checking in expected value here.

Q7 offsuit falls below the optimal 4x preflop threshold (Q8o+ for offsuit queens), so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop or 1x on the river at lower risk.

I have top pair (queens) using a hole card. Standard flop strategy is to raise 2x with any hidden pair other than pocket deuces, so raising beats checking even with the weak 7 kicker.

9-5 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range, so I check and keep the cheaper flop and river options open.

9-high with no pair and only a weak gutshot (needs an 8 for 5-7-8-9-J? no, needs 8 and 6) on 7-J-2 is well below the flop raise threshold; checking keeps the option to see the river cheaply.

With two pair (nines and deuces, jack kicker), the board pair means the dealer always qualifies, and I beat roughly two-thirds of dealer holdings. Calling has positive EV (about +5 chips), versus a certain -20 for folding.

62 offsuit is far below the optimal preflop 4x raising threshold, so checking to see the flop for free is the best play.

6-2 offhand on a 9-T-3 board has no pair and only a weak backdoor flush draw, so raising 2x would be clearly negative EV. Checking keeps the river decision available for free.

My hole cards don't play, so my best hand is the board's pair of threes with the board kickers. I can only tie, which happens about 19% of the time, so raising loses 30 chips about 81% of the time (EV about -24), worse than folding for -20.

J5 offsuit falls well below the optimal 4x preflop threshold (J8s+/JTo), so I'll check and see the flop for free.

Jack-high with only a gutshot (needs a 6) and no pair or flush draw is well below the usual flop 2x raise threshold. Checking keeps the river decision open at lower cost.

Our pair of fives loses to roughly 55-60% of dealer hands, but raising still has an estimated EV of about -1.1 antes, versus a certain -2 antes for folding. Whenever the dealer fails to qualify or has a lower pair, we win.

AQo is any ace, which is in the published optimal 4x preflop raising range, so raising 4x maximizes expected value.

QTs is in the published optimal 4x preflop range (Q6s+), so raising 4x maximizes expected value.

J9 offsuit is outside the optimal preflop 4x table, which for jack-high offsuit only includes JTo. Checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop or 1x on the river.

Top pair of jacks (9 kicker) made with a hole card is well ahead of a random dealer hand, and standard flop strategy is to raise 2x with any hidden pair. The backdoor straight and flush outs add a little more value.

76 offsuit is well outside the optimal 4x preflop raising range, so I check and keep the cheaper flop and river options open.

I paired the 7 with a hole card, which is a hidden pair. Standard optimal flop strategy bets 2x with any hidden pair except pocket deuces, so raising beats checking here.

J7 offsuit is outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (which needs JTo or better among offsuit jacks), so I check and decide again on the flop.

Jack-high with only backdoor straight and flush draws falls well short of the standard flop 2x raise threshold of two pair, a hidden pair, or a strong flush draw. Checking keeps the river option open.

With ace-king-queen-jack high, the dealer misses a pair about 332 times out of 990, and we win those. Folding loses 20 for sure, so raising is better whenever that win rate is above a third of the dealer's 625 qualifying hands (about 208), which it clearly is.

J9 offsuit is outside the published optimal 4x preflop range (which needs JTo for offsuit jacks), so checking and re-evaluating on the flop has the higher expected value.

J9 offsuit on a K-5-2 rainbow-ish board has no pair and no draw, so it is a clear check under Ultimate Texas Hold'em style optimal flop strategy. Raise only with a pair or better or strong draws.

Folding loses 20 chips for sure, while calling 10 more risks only 10 extra and wins against the many dealer high-card hands, low pairs and weaker nines. Even with four hearts on board (about 36% of dealer hands hold a heart), my win chance is well above the roughly 22% needed to break even.

54 suited is not in the optimal preflop 4x raising range (33+, any ace, K2s+, Q6s+, J8s+, etc.), so checking and seeing the flop for free is correct.

Our hole four pairs the board, giving two pair (kings and fours) with a hidden pair above deuces. Standard optimal flop strategy raises 2x with two pair or better here, so the raise beats checking.

AJ suited is well inside the optimal 4x preflop range (any ace), so a maximum raise has the best expected value.

95 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (33+, any ace, K5o+, Q8o+, JTo), so I check and reassess on the flop.

I have top pair (nines) using a hole card. Standard optimal flop strategy raises 2x with any hidden pair, so betting beats checking here.

K4 offsuit falls just below the optimal preflop 4x threshold (K5o+), so checking is better. I'll reassess on the flop.

K-high with no pair and no real draw on Q-T-3 falls well short of the flop raise threshold, which is roughly two pair, a hidden pair, or a strong flush draw. Checking keeps the river decision open.

With only king-high, the dealer qualifies about 71% of the time, so raising is worth roughly -2.16 antes. Folding costs exactly 2 antes, so folding is slightly better.

The optimal preflop table says to raise 4x with any ace, so ATo qualifies for the maximum raise.

