Rule #1; Seek out for the
best pay tables
7 February 2005
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Where I play Jacks-or-better video poker, some
machines have different paytables, the
difference being what you are paid for a full
house. One machine returns nine coins, another
eight. How much am I giving up playing a machine
that gives eight coins back for a full house
versus one that gives nine? Sammy H.
For the standard game of Jacks-or-better,
strategy No. 1 is to pick the game with the best
payout table. Typically, the higher the payout
for a full house (and a flush, you neglected
them in your question) the greater the return.
For example, on a Jacks-or-better machine, 9 for
a full house, 6 for a flush has a 99.5 percent
return; 8 for a full house, 5 for a flush has a
97.4 percent return; 7 for a full house, 5 for a
flush has a 96.3 percent return; and 6 for a
full house, 5 for a flush has a 95.2 percent
return.
The above returns, Sammy, are based on machines
NOT connected to progressive jackpots. On an 8/5
progressive quarter machine, when the jackpot
for a royal flush is more than $2,200, or $8,800
for dollar play, an 8/5 video poker machine can
have a better return than a 9/6 machine.
Dear Mark,
A couple quick questions, if I may, regarding
how to play a few different hands at
Jacks-or-better video poker. Which is better to
draw from; an open-end 4-card straight versus no
high cards, one high card, two high cards or
three high cards? A low pair opposed to two high
cards? Two cards to a royal flush against a high
pair (a winning hand), and three cards to a
royal versus a high pair? Jerry M.
Below, Jerry, are the correct strategies to your
rapid-fire questions.
An open-ended 4-card straight is more powerful
than one, two, three, or even four
non-sequential high cards. A low pair is a
superior hand over two high cards. As to your
last question, you keep a high pair over two
cards to a royal, even a three-card royal.
However, the expected value (win potential) of
three cards to a royal and a high pair is so
insignificant, even I abstain from perfect basic
strategy and jump on the chance, as remote as it
might be, of hitting the elusive royal flush.
By the way, Jerry, the definition of expected
value is the average value of all the wins
attainable (after the discards are replaced), if
the optimum cards are retained and each unique
possible draw occurs.
Dear Mark,
While playing a hand in poker, is it acceptable
to talk about, actually mislead the other
players at the table about the hand you are
playing? Isn't that considered "table talk," a
no-no in poker? Joel M.
When your jabbering about a hand you are
personally involved in, with the intent of
misleading or manipulating other players, in
gamblese, it's not called "table talk," but
instead, it's called "coffeehousing." Is it
kosher? Well, Joel, it sort of depends on whom
you ask. Half the players I play with would say
misleading chatter is fair play. Personally, I
consider coffeehousing at best, downright rude.
Like coffeehousing, table talk is a discussion
at the table regarding the hand currently
underway by players no longer involved in the
pot, especially any talk that might affect play.
The most common example of table talk is
announcing what cards a player has just folded.
For example, if the flop shows trips (J-J-J),
and a player who had already folded sees the
flop and screams out
"blankity blank," they have done a disservice to
anyone at the table who thought they might like
to bluff having caught quads
(four-of-a-kind). Better yet, uncalled-for
squeals might even bring out a six-shooter from
some pissed-off player.
Gambling quote of the week: "When the chips are
flowing faster than the Missouri River during a
hurricane, it's easy to feel as if you're
omnipotent at the tables." –gaming author Barry
Meadow
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