Showdown Hold'em table

T8 offsuit is outside the published 4x preflop range (JTo is the weakest offsuit listed), so checking keeps the flop option open at lower risk.

I hold T-8 high against an ace-high board with no pair or draw of note, so betting 2x is weak. Checking keeps the option to decide on the river with all five cards.

We hold a pair of fives with an ace kicker and the dealer beats us only with a pair or better on the board or a straight, about 53% of the time, so raising 1x has a much better expected value than folding and losing the ante and blind.

A pocket pair of fives is above the published 4x threshold (33+), so raising four times the ante is the higher-EV play over checking.

Eight-five offsuit is well below the 4x raising range, so I check and keep the option to act on the flop without risking extra chips preflop.

Eight-high with an open-ended straight draw (4s or 9s) is too weak to bet 2x on the flop, so I'll check and decide on the river with full information.

I hold a pair of fives with K-T-8 kickers, which beats any non-qualifying dealer hand and wins often enough that a 1x river raise (about -1.2 units) costs less than folding and losing the ante and blind (-2 units).

King-nine offsuit is inside the published 4x preflop range (K5o+), so raising four times the ante is the higher-expectation play over checking to the flop.

Three-nine offsuit is too weak to justify a 4x or 3x preflop raise, so I'll check and keep the option to act later on the flop or river.

My 3-9 has only ace-high on this flop, so a 2x raise risks too much on a weak hand. Checking keeps the option to decide on the river with the full board.

I hold a pair of 3s with A-Q-J kickers, which beats any dealer hand without a pair (about 42% of the time) and loses to most dealer pairs. Raising 1x has an expected value of roughly -7 chips, versus -20 chips for folding, so raising is the better play.

Pocket jacks are well above the published 4x-raise threshold (33+), so raising four times the ante is the strongest play preflop.

9-6 suited is below the preflop 4x and 3x raise thresholds, so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop with better information.

I hold a pair of sixes with a nine kicker on a 3-4-6 flop, which beats many dealer hands that need a pair to qualify. Betting 2x here has positive expected value against the house.

Queen-four offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+ required), so checking keeps the option to continue on the flop at a lower risk.

A pair of queens on the flop is ahead of most dealer holdings that qualify with a pair or better, so betting 2x on the flop is the stronger play over checking to the river.

Ten-three offsuit is well below the published 4x preflop range, so I check to keep the option of a cheaper flop or river decision.

Q-high with a weak straight draw does not justify a 2x flop bet, so I'll check and keep the cheaper river decision.

My pair of queens with a ten kicker is beaten by most dealer holdings, since the dealer always has at least a queens pair and any ace, king, jack, queen, or stronger two-pair or straight hand wins. Winning only about 10% of the time makes a 1x river call worth less than the 20 chips a fold loses.

Jd4h is below the published 4x preflop range, so I'll check and keep the option to raise 2x on the flop, which limits risk on a weak hand.

I have only a Jack-high hand with an open-ended straight draw (K or 9 completes it), which is not strong enough to commit a 2x raise on the flop. I'll check and reassess on the turn and river.

I hold a pair of queens with jack kicker on a board that already pairs queens, so the dealer always qualifies but often has a higher kicker or a better pair. Raising beats folding because my win chance is well above the roughly 20% break-even point for the extra play bet.

3d 5h is too weak to justify a 3x or 4x preflop raise, so I check and keep the option to act later on the flop.

Our 5-3 has no pair or meaningful draw on a K-8-7 board, so betting 2x on the flop is weak. Checking keeps the option to decide on the river with full information.

The board already pairs the eights, so my best hand is a pair of 8s with K kicker that can only tie or lose. Folding costs a certain 20 chips, while raising loses about 30 only when the dealer wins (roughly 60%) and pushes on a tie, for an expected loss near 18.

Ace-queen suited-offsuit is a clear 4x preflop raise in the published optimal table (any ace qualifies), so raising 4x is the standard play.

Tc2d is well below the 4x preflop range, so I'll check and reassess on the flop, where checking again costs nothing more than the ante and blind already posted.

Our T-kicker holds a pair of nines on the board, which beats most dealer holdings, and the dealer always qualifies on the board pair, so raising 2x on the flop has positive expected value.

Ace-king offsuit is well above the published 4x raise range (any ace, K5o+), so raising four times the ante maximizes expected value.

4-6 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range, so I check and keep the option to raise 2x on the flop or fold on the river.

My 4-6 with a J-high board is weak, with only a three-diamond flush draw and no real straight draw, so a 2x flop raise is poor value. Checking keeps the river decision open, where I can bet 1x if I improve or fold if not.

I hold a pair of sixes with K-Q-J kickers, which should beat many dealer hands, and the dealer fails to qualify about 41% of the time, so calling 1x is clearly better than folding and losing the ante and blind.

J5 offsuit is below the published optimal 4x preflop range (J8s+ and JTo are the lowest jacks), so checking to see the flop is the better play.

A pair of jacks is a strong enough made hand on this flop to bet 2x, since it should beat most dealer holdings that qualify. Checking would only give up value against the dealer's weaker hands.

