CasinoGaming.com


	Sundays: Inside Gaming Tuesdays: Video Poker Wednesdays: Off the Shelf Fridays: Richard Eng, Player's Edge Saturdays: Pocket Aces

VIDEO POKER

Columns

• Back to Bob's index

• Back to columnist index

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.

For more details and a schedule of Bob's free classes, visit www.bobdancer.com.

Oct. 16, 2007

Playing 8/5 Bonus Poker Better

A few weeks ago I wrote a column on playing 9/6 Jacks or Better better. I received enough positive comments to do it again. I received several comments on what should be the second game discussed --- including two versions of Deuces Wild and 10/7 Double Bonus. I decided to do 8/5 Bonus Poker because it's available almost everywhere for all denominations and many strong players find themselves playing it at certain casinos.

The answer to some of these questions will be "always" or "never." This is a very different answer than "I can't think of any exceptions." "Always" and "never" state that there are no exceptions whatsoever. It takes quite a bit of certainty to make such a claim. The "I can't think of any exceptions" answer means that you aren't sure.

Most of us are unsure of zillions of things in life. And at some point in our learning curve, we were all unsure of most things related to video poker. Being unsure today of some of these answers is a normal state of affairs. Strong players, however, study so that they have certainty on all of these hands. It is not simple, but I find the results are definitely worth it.

Since the game is somewhat similar to 9/6 Jacks or Better, the first five questions will be clones of what we had in the earlier quiz --- although phrased a little differently. The next five questions will be hands that are played differently between the two games that all players should know, even if they aren't experts. The last group of questions involves penalty cards. This game is quite difficult at that level.

Q1: When do you prefer a high pair over a 3-card royal flush?

Q2: When is a 4-card straight preferred over a pair?

Q3: List every 4-card inside straight that is ever held in this game.

Q4: Under what conditions is it better to hold one high card than two?

Q5: When you have a 4-card straight flush and a 5-card straight in the same hand, when do you hold the straight and when do you go for the straight flush?

Q6: When do you prefer a 3-card straight flush with two high cards and two insides to a 4-card inside straight with four high cards.

Q7: When is a 4-card flush preferred to a 3-card royal?

Q8: When you have a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and no insides in the same hand as two suited high cards, when do you hold each?

Q9: When is 'QT' better than AQ in the same hand?

Q10: How do A-low 3-card straight flushes compare with two unsuited high cards?

Q11: Then do you prefer a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and no insides over 'AK', 'AQ', and 'AJ'.

Q12: When do you prefer QJ to a 3-card straight flush including a jack and two insides? That is, Q 'JT7' or Q 'J97' or Q 'J87' plus another card in each case.

Q13: When is holding the solitary K better than 'KT'?

Q14: When is 'JT' preferred to KJ?

Q15: When do you hold AJ rather than 'JT'?

Q16: When is a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and one inside better than 'JT'?

Q17: When is a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and one inside better than an unsuited AK, AQ, or AJ?

Q18: When is a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and one inside better than a solitary A?

Q19: When do you prefer a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and one inside to an unsuited KQ or KJ?

Q20: When is an unsuited KJ better than a 3-card straight flush with a jack and two insides?

Q21: When is a 3-card straight flush with no high cards and one inside better than a solitary J?

A1: A high pair {JJ, QQ, KK, AA} is ALWAYS preferred to a 3-card royal flush.

A2: The only time you prefer a 4-card straight to a pair is when the hand is specifically KQJTT and there are two or less cards in each suit.

A3: AKQJ, AKQT, AKJT, AQJT, and KQJ9.

A4: It is NEVER better to hold one high card than two.

A5: A 5-card straight is ALWAYS preferred to a 4-card straight flush.

A6: 'QJ8' is more valuable than AKQJ and 'KQ9' and 'KJ9' are less valuable. This is fairly universal in games where flushes return 5 for 1.

A7: This is easier in 8/5 Bonus than 9/6 Jacks. In 8/5 Bonus you ALWAYS hold the 3-card royal. In 9/6 Jacks you USUALLY hold the 3-card royal, and the conditions under which you hold the 4-card flush are somewhat complicated.

