Optimal Strategy?

Wizard, I am new to this and am following your 9-6 Jacks or Better Optimal Strategy, and in playing a trainer on ", they said I was wrong following your Optimal Strategy. I was dealt Ac,Qh,Jd,Td,7d. I held Ac,Qh,Jd,Td (#22 4 to an inside straight, 3 High cards (0.5319). They said I should have held Jd,Td,7d (#23 3 to a straight flush (type 2) (0.5227 to 0. 5097). They have math for the inside straight at 2.660, and gap flush at 2.687. Why the difference in the best draw from your strategy?

Don

Quote: ROCKMAN

Wizard, I am new to this and am following your 9-6 Jacks or Better Optimal Strategy, and in playing a trainer on ", they said I was wrong following your Optimal Strategy. I was dealt Ac,Qh,Jd,Td,7d. I held Ac,Qh,Jd,Td (#22 4 to an inside straight, 3 High cards (0.5319). They said I should have held Jd,Td,7d (#23 3 to a straight flush (type 2) (0.5227 to 0. 5097). They have math for the inside straight at 2.660, and gap flush at 2.687. Why the difference in the best draw from your strategy?

Don

Wizard's Hand Analyzer says J-10-7:

https://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/hand-analyzer/

The hand that you are describing is covered in the Exceptions to Optimal Strategy on Wizard's page:

Quote:

3 to a straight flush, spread 5, with 1 high card vs. 4 to an inside straight, with 3 high cards: Play the 3 to a straight flush if there is no straight penalty card. Knowing this exception will add 0.00000020 to the game return.

https://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/jacks-or-better/9-6/optimal/

The reason why is because neither the Queen nor Ace are straight penalty cards as only 9-8 can make any kind of a straight.

If you go back to the Hand Analyzer and look at a hand like:

Ac-Ks-10s-9s-Jh

Then you would hold four to the inside straight with three high because holding the SF two-gap draw (K-10-9) results in the Jack being a straight penalty card as it would take Q-J to make a straight.

EDITED TO ADD: Welcome to WoV Forums, Don, hope you stick around! It's always great to have anyone around inquisitive enough to even ask such a strategy question!

Thanks for the great reply. Now I get it!

Like I said in my first thread here, the strategy doesn't list the "exception C" in the proper location. It should be listed on #22, not #23.

https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/video-poker/16984-9-6-job-optimal-strategy-chart/

Mision146, Just when I thought I understood PENALIY CARDS: I drew Ad,Qs,9s,Kc,Ts. Using the 9-6 Jacks or Better Optimal Strategy, I held Ad,Qs,Kc,Ts because Footnote "C", states, "Play the 3 to a straight flush "if" there is no straight penalty card". Reading this I figured holding Qs, 9s, Ts, I would have to discard the Kc, which would be the penalty card described in the footnote "C". I did use the Hand Analyzer and it says to keep the 3 card straight flush. How am I misreading the footnote, or not understanding penalty cards?

Quote: ROCKMAN

Mision146, Just when I thought I understood PENALIY CARDS: I drew Ad,Qs,9s,Kc,Ts. Using the 9-6 Jacks or Better Optimal Strategy, I held Ad,Qs,Kc,Ts because Footnote "C", states, "Play the 3 to a straight flush "if" there is no straight penalty card". Reading this I figured holding Qs, 9s, Ts, I would have to discard the Kc, which would be the penalty card described in the footnote "C". I did use the Hand Analyzer and it says to keep the 3 card straight flush. How am I misreading the footnote, or not understanding penalty cards?

That's a single gap straight flush draw, in your OP, it was a double-gap straight flush draw.

Mission 146, Thanks, I see it now.