TDB Hold Question

[Lionqueen]

I play 5 & 10 Play TDB quite a bit and wonder if dealt A & another face card of same suit is really the best strategy. I get more Aces from holding 1 than I do Royals holding 2 and since they pay the same I am tempted to just hold the ace. Thoughts? Thanks

[Vman96]

I play 5 & 10 Play TDB quite a bit and wonder if dealt A & another face card of same suit is really the best strategy. I get more Aces from holding 1 than I do Royals holding 2 and since they pay the same I am tempted to just hold the ace. Thoughts? Thanks

It's not all about making the royals though. Holding Ace Face suited also increases your chances of making straights and flushes versus Ace only.

[julesw92]

hold the aces

[doris13]

ace only

[kennybobby]

dang Doris--why did you tell me to always trash everything 'cept 9's??? hmmmm

[doris13]

no kenny i said i trash 9's too

[BobDancer]

You certainly hold a suited AK, AQ, or AJ in this game over a solitary ace. It's not close --- although how close it is depends on how much you get for flushes and full houses --- which you didn't indicate --- and the other cards you threw away.For example, betting $5 a hand on 9/7 TDB, from Ac Kc 2d 3h 4s, holding AK is worth $2.73 on average and holding the A by itself is worth $2.23. You get aces about 1-in-4000 tries holding a solitary ace --- mostly paying 800 and not 4000 ---  but that's not the same as getting aces-and-a-kicker. How often that happens depends on how many kickers you threw away when you held the ace. This is something you can easily look up on video poker software. If you don't have such software, get some. It will save you big time to correct your playing strategy before you venture into a casino. By the nature of your question, you have a long way to go before you  play well.Of course, if you ask the question as a probe to see who on this site knows their ace from a hole in the ground, and then take note of anybody who says to hold the ace by itself and put them on a list of people who don't have a clue about winning video poker and hence should be ignored in the future, your question can serve a useful purpose.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=BobDancer]Of course, if you ask the question as a probe to see who
on this site knows their ace from a hole in the ground, and then take
note of anybody who says to hold the ace by itself and put them on a
list of people who don't have a clue about winning video poker and hence
should be ignored in the future, your question can serve a useful
purpose.[/quote]Another tactful comment from your friendly neighborhood video poker expert.

[Lionqueen]

Mr Dancer, I actually did learn how to play from your software and I do always hold the second suited face card as I've been taught. I was just posing the question because several times I've kept the two cards & drew 3 more aces. This is strictly on 5 & 10 Play, quarters with a 9/5 pay table. I know that's a lousy paytable but it is what it is and I love playing it. Many times I've held one A and drew 3 more and the kicker. I'll probably continue to hold the second card because that's the right strategy but now and then, when the cards are playing well I may just take the risk. . Thanks to all for your replies.

[Vman96]

Mr Dancer, I actually did learn how to play from your software and I do always hold the second suited face card as I've been taught. I was just posing the question because several times I've kept the two cards & drew 3 more aces. This is strictly on 5 & 10 Play, quarters with a 9/5 pay table. I know that's a lousy paytable but it is what it is and I love playing it. Many times I've held one A and drew 3 more and the kicker. I'll probably continue to hold the second card because that's the right strategy but now and then, when the cards are playing well I may just take the risk. . Thanks to all for your replies.

Keep in mind that every time you hit quad Aces or better with just holding one card will stick in your mind very well because they come rarely, but pay so much. Flushes and straights from Ace-Face suited, you won't note nearly as much, but they should appear much more frequently, and pay much, much less.

But even at 9/5 TDB, the math still says to hold the two suited cards. But as Bob points out, some people on this forum disagree on this hold.

If you believe in math, paytables, and laws dictating results of a video poker machine (less people on this forum believe this than I'd like), then you can use this hand analyzer to determine the best hold free of charge if you know the paytable.

http://wizardofodds.com/games/video-pok ... -analyzer/