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Video Poker VP players, how would you play this hand?

Discussion in 'Video Poker' started by vegasvette, Mar 19, 2013.

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  1. vegasvette

    vegasvette High-Roller

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    I don't play much VP while in Vegas, but I had a hand last week on which I'd like to hear your input.

    I was killing time at a nickle triple play dueces wild game. Max play was 75 cents. I was dealt:

    2s, Js, Qs, Ks, As

    The wild royal paid $5 per hand. The natural royal paid $200 per hand. A flush paid 75 cents per hand.

    After I hear your comments, I'll post what I did.

    Thanks.
     
  2. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    An odd paytable: usually you get 125 units on the Wild Royal, not 100. But maybe they discounted the payoff to 100 because you're only paying nickels. And 15 instead of 10 on the flush compensates somewhat for that. (Was straight flush still 45 units?)

    I'm assuming you're playing 5 coins or 0.25 per hand (unit is 0.05).

    With the reduced payoff on the Wild Royal it's still right to keep it. From WinPoker:

    100 units on the Wild Royal.
    94.3617 to draw for the Natural Royal.

    With multi-play games sometimes you might be motivated to throw away paying hands because you have all these opportunities to draw for better, but single-play vs. multi-play should be played in the identical way. Just keep the best hand possible. In the above example, you get to keep THREE paying hands, compared to drawing for three hands, so the odds works out the same as if you only had one hand.
     
  3. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    On nickels?

    Even though its the wrong play, I'd go for the royal.

    Giving up 75 cents in EV for 3 chances at $200, might as well.

    Even if you miss, you still have 3 chances at a wild royal per hand, plus flushes, and straights.
     
  4. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    He was holding a Wild Royal, not just a flush. So $5.00 of EV given up. The units you're playing at shouldn't affect the play you make.

    It's hard to win 100 units. Keep it!
     
  5. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    The hand analyzers say keep the wild royal and there's a very large diff in EV versus dropping the deuce. Being a slave to the numbers I'd probably play it that way....though the gamber in me would be itching to go for the natural royal so it would end up depending on how much I was drinking.
     
  6. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    Keep what you've got by a factor of more than 5 to 4. It's closer to 5 to 3.8 in EV ratio.
     
  7. Crambone

    Crambone Gnaeus Pompey Magnus

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    Hold the Lot and order another cocktail
     
  8. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    As posted above though the WinPoker info was:
    100 units on the Wild Royal.
    94.3617 to draw for the Natural Royal.

    so the EV is about 5 units less per hand going for the draw.

    Times three hands, that's where I got the 75cents.


    Like I said, I know its the wrong play, but I'd do it because getting $200 is the only outcome from this hand that would have material impact on me.

    Unless I was already down $900 on the day or something. :)
     
  9. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I say go4it! Sometimes you just have to say "what the {heck}!" :)
     
  10. vegasvette

    vegasvette High-Roller

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    Thanks for your input. I agree with RF..............$15 win by holding the wild royal wouldn't impact my bankroll or trip. I ditched the duece and drew:

    hand one........a red 7
    hand two........a red 5
    hand three......8s

    Total payoff was 75 cents. I can still say i've never had a royal flush in VP.
     
  11. VPDana

    VPDana High-Roller

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    I would have gone for it, in fact I have done that before. Right or wrong, gotta try for the BIG ONE!
     
  12. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    For those who say they would go for it, how about this hand:

    Same game, dealt Royal 60 coins with three deuces in it. Hold it all or hold the deuces?
     
  13. VPDana

    VPDana High-Roller

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    Dang you, Flusher ~ LOL
     
  14. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    I go for the Natural in the first but I think I hold the Wild Royal in the second.

    I may change my attitude with Double Bonus Deuces Wild though. That's closer to a coin-flip for me.
     
  15. DeMoN2318

    DeMoN2318 The DERS

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    Great decision!! I would have totally gone for it too!!

    If I won $15 I would probably keep playing and end up losing it...If I won $200 I would probably cash out and buy a nice bottle of scotch. If I won $0.75 I still won something
     
  16. vegasvette

    vegasvette High-Roller

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    RF...........Keep in mind I don't play VP often, but in your example, I'd hold the three dueces. To me, that opens a variety of possibilities. The worst result is 4OK. Better results could be a straight flush, another wild royal, 5OK, or even 4 dueces. I don't profess to know the correct statistical play, but I'd still keep the 3 dueces.
     
  17. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    Same thing but keep what you have in huge way. With the OP's pay table:

    Wild Royal: 100 units
    3 deuces: 74.0518 units

    I'm betting the list of dealt paying hands that should be thrown away is pretty tiny in any variation of VP. (Not talking about keeping one pair when dealt two pair which comes up in some games, or keeping 4OAK and looking for the kicker.)

    Deuces Wild you throw away a dealt flush if you have 2 or 3 deuces, and in JOB throw away a dealt flush if you have 4 to a Royal. There may be a few more, but not many.
     
  18. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    That's true Wade.

    I happened to check a hand on some game which pays 4000 units for Aces with kicker.

    I was dealt 3 Aces and a couple of fours or something. Just for fun I decided to punch it into WinPoker to see what the difference in EV was between holding the Aces or holding the dealt full house.

    I was shocked to see what you are supposed to hold.

    AAA_4.

    (I'd held the Aces only and not gotten the fourth, so by then the point was moot.)
     
  19. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    In 'regular' DDB with 2000 for Aces+kicker, the three aces are better than any full house (don't keep a kicker). I have that on my playing chart and THINK I'd be able to noodle that out if it came up. But yes, that would be 'throwing away a dealt pat hand'. Your play comes up right with 4000 for Aces+kicker.
     
  20. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    On crappier paytables at the nickel level, unfortunately 100 nickels for a wild royal is actually more standard than it should be. :( Technically you should hold the pat wild royal regardless, but I don't blame anyone to go for it if it only pays 100 nickels.

    I got a dealt Wild Royal with four to a Natural Royal in Tunica a couple of years back on a nickel machine which paid 125 on the Wild Royal. I held all five cards because I knew that was right, but I took probably 3 damn minutes before hitting the deal/draw button. I really wanted to go for it, because $6.25 is nothing. And I lost that $6.25 probably about 20 minutes later...lol

    When playing "Triple Double Bonus" holding AAA + 2, 3, or 4 is standard. But you don't hold the kicker in DDB.
     
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