Dear Mark, I know to hold any combination of three cards leading to a royal
flush in Jacks or Better. Does the same hold true in Deuces Wild with a deuce
and two other high cards leading to a royal flush? Also, should you hold three
cards leading to a straight flush in Jacks or better such as a 6-8-9 of one
suit? Mike
Yes, Mike, your deuce with two cards to a royal is a slightly better
hand than if you were to discard the two high cards and just hold the
deuce. Other keepers when holding a deuce would be a deuce with a
two-card straight flush (e.g. a deuce, 5 and 6 of hearts), and a
straight flush with either a single or double inside draw (like: deuce,
5, 7, 9 of hearts, or deuce, 4, 5, and 7 of hearts).
As to your second question, holding a 3-card straight flush in
Jacks-or-better, the answer is yes, even if the other two cards form a
two-card royal. But note that the expected additional value (based on
the average value of all attainable wins after the discards are
replaced, assuming that the optimum cards are retained) is minuscule.
.
Additionally, Mike, in your opening sentence you wrote; "I know to hold
any combination of three cards leading to a royal flush in
Jacks-or-Better." Actually, though ever so slight, the expected value
of a high pair is a little better than that of a three card royal.
Dear Mark, In your discussions with Joey S. in a recent column, you gave
his examples of betting $200 initially on a hand, and then when going down for
double, turning the card over and putting down another $200. My question here
is: Can the player betting, for example $200 initially, lay only $100 on the
double down? Can it be $25, $50, or even $175 if that is all he has left? E.
W. T.
When you're dealt a pair of favorable cards, normally a 9, 10, or an
11, the casino gives you the opportunity to double the amount of your
wager. The only disadvantage to doubling is that you are only allowed
to draw one additional card. The strategic reason for doubling down is
that you are more likely to win the hand than to lose, and, having this
advantage, you should always wager the maximum amount possible.
But if you happen to be light in the pocketbook, yes, you may double
for less than your original bet. When the rules permit doubling, you
may double your bet by any amount, up to, but never more than, the
original wager.
Dear Mark, Is a croupier and a dealer one and the same? Justin G.
Yes, Justin, today we use the word Croupier -- borrowed from the
French -- to describe the casino dealer, though its true meaning in
French, is literally one who rides the rump of a horse.
You generally only hear croupier used in the games of baccarat and
roulette, not the other table games like craps or blackjack. The
croupier on a roulette table sells you chips, spins the wheel and pays
those lucky winners who buck the 5.26% casino advantage. In baccarat a
croupier controls the dealing, drawing and calling of cards, and pays
off winning bets. It's much better to make the acquaintance of a
croupier on a baccarat table, as the house edge on two of the three
bets offered is well under two percent.
Gambling quote of the week: "The restaurants, the themes, the nightclubs,
the eternal ringing of slot machines, the endless hordes of people having fun,
and that wild sense of freedom that comes with walking along the strip at night.
It's a blast!" --Adam Fine