A8: 'KQ', 'KJ', and 'QJ' are ALWAYS preferred to one of these 3-card straight flushes. (This is opposite of the rule from 9/6 Jacks). 'AK', 'AQ', and 'AJ' are USUALLY not as good a these 3-card straight flush. This is the rule you should use if you wish to ignore penalty cards. A more precise rule is shown below in Q11.

A9: This is another case where 8/5 Bonus is easier than 9/6 Jacks. In 8/5 Bonus we NEVER prefer 'QT' to AQ. In 9/6 Jacks, we USUALLY do.

A10: When it comes to two unsuited high cards compared to 'A23' and friends, QJ > A-low > {KQ, KJ}.

A11: Usually. The most common time you prefer the A-high combinations is when the 3-card straight flush is '345'. The only other time is when you have 'AJ' "789" the correct play is 'AJ'.

A12: When the hand is Q 'JT7', you hold QJ when the fifth card is an 8 and hold 'JT7' otherwise. When the hands are Q 'J97' or Q 'J87', you hold 'J97' or 'J87' only when the fifth card is an A. Otherwise, you hold QJ.

A13: When there is a card suited with the 'KT' (i.e. 'KT2'-'KT8'), hold the king by itself. This is simpler than 9/6 Jacks where you need BOTH one of these flush penalties PLUS an off-suit 9 penalty in order to make the solitary king the correct play.

A14: Hold the 'JT' when you have no additional card in the hand suited with 'JT' AND you have no 8 and no 9. Otherwise, hold KJ.

A15: You need two separate penalty cards to make AJ better than 'JT'. In addition to a flush penalty to the 'JT', you need one card in the {7, 8, 9} range.

A16: You hold the 3-card straight flush only when it is '875' or '865'.

A17: You hold the 3-card straight flush except when it is '234', '235', or '245'.

A18: There are three separate times you hold the ace.

a.When the 3-card straight flush is '234', '235', or '245', you hold the A when there is no flush penalty to the A.

b.When the 3-card straight flush is '234', '235', or '245' and the fifth card is a 6, you hold the A even if the 6 is suited with the A.

c.On any other of these straight flushes (i.e. '346'-'79T'), you hold the A when there is a straight penalty to the straight flush, no flush penalty to the A, and no additional high card in the hand. That is, from '78T' A6 you hold the A but from '78T' AJ, you hold AJ.

A19: KJ is better than both 'T97' and 'T87'. In all other cases, hold the 3-card straight flush.

A20: When you have K 'JT7' or K 'J97' you hold 'JT7' or 'J97' except when the fifth card is an 8. In that case, you hold KJ. When you have K 'J87', you hold 'J87' except when the fifth card is a 9 or T. In those cases, you hold KJ.

A21: The simplest part of the rule is that 2-low, 3-low, and 4-low 3-card straight flushes in this category are worth less than a single J only when there is a straight penalty to the 3-card straight flush that is unsuited with the J. If there is no straight penalty and/or the fifth card is suited with the J, hold the 3-card straight flush.

With 'T97' and 'T87' with a straight penalty (i.e. a 6), you hold the J whether the 6 is suited with the J or not. With '986' and '976' with a straight penalty (i.e. a 5 in either case or a T unless it makes a 4-card open-ended straight), you go for the straight flush whether the straight penalty is suited with the J or not.

With '865' and '875' with a 4 penalty, you hold the J if the 4 and J are unsuited with each other and go for the straight flush if they are suited. With '865' and '875' with a 9 penalty, you go for the straight flush whether or not the 9 and J are suited with each other.

Getting all of these correct is very difficult. I suspect less than one player a thousand knows the game well enough to do this. I personally am not one of those "one-in-a-thousand" on a regular basis. When I find a good game, (such as a casino offering 10x points and I find the game available for high stakes), I'll study the game until I know it well enough to ace this test before I go and play. I've done this few enough times that I don't have all of these hands memorized --- but I'm close. If I find the game a few more times, I suppose I'll have all of this in my long-term memory.

On a practical basis, the only time many of us play this game is when there is one or more progressives attached to it. A progressive on the royal will change the conditions under which a few of the above hands are played, but most of them will be played the same no matter how high the progressive is.

For a complete discussion of this game, see the Dancer/Daily Winner's Guide on Jacks or Better.

This article was not proofed by anyone other than myself. When you are dealing with detail at this level, mistakes sometimes creep in. If you notice any, I'll be grateful if you point them out to me.