In this article, we will continue to consider different situations in video poker that started earlier on Casinoz. Of course, when playing video poker, you can follow the basic strategy without thinking about why you should do it, but not all players are satisfied with this approach. This article is for them, along with similar publications.
Most hands in video poker do not make players think much because it is pretty apparent what cards to hold or exchange.
But sometimes you meet complicated situations. Beginners often experience difficulties when they must choose between two poker combinations.
Interesting Game Situation in Video Poker
Imagine that you play Jacks or Better video poker.
You have the hand of unsuited 3, 4, 5, 6, and one more 4.
- On the one hand, you have four cards for a straight
- On the other, you have a low pair that is not on the payout table.
You can exchange one four and try to get a straight. But you can also keep two fours and hope for another four or another pair. In this case, there is a chance to get a full house or even four of a kind.
To make a decision, you should analyze each hand. It is easy to calculate because there is much different software to help you. In the round mentioned above, the situation is the following:
- 82 cents for a $1 bet if you hold the pair of threes;
- 68 cents for a $1 bet if you hold four cards to a straight.
Easy to guess that a pair is more profitable than four cards to a straight.
Consider another example: unsuited 8, 9, 10, J, and another J.
If you carefully read the beginning of this article, the question should arise. If it's profitable to keep even a pair of fours, then a pair of jacks is certainly better than a possible straight.
However, note that the mathematical expectation on cards from eight to Jack is slightly higher than in the previous case. It is 72 cents for a bet of one dollar. It is because the card set has a jack so you can get a payout for a pair of jacks.
If high-value cards increase the expectation, what should you do with unsuited 10, 10, J, Q, and K? Should you hold tens or hope to get a straight or a higher combination? Indeed, you also get a pair. The expectation is 82 cents for the pair and 87 cents for the possible straight. That is, the straight is profitable.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is preferable to hold a small pair, but if the cards for a straight may also form a pair from the paytable, then it is better to keep them. If four cards form a straight, only two can form a pair (e.g., 9, 10, 10, J, Q different suits); the expectation is almost the same.
What to do if there are four cards to a straight with a "hole" and a small pair? For example, unsuited 8, 9, 9, 10, Q, and K. There is one rule: try to get such straights only if three cards can make a big pair. Otherwise, keep a small pair.
If talking about a straight flush, you should keep any four cards, even if they are not consecutive. The payouts for them are very high, so the risk is justified. If you have any four cards for a straight flush, refuse even large pairs, not to mention a pair of small cards.
