Straight Flushes

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Straight Flushes

           A few months ago, I wrote a column that discussed the value (or lack there of?) of a Suited Hand.  It started by discussing the relative value of a suited pocket hand in Texas Hold'em vs. an unsuited hand.  It then touched on the topics of 3-Card Flush and 2-Card Royals in video poker.  The former is quite unplayable and the latter is just barely playable due to the 800 for 1 payout of the Royal and the added value of the High Cards you would be holding.  It also glanced over the 3-Card Straight Flush.  The black sheep of video poker hands.

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Empty Suits

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Empty Suits

           I was a big fan of the tv show White Collar.  One of the characters referred to members of the FBI and just about anybody else who worked in some corporate type of job as a "suit" and he clearly did not trust "suits."  This week's column reminds me of that character (Mozzy).  But, as is probably no surprise, it's not about guys who wear suits.  It's about the value of a suited hand in Poker.   In the end, I come to a similar conclusion - I don't trust suits.

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Mom, Where Do Royals Come From?

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Mom, Where Do Royals Come From?

            In last week's column I discussed Four of a Kinds and the probabilities of drawing one from a Pair vs. drawing one from Trips.  It's interesting stuff, but not necessarily overly useful.  We very rarely throw away a Pair to go for Quads.  If you have a 4-Card Flush, a 3-Card Royal or the rare - J-Q-K-A you would do so.  But not a lot of thought needs to go into playing Pairs.

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It All Ends with a Razgu

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We're down to the final hands on the strategy table.  For the past several weeks, I have been slowly walking through the strategy for full-pay jacks or better video poker.  Along the way, I've been doing my best to provide insights to help you both understand the table and understand the WHY behind the table.  So, without further ado, I bring you the final five entries on the strategy table:

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