Revised strategy on Bovada after changes

Just curious if the Wizard or Tom Ski will offer new optimum play strategy for Pick'em poker at 99.45% with reduced straights. For example, whereas before 8-9-10 unsuited was a better choice than flush with 1 high card, will we now see those flipped? What about 9-10-J vs. flush with 2 high cards? Obviously a new strategy table takes work, so I didn't expect anything right away, but can we expect one at any time down the road? I had the old one down so cold, that I could play 1400 hands an hour under optimum play. I don't expect to be playing much now, but I still might like to partake from time to time. I hesitate to play under the old strategy if it's no longer optimum. .55% juice is tough enough without adding to it with mistakes.

What's the paytable, and are there any Wild Cards?

If you have just a few specific hands that you're wondering about, I can handle that.

No wild cards. Below is the new paytable, which trims straights by one notch:



But as a suggestion for shakhtar, you can still play All American at 99.6%, and it's available for pennies, multi-line, which reduces variance nicely. Here's the paytable as shown in the single-line format:



Strategy is substantially more difficult than Pick'em, so you'll definitely need to go slow at the beginning.

That's cool, thank you!

At a glance, I'd say they are both flipped, but I'll look at it a little later today.

The strategy for the new paytable is exactly the same as the strategy for the 99.95% paytable.

Using the video poker calculator, I compared the results between the two paytables. The probabilities for every hand are identical, therefore the strategies are as well.

The Wolf Video Poker software has Pick 'Em

Quote: JB

The strategy for the new paytable is exactly the same as the strategy for the 99.95% paytable.

Using the video poker calculator, I compared the results between the two paytables. The probabilities for every hand are identical, therefore the strategies are as well.

Nice! That saved me some time!

I had actually changed my mind on my shoot-from-the-hip guess, I'd not originally considered that hands such as Two Pair and 3OaK would be rendered impossible holding the flush draw.

Quote: Mission146

I'd not originally considered that hands such as Two Pair and 3OaK would be rendered impossible holding the flush draw.

Both would still be possible:

[8♣ 9♣] [10♦] [3♣] --> 8♣ 9♣ 3♣ --> 8♣ 9♣ 3♣ 8♥ 9♦

[8♣ 9♣] [10♦] [3♣] --> 8♣ 9♣ 3♣ --> 8♣ 9♣ 3♣ 3♥ 3♦

P.S.: I left a $100 bet with the Wizard that you will be victorious in the McMission McChicken McNugget McChallenge.

Quote: JB

Both would still be possible:

[8¢À 9¢À] [10♦] [3¢À] --> 8¢À 9¢À 3¢À --> 8¢À 9¢À 3¢À 8¢¾ 9♦

[8¢À 9¢À] [10♦] [3¢À] --> 8¢À 9¢À 3¢À --> 8¢À 9¢À 3¢À 3¢¾ 3♦

P.S.: I left a $100 bet with the Wizard that you will be victorious in the McMission McChicken McNugget McChallenge.

Cool graphics!

I thought he meant the straight v. a four-to-a-flush draw assuming the third and fourth flush cards were not high cards.

EX: 8c, 9c, 3c, 4c, 10d starting hand.

That's not how Pick'em Poker works.

Four cards are initially dealt: the leftmost two cards will be part of your final hand. You then choose one of the other two cards, which will become the third card in your final hand. Then 2 more cards are revealed, which are the other two cards in your final hand.

For illustrative purposes, the game is usually presented as if your two choices each have 2 face-down cards underneath them. Mathematically of course it doesn't matter because they are unknown cards.

But that's why 3 of a kind and two pair are possible, is because it's only a 3-card flush.

The worst is when all four initial cards are four of a kind, because it means you can't possibly end up with four of a kind since one of them will be discarded. The same applies with 4 to a royal - you can't possibly end up with a royal if that happens.

In that event, I misunderstood the rules completely.

That seems like a very strange game, especially the irritation of having to toss a made 4Oak, RF Draw, SF Draw or Two Pair.

Do you consider it to be a game that is actually enjoyable, or do people only play it if it has a strong EV?

Quote: Mission146

That seems like a very strange game, especially the irritation of having to toss a made 4Oak, RF Draw, SF Draw or Two Pair.
Do you consider it to be a game that is actually enjoyable, or do people only play it if it has a strong EV?

I played Pick 'Em on the dollar level several years ago at the Gold Dust West in Reno. The card was .333 and I played on 5X points days. The comp was .83. The game was quite enjoyable. I never came off with the royal. No big deal as the royal odds are about 350,000 and represents only about .34 of the payback. I started getting heat so backed off the play.

Quote: mickeycrimm

I played Pick 'Em on the dollar level several years ago at the Gold Dust West in Reno. The card was .333 and I played on 5X points days. The comp was .83. The game was quite enjoyable. I never came off with the royal. No big deal as the royal odds are about 350,000 and represents only about .34 of the payback. I started getting heat so backed off the play.

I popped off a royal in Pick 'Em. One of my more memorable hits. Quarters, of course ($1,500).

Quote: JB

The strategy for the new paytable is exactly the same as the strategy for the 99.95% paytable.

Using the video poker calculator, I compared the results between the two paytables. The probabilities for every hand are identical, therefore the strategies are as well.

Of course the probabilities are identical. but now straights pay 50 instead of 55 (assuming max bats). So whereas before the 8-9-10 had a expected return of .99 compared to flush 1 high card's .96, there will now be a lower expected return on the 8-9-10. I would figure it out myself, but I kept coming out with different expected returns than the chart before I modified the payouts, and my brain started hurting so I stopped trying to wonder where I went wrong. Was hoping the A-team of brains could save me a little aggravation.