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Bob Dancer writes a video poker column for beginners to experts. He also writes a column with Jeffrey Compton, "Player's Edge", featuring information on promotions at various Las Vegas casinos. Player's Edge is published each Friday in the Neon section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to send Bob Dancer an e-mail.

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Sep 27, 2006

These Hands Are Fit to Be Tied --- Part 2 of 3

In last week's column (available a few mouse clicks away), we looked at all of the types hands in various non-wild games where there is a tie for the best play. This week we're doing more of the same, except we're looking at some wild card games.

The first hand to discuss was on the list last week and is NOT on the list this time, and that's a hand like 5555K. In a non-wild game, it doesn't matter whether you hold the king or not, but in a wild-card game it definitely matters because 5-of-a-kinds get a lot more than 4-of-a-kinds.

Full Pay Deuces Wild

This is the game where the bottom end of the pay schedule is 15-9-5-3-2-2-1. Although last week pay schedules weren't mentioned, in this week's column there will be two different Deuces Wild pay schedules, with different tie hands, so it's important to distinguish between them.

1. Two pair --- on a hand like 44669, you either hold the fours or the sixes --- not both. This is the common play in ALL Deuces Wild or Bonus Deuces Wild variations where the full house receives 3 for 1. This will NOT be the case in the other Deuces Wild game we discuss because in that game full houses return 4 for 1 and you hold both pair from a two pair hand.

2. Two separate inside straights --- such as 78TJQ. In Deuces Wild there are no high cards (because no single pair gives you your money back) so the list of hands with two different inside straights is much broader than in those games where high cards exist.

3. Hands with a 4-card flush and a 4-card open-ended straight, such as 4h 5h 6h 7s Kh. Whether you hold the four hearts or the 4567, you have twelve chances to get 10 coins, so you have the same value. I always recommend you go for the flush rather than the straight because it's a lot easier to see that there are four suited cards than if the cards are an open-ended straight. This will NOT be a tie in the other Deuces Wild game we discuss because in that game flushes return 3 for 1.

4. If you have a 4-card inside straight and a 3-card straight flush with two insides and a straight penalty, these are worth the same. These are hands like 5h 8h 9h 7d Ac. You definitely hold the '589', but whether you hold the 8 or not is optional. I recommend you always go for the straight flush because whether or not there's a straight penalty is hard for many to see. For instance, on a hand like 5h 8h 9h Tc Qd, the straight flush draw is worth quite a bit more than the inside straight.

5. Four deuces --- With WWWWK (where the W stands for 'wild card', in this case a deuce), it doesn't matter whether you hold the king or not.

NSU Deuces Wild

This is the game where the bottom end of the pay schedule is 16-10-4-4-3-2-1.

1. Two separate inside straights. This is the same as in FPDW.

2. Four deuces. This is the same as in FPDW.

3. One deuce and two separate 3-card inside straights with one inside, in the range of W'57' through W'9J', specifically W'57' "8T", W'57' "9J" and W '68' "9J". We go for straight flushes with one inside and one or two deuces in this game while we do not do so in FPDW. The reason is that both straight flushes and flushes return more in this game.

20-7-5 Kings or Better Joker Wild

Although this game comes both in a 4,000-coin and 4,700-coin royal version, this doesn't matter insofar as tie hands go. There are no hands without the joker where the top two plays are tied.

1. Joker mid-card --- In this game, you frequently hold just one card with the joker. The tie hands can be when both mid-cards are in the range of 6, 7, or 8 (such as W 6h 8s Tc 4c), or when the choice is between W5 and W9 (such as W 5h 9s Tc 4c). Most of these are symmetric (meaning an equal amount of flush interference and an equal amount of straight interference), but some aren't (such as W Th 8s 6d 5h. If you changed the 5h to the 4h, you'll now be symmetric between the W6 and W8 and still have a tied best play.)

2. Two 3-card straight flushes with one inside --- such as W 4d 6d 8c Tc. Note that all of the tie hands with have exactly one card each in the range of 6,7,8 or no cards in that range (such as W 3d 5d 9c Jc). It will never be the case that one of the tied straight flushes has a card in that mid-range and the other one doesn't.

3. Two 3-card straight flushes with two insides --- such as W 3d 6d 8c Jc or W 2h 5h 9c Qc. Again, either both will have one mid-range card or neither will.

4. Two separate 3-card straight flushes with three insides and one high card --- namely W'A2'-W'A5' being matched up specifically with W'K9'.

5. W Ah 6h Js 9s --- This is a curious hand. Both WA and W'J9' have exactly the same expected value. Both ranks of these cards must be as given, with the A6 being suited and the J9 being suited. While the other hands discussed here will remain tied even if you change the return on 4-of-a-kinds, this one will change. You are holding a different number of cards in each case, so EVERY pay schedule category other than natural royal flushes comes into play.

Next week, I'll conclude this series with Two Pair Joker Wild.