Ace-trey is an ace, which the published optimal 4x preflop table says to raise with, so I raise four times the ante.

King-jack offsuit clears the published optimal 4x preflop range (K5o+), so raising four times the ante is the standard play.

Q6 offsuit falls below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+), so checking keeps the hand cheap and preserves the option to play the flop.

Q-6 is only high card against K-8-5 on the flop, which is too weak to add a 2x play bet. Checking keeps the option to reassess on the river, where a 1x raise needs a real improvement.

Folding loses the ante and blind for certain (-20 chips), while raising 1x wins about +20 on a win and -30 on a loss, so it breaks even at roughly 17% win odds. Pair of 8s with K-Q-J kickers should win more often than that against the dealer's range.

Preflop 2-T offsuit is outside the published 4x and 3x raising ranges, so checking keeps the ante exposure low and preserves the option to continue later.

With 2c Ts on a K-J-8 board I have only a king-high hand with a club draw, so betting 2x now risks more than my equity supports. Checking keeps the river option to raise 1x if the flush or a straight comes.

I hold a made ace-high club flush (Ac Kc Jc 8c 2c) on the river, which beats most dealer holdings and is well above the qualifying threshold for a win, so raising 1x is clearly +EV.

Q2 offsuit is below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+ minimum), so checking keeps the ante and blind at risk low and leaves the flop option to raise 2x.

I hold only a pair of fours with an ace kicker, and the dealer already qualifies on the board. Checking keeps the option to fold on the river with two more cards seen, which is worth more than committing 20 chips on the flop.

I hold aces and fours with a queen kicker, and the dealer beats me only with a king, a queen, an ace or four, a higher pair, or a club flush, so I win about 49% of runouts. Raising 1x has a better expected value than folding, which forfeits the ante and blind for certain.

Ace-six offsuit is in the published optimal 4x range (any ace), so raising four times the ante is the higher-EV play over checking.

7-4 suited is below the published 4x raise range, so I check and keep the option to raise 2x on the flop if the board helps.

I hold a four-club flush draw with only ace-high showing, which is too weak to justify a 2x raise on the flop. Checking keeps the option to raise on the river only if the board completes the flush or otherwise favors me.

I hold a club flush (A-Q-7-6-4) on the river, which beats nearly every dealer qualifying hand, since the board has no pair and the dealer cannot make a full house or quads. Raising 1x has strongly positive expected value.

8-9 offsuit is below the published 4x and 3x preflop thresholds, so checking keeps the ante and blind at lower risk and preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop.

I hold a made straight, 7-8-9-T-J, on the flop, which beats most dealer holdings that qualify with a pair or better. Raising 2x is the strongest play since the hand is well ahead of the dealer's likely range.

Pocket sevens are a pair in the published 4x raise range (33+), so raising four times the ante is the highest-EV preflop play here.

7-Qc offsuit falls below the published 4x preflop range (Q8o+), so checking to keep the option of a 2x raise on the flop is the better play.

Q-high with only a weak inside straight draw is too weak to raise 2x on the flop, so I check and keep the option to fold or raise 1x on the river with full information.

My hand is Q-high with no made pair, so I win only if the dealer misses a pair and misses flush and straight draws, about 11% of the time. Raising costs about 22 chips on average versus a certain 20 for folding, so folding is slightly better.

King-queen offsuit clears the published preflop 4x raise threshold (K5o+), so raising four times the ante is the standard play.

5-6 suited is below the published 4x preflop range, so checking keeps the hand in cheaply and preserves the option to raise 2x on the flop.

I hold a four-card spade flush draw plus an 8-out straight draw, about 12 outs with two cards to come. Checking keeps the cost low and preserves the river raise_1x or fold decision once more cards are known.

My 5-6 with this board is only Q-high with no straight or flush, so I win only if the dealer fails to qualify and holds a weak high card. Calling 1x has negative expectation, which is worse than the certain loss of folding.

Td 9c is below the published optimal 4x preflop range (it is not in the 33+, any ace, K2s+, K5o+, Q6s+, Q8o+, J8s+ or JTo list), so checking keeps the option to raise 2x on the flop instead of risking 4x or 3x now.

I hold two pair (tens and nines) on a flop with a heart draw, which is strong but not the nuts. Checking keeps the option to make a cheaper 1x river raise or fold a bad river, rather than committing 2x now.

The board is five hearts (9h 2h Th Ah 6h), so I have an ace-high flush. Only a dealer straight flush beats that, which is very unlikely, so raising 1x on the river has strongly positive expected value.

9-5 offsuit is too weak to justify a 4x or 3x preflop raise, and fold is not legal here, so checking keeps the hand cheap and lets me decide on the flop or river with more information.

Nine-high with no pair against an ace-queen board is a weak hand, so I won't put a 2x raise in on the flop. Checking keeps the option to fold on the river at no extra cost.

Ace-high with no pair is a weak but not hopeless showdown hand. Folding loses the ante and blind for certain (about -2 ante units), while raising about -1.65 units by my rough estimate, so raising is the lesser loss.