Caribbean Draw Expert Strategy

When we left analyst Howard Stern's strategy for Caribbean Draw Poker last week, we stopped with this item:

Non-winning hands with no pairs: Hold any of the following, listed in order of preference: four-card royal flush, four-card straight flush, four-card straight, four-card open-ended straight, three-card royal, three-card straight flush - including inside and double-inside draws - three-card flush or four-card inside straight. Otherwise, hold your three highest cards.

Most players will never try to go beyond that point, but would-be experts will find many exceptions in hands that include high cards.

With Ace-King-Queen-Jack-9, Ace-King-Queen-10-9, Ace-King-Jack-10-9, Ace-King-Queen-10-8 or Ace - King-Jack-10-8, the only playable three-card flushes with no straight flush possibilities are Ace-King-9 or Ace-King-8. Otherwise, just hold your three highest cards.

On all other hands that include Ace-King-Queen, three-card flushes are not playable.

With Ace-King-Jack-10 and a low card, Ace-King and the low card is the only playable three-card flush. We do not play a Jack-10-7 three-card straight flush.

With Ace-King-Jack, either a 9 or 8 and a low card, we hold three-card flushes only if they are Ace high, or if they include both the King and Jack.

With Ace-King-Jack and two low cards, three-card flushes are not playable.

With Ace-King-10-9 and a low card, three-card flushes are not playable if 10 high.

With Ace-King hands that rank lower than Ace-King-10-9, we do not hold three-card flushes.

With Ace-Queen-Jack-10-8, Ace-Queen-8 is the only playable three-card flush.

With Ace-Queen-Jack-10 and a low card, do not play three-card flushes, and do not play a Jack-10-7 double inside straight flush.

With Ace-Queen-Jack or Ace-Queen-10 plus two lower cards, do not play three-card flushes.

With Ace-Queen and three cards 7 or lower, a four-card inside straight such as Ace-2-4-5 is a better play than a three-card flush.

With Ace-Jack-10-9 and a low card, the Jack-9-7 double-inside straight flush is not playable, nor is a three-card flush consisting of 10, 9 and the low card. Ace-10-low, Ace-9-low, Jack-10-low and Jack-9-low three-card flushes are weaker than four-card inside straights.

With Ace-Jack-10 and a low card, a three-card flush with Ace-8 and the low card is not playable. Do not play Jack-10-low and Jack-8 low three-card flushes.

With Ace-Jack-10 and two low cards, three-card flushes are playable only if Ace high.

With Ace-Jack-9-8 or Ace-10-9-8 and a low card, four-card inside straights are stronger plays than Ace-8-low, Jack-9-low, Jack-8-low, 10-8-low or 9-8 low.

With Ace-10 and three low cards, Ace-low double-inside straights such as Ace-2-4 of mixed suits are better plays than just holding your three highest cards.

With Ace and four low cards, a three-card flush with a 7 and 2 along with a 3, 4, 5 or 6 is weaker than a four-card inside straight. Ace-low three-card straights are playable if there are no stronger possibilities.

With King-Queen-Jack-9-8, King-Queen-8 is the only playable three-card flush.

With King-Queen-Jack-9 and a low card, King-Queen-low is the only playable three-card flush. Do not hold a Jack-9-8 double-inside straight flush.

On other King-Queen-Jack hands, do not play three-card flushes.

With King-Queen-10-9 and either and 8 or a low card, the only playable three-card flushes are King-Queen with the 8 or low card. Do not play Queen-10-8, Queen-9-9 or 10-9-6 double-inside straight flushes.

With King-Queen-10-8 and a low card, do not play Queen-8-low or 10-8-low flushes.

With King-Queen-10 and two low cards, do not play double-inside straight flushes. Do not play three-card flushes that include both low cards.

With King-Queen hands that rank lower than those above, do not play three-card flushes.

With King-Jack hands, do not play Jack-9-7 or 10-9-6 double-inside straight flushes. King-Jack and a low card is the only playable three-card flush.

One more week, and you'll have everything you need to know about Caribbean Draw.