Mississippi Stud Strategy Change Debate
June 1st, 2019 at 7:34:07 PM
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My friend and I play Mississippi Stud frequently, and are having a debate over the strategy of the game depending on a rule change. I hope someone here can let us know who is right, and explain it for us so that when we play we can both be using the most optimal strategy. I follow the Wizard of Odds strategy, but he plays a few starting hands differently because of a different rule in Pennsylvania casinos. I have only played Mississippi Stud in Atlantic City, and Pennsylvania casinos, so I am not sure how other casinos handle this situation. Both of these locations offer a $5 bonus progressive side bet, which pays out for winning hands of 3 of a kind or better. There is a progressive for royal flushes, and 10% for straight flushes. All other hands have a flat payout that ranges from $45 for 3 of a kind, up to $1500 for 4 of a kind.
In Atlantic City, if you fold your hand at any point your bonus side bet is no longer active. The only bet that is still active after a fold is the 3-card bonus. I was told by numerous pit bosses in Atlantic City, that this is the common way the game is dealt, and that they have not heard of it being any different elsewhere. Although I'm not sure how true that is for the rest of the country, I am assuming that the strategy on Wizard of Odds was written without considering bonus bets, so it would be the correct strategy in Atlantic City.
Now, in Pennsylvania, no matter when you fold your hand, your $5 bonus side bet remains active, and you are eligible to win any of the prizes if your folded hand finishes with a 3 of a kind or better. What I am wondering/debating with a friend, is if this changes the basic strategy of the game? I am mainly concerned with if you should now fold starting hands that contain 2 points(either two middle/push cards, or one high/winning card+one losing card). If I am dealt Q2 and fold right away, then the dealer puts up three more Queens, I would still win $1500 for my $5 bonus bet even though I folded my hand. This is what causes my friend to fold his 2 point starting hands, with the reasoning being that he can still win something if he gets a big hand.
My friend believes that since the bonus bet remains active, the strategy for the game changes and those 2-point hands should be folded immediately. While I understand his reasoning, I'm under the impression that a bonus bet has no impact on basic strategy for the game, and all hands should be played the same regardless of the bonus being active or not. Both sides of the argument make sense to me, since folding in PA basically has a consolation prize if you hit a good hand.
If someone could please give us the definitive answer to this discussion, I would greatly appreciate it. I don't want this to get too long, so I hope that sufficiently explains what I'm asking. If that isn't enough information I can go into further detail, or list the full payout schedule of the bonus bet. Thank you in advance for any help on this topic.
In Atlantic City, if you fold your hand at any point your bonus side bet is no longer active. The only bet that is still active after a fold is the 3-card bonus. I was told by numerous pit bosses in Atlantic City, that this is the common way the game is dealt, and that they have not heard of it being any different elsewhere. Although I'm not sure how true that is for the rest of the country, I am assuming that the strategy on Wizard of Odds was written without considering bonus bets, so it would be the correct strategy in Atlantic City.
Now, in Pennsylvania, no matter when you fold your hand, your $5 bonus side bet remains active, and you are eligible to win any of the prizes if your folded hand finishes with a 3 of a kind or better. What I am wondering/debating with a friend, is if this changes the basic strategy of the game? I am mainly concerned with if you should now fold starting hands that contain 2 points(either two middle/push cards, or one high/winning card+one losing card). If I am dealt Q2 and fold right away, then the dealer puts up three more Queens, I would still win $1500 for my $5 bonus bet even though I folded my hand. This is what causes my friend to fold his 2 point starting hands, with the reasoning being that he can still win something if he gets a big hand.
My friend believes that since the bonus bet remains active, the strategy for the game changes and those 2-point hands should be folded immediately. While I understand his reasoning, I'm under the impression that a bonus bet has no impact on basic strategy for the game, and all hands should be played the same regardless of the bonus being active or not. Both sides of the argument make sense to me, since folding in PA basically has a consolation prize if you hit a good hand.
If someone could please give us the definitive answer to this discussion, I would greatly appreciate it. I don't want this to get too long, so I hope that sufficiently explains what I'm asking. If that isn't enough information I can go into further detail, or list the full payout schedule of the bonus bet. Thank you in advance for any help on this topic.
June 1st, 2019 at 8:05:42 PM
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At Mohegan Pocono the side bet is a $1 progressive that is linked to several other games. It pays independent of the main game, you can fold and still win.
I’m not a math guy, but I think your friend is nuts. He’s passing up the better odds bets to hope for a worse odds bet. Mississippi is the only carnival game where I don’t play any of the side bets, not even the three card. The odds aren’t bad, but they are all tied up in huge variance. The side bets will chew up your bankroll long before you get dealt that pair of queens. And yes, I’ve missed a few straight flushes, but for every one of those there have been more than forty bets where I’d have lost.
I’m not a math guy, but I think your friend is nuts. He’s passing up the better odds bets to hope for a worse odds bet. Mississippi is the only carnival game where I don’t play any of the side bets, not even the three card. The odds aren’t bad, but they are all tied up in huge variance. The side bets will chew up your bankroll long before you get dealt that pair of queens. And yes, I’ve missed a few straight flushes, but for every one of those there have been more than forty bets where I’d have lost.
A falling knife has no handle.
