Trainer mistake?

[billryan]

JOB
K,Q,J,unsuited, 9,X

Trainer says keep four and discard the X.
Why?

[alpax]

With those 3 high cards that are unsuited with each other, the best possible outcome you are looking to get is a Straight while you are hoping to just break even on that hand.

The 9 is a straight penalty card to KQJ unsuited, if you discard that you reduce your chances for a straight. You would need Ace and 10 or 10 and 9 to get the best possible hand after holding the 3 unsuited high cards.

9 cards to break even and 4 cards to get the straight will provide less than 75% of losing.

When you discard 2 cards, you expand the outcome possibilities from 47 to 1081 and the odds of losing is down to 66%. You bring in an opportunity to get 2 pair or 3 of a kind, but the chance for the best possible outcome, the straight dramatically reduces from 8.5% to 2.6%

.15 coin each time, so 3 cent mistake for a quarter player.

[billryan]

Okay, thanks. I have not gotten into penalty cards yet. My cards don't mention a nine, it says keep the KQJ

[alpax]

Okay, thanks. I have not gotten into penalty cards yet. My cards don't mention a nine, it says keep the KQJ



The ST4 3h1i represents 4 to a straight with 1 inside gap and 3 high cards.

KQJ9 is included

But it is mostly the Ace thru 10s, as 10 is not considered a high card because a pair of 10s does not pay.

AKQT
AKJT
AQJT

[billryan]

At the bottom of the strategy card, it says never hold a four card inside straight with less than three high cards, but then it says prefer HH to HHH. So the only exception to this would be three high plus the 9, as that has a straight possibility?

[alpax]

"it says never hold a four card inside straight with less than three high cards"

I learned from this forum that for games that pay 2 for 1 on two pairs, you never go for the inside straight unless you have 3 high cards.

For DB/DDB/TDB, you go for inside straight when you have 0 high cards or 2 high cards.

"but then it says prefer HH to HHH"

The HH should be in bold if you look carefully, in Dancer-Daily notation, bold means suited. If two of the three high cards are suited with each other, it is preferred over the 3 high cards and the inside straight draw with 3 high cards.

[billryan]

Thanks again.

[alpax]

You are very welcome. Good luck to you in your VP pursuit.

[billryan]

For July, My plan is to play nickle JOB and practice an hour or two a day besides. Over the last couple days, I'm averaging about 97-98% on the trainer. Mostly stupid mistakes but even at the recreational level, I'm stumped about 1% of the hands. The suited Tens are tough.

[Vman96]

At the bottom of the strategy card, it says never hold a four card inside straight with less than three high cards, but then it says prefer HH to HHH. So the only exception to this would be three high plus the 9, as that has a straight possibility?

KQJ is always preferred vs. two offsuit high cards.

KQJ9 > KQJ > QJ > KQ/KJ

If you have 3 offsuit high cards with an Ace in them, then you take the two face offsuit cards unless you have a ten.

e.g.
AQJT > QJ