T4 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x range (JTo is the weakest offsuit ten that raises), so checking is correct and leaves the flop and river decisions open.

With only ten high, no pair, and just backdoor straight and flush draws, this hand falls well short of the flop raise threshold. Checking keeps the river decision open at lower risk.

I only have ace-high with no draw, and roughly 63% of dealer holdings make a pair or a straight. Even if I won every non-qualifying showdown, raising is worth about -21.6 chips versus -20 for folding, so folding loses less.

95 offsuit is well outside the optimal 4x preflop raising range, so checking to see the flop for free is best.

With 9-high and no pair, no flush draw and only backdoor straight chances, raising 2x has lower EV than checking and deciding on the river.

The board pair always qualifies the dealer, and my T-T-J-9-5 beats only about 146 of 990 dealer holdings, with 9 ties. That makes calling worth about -22.4 chips, slightly worse than folding for -20.

J2 offsuit is well outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (J8s+/JTo), so checking to see the flop for free is correct.

J-2 offsponsuit on an A-8-7 board leaves me with no pair and no real draw, so raising 2x would be clearly negative EV. Checking keeps the river decision open at no extra cost.

With jack-high and no pair, raising only wins when the dealer fails to qualify and has a lower high card (about 112 of 990 holdings, with 45 more ties). The dealer qualifies about 65% of the time, so a 1x raise loses roughly 2 chips more on average than folding.

52s is outside the optimal preflop 4x raising range (small pairs 33+, any ace, strong kings/queens/jacks), so checking to see the flop is correct.

A low flush draw with a weak 5-high kicker falls short of the standard flop raise threshold, which needs a hidden ten or better in the flush. Checking keeps the river decision open.

Our hole cards complete a jack-high spade flush, so we are a big favourite against the dealer. A win also pays the blind at 3:2, so raising clearly beats folding.

J2 offsuit is well below the optimal 4x raising threshold (JTo or better for jacks), so checking is correct; I'll reassess on the flop for free.

Jack-high with no pair and only backdoor straight and flush draws falls well short of the flop raise standard (a hidden pair or a strong flush draw). Checking keeps the river fold option open.

A pair of jacks with an ace kicker beats every dealer hand without a pair, and only three single cards (the remaining aces) beat it outright. Raising 10 more is clearly better than folding and losing 20.

QJ offsuit is above the Q8o+ threshold in the optimal preflop 4x strategy, so raising the maximum is the highest-EV play.

84 offsuit is far below the optimal preflop 4x raising threshold, so checking is correct. Checking lets me see the flop for free before deciding whether to raise.

The only pair is the tens on the board, which the dealer shares, so my real hand is an 8 kicker with no flush or open-ended straight draw. Raising 2x here would likely lose value, so I check and decide on the river.

Our two pair (tens and fours, 8 kicker) beats most dealer holdings. Our estimate is about a 70% win chance, so a 1x raise has positive EV, which is far better than losing 20 chips by folding.

Any ace is in the published optimal 4x preflop raising range, so A7o should be raised to the maximum.

98 offsuit is not on the optimal 4x raise table (it needs 33+, any ace, or strong kings, queens and jacks), so checking to see the flop for free is the higher-EV play.

The only pair is the paired board, which the dealer shares, and my 9-8 kickers are weak with just backdoor straight chances, so a 2x raise is not justified. Checking keeps the river fold option open.

The board pair gives the dealer at least sixes, so they always qualify. My 9 kicker beats only about 144 of 990 dealer holdings and ties 57, so raising is worth about -21 chips versus -20 for folding.

T2 suited is outside the optimal 4x raising table (needs J8s+ for jacks, and T-high doesn't qualify), so checking to see the flop for free is the higher-EV play.

With T2 on J-8-9 I have only an open-ended straight draw and no pair. Raising 2x on a draw without a made hand loses value, while checking keeps the option to raise 1x or fold on the river.

With only a jack high, the hand loses to every dealer pair or better, which is about 637 of 990 dealer holdings. Enumerating the 990 holdings, a 1x raise does worse than folding, so folding to lose 20 chips is the better choice.

J5 offsuit is not in the optimal 4x preflop range (J8s+/JTo only), so checking to see the flop is correct.

The only pair here is the board's pair of fours. J-5 has no hidden pair, no flush draw and no real straight draw, so standard flop strategy says check and decide on the river.

The dealer always qualifies on the paired board, and we win only about 22% of the time while tying about 7%. Still, raising has an EV of about -16.8 chips versus -20 for folding, so calling is the smaller loss.

K3 offsuit falls outside the optimal 4x raising range (which needs K5o or better), so I check and use the free flop and river decisions.

King-high with no pair, no spade and only backdoor straight chances on a monotone spade board is too weak to risk a 2x raise. Checking keeps the river decision open at no extra cost.

Folding costs a sure 20 chips. A pair of kings with an ace kicker still wins often enough against the dealer, even with four spades on board, that calling has a better expected value than folding.