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  Reading a Strategy Table – Part II14 July 2006
The rest of the hands are net losers for the Player in the long run. An expected value below 1.0 means that the Player can expect to have returned to him less than he wagered. Of course, in any single hand, he may wind up a winner, but he should consider himself fortunate anytime it does. The next four entries on our strategy table are as follows:
What we learn from this section of the strategy table is that a Low Pair is played over ALL 4-Card Straights, except ONE. If you have a Pair of 10's, along with a J-Q-K (assuming no 3-Card Royal), you play the Straight instead of the Low Pair. For EVERY other 4-Card Straight that contains a Low Pair, you discard the partial straight and keep the Low Pair. The Low Pair is the single most frequently occurring hand in video poker. This is why playing it correctly is imperative in order to achieve the payback that expert strategy affords. So, although the difference in Expected Value may appear to be small, these hands will occur so often that playing them consistently wrong will begin to eat away at your bankroll. The other key lesson from this part of the strategy table is the power of the High Card. These are the first hands that begin to be identified based on the number of High Cards the hand contains. High Cards are defined as any Jack, Queen, King or Ace. There value comes from the fact that a Pair of them earns us our money back. So, from the strategy table, we can see how a 4-Card Straight (open ended) is worth about .06 more for each additional High Card the hand contains. Technically, the same is true for a 4-Card Flush, but given the overall expected value of a 4-Card Flush (1.22), there is no need to break them out because they are all played the same way. We break out these hands because it impacts the way we play the hand. This will become even more obvious as we continue our trip down the strategy table to the 4-Card Inside Straights and 3-Card Straight Flushes. The next few entries in our strategy table are as follows:
This part of the strategy table introduces the 3-Card Straight Flushes, which is one of the most difficult portions of the strategy table to master. Many people think incorrectly that 3-Card Straight Flushes are unplayable, but that is not the case. While NONE of them play over a Low Pair, there are NO 3-Card Straight Flushes that are not playable over throwing all 5 cards. The key to categorizing a 3-Card Straight Flush properly is to know whether it is open-ended (or outside), or an Inside Straight Flush or a Double Inside Straight Flush. If the 3-cards are consecutive and allow 2-cards to be 'filled in' on either side, it is an open-ended Straight Flush. If the 3-Card Straight requires 1-card to be 'filled in' in the middle, it is an Inside Straight Flush. If it requires both cards to complete it to be in the middle, it is a Double Inside Straight Flush. Thus, 7-8-9 is a Straight Flush, 7-8-10 is an Inside Straight Flush and 5-7-9 or 5-6-9 is a Double Inside Straight Flush. Also, 2-3-4 is an Inside Straight Flush because you cannot complete it with 2 cards on either side. Lastly, A-2-3 is a Double Inside Straight Flush because it can only be completed one way. There is nothing below the Ace that can complete the Straight Flush on that end. It should be no surprise that a Straight Flush has a higher expected value than an Inside Straight Flush, which has a higher value than that of a Double Inside Straight Flush, assuming the same number of High Cards. So, the first 3-Card Straight Flush on the table is the Inside Straight Flush with 2 High Cards (any 3-Card Straight Flush with 3 High Cards would be a 3-Card Royal, as would a 3-Card Straight Flush that is a 10-J-Q, so none of these appear separately on the table). As we follow the pattern of the 3-Card Straight Flushes, we find that an additional High Card adds more to the expected value than having a 'hole' in the middle takes away. Thus, the next entry is the 3-Card Straight Flush with 1 High Card. Also from this part of the strategy table, we learn that a 4-Card Straight is kept instead of a 3-Card Straight Flush. The third entry on this part of the table is the lowest possible 4-Card Straight (open ended). Many hands contain 3-Card Straight Flushes of some variety, along with a 4-Card Straight. In all cases, the 4-Card Straight is played. You'll complete the Straight about 1 in 6 times and this is too valuable relative to the 3-Card Straight Flushes. Next week, I'll complete the walkthrough of the full-pay jacks or better
strategy table. Besides completing the 3-Card Straight Flushes, it will introduce
the 2-Card Royals and the unique way they are classified, and show us how
these hands compare to hands that are played as just unsuited High Cards.
And, of course, we'll finish up with the dreaded Razgu….. Related Links
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