thymos wrote: There can't really be any debate that consideration of
penalty cards would have some dilatory impact on play.
No debate from me on this --- except when you know the strategy
(including penalty cards) cold --- which is my goal. I try to study
enough beforehand that by the time I get to the casino I can play
accurate strategy very rapidly. It takes me no more effort to play A
"QT5" 4 and A "QT" 54 differently in 9/6 Jacks than it would be for me
to play them both by a compromise strategy. If you HAVEN'T been
studying, you have to slow down and think about AK"QT8" and AJ"QT8" in
this game whether your strategy is penalty-free or not. These are
rare-enough combinations that most players don't have the answer on
their fingertips. A major point in my argument is that people who've
learned penalty cards KNOW the difference between these hands. For those
of you who play 9/6 Jacks and have learned a penalty-free strategy, ask
yourself whether you're sure of the correct penalty-free strategy on
both of those hands. Many of you do NOT know --- although everyone who
has mastered penalty cards in this game does. You only get to 99.995%
(or whatever other number one wants to bandy about) if you play each of
these hands correctly according to the strategy. That's an extremely
heroic assumption.
It's been noted that I assert that players who try very hard to learn
the complete strategy make fewer mistakes than those who are satisfied
with a lesser strategy. It's been commented by a few that I have no
statistics to prove this. I agree. I have no such statistics. But I
strongly believe it nonetheless. I have watched thousands of players
play and have my conclusions. I have taught tens of thousands of
students in my classes, and several dozen one-on-one. Your conclusions
might be different, but at a minimum mine are based on extensive
experience that nobody denies.
For beginner's, I believe that the 99.98% (or maybe it's 99.995% --- to
my mind this is not an important distinction to my argument) strategies
are too difficult --- let alone the ones with penalty cards. In the
Dancer/Daily system, we have four strategy levels --- Beginner,
Recreational, Basic, and Advanced. Our Basic Strategy is comparable to
FVP's or Skip's penalty free strategy (different games are better in one
system or the other). But in the classes I teach, the early class is
Recreational Level --- which is much simpler --- and even that is too
difficult for many beginners. As Harry noted, I certainly do not
recommend beginners try penalty cards. My column was talking about being
highly successful --- not about starting out.
As an example, in 9/6 Jacks, Recreational strategy says that two
unsuited high cards are better than a suited high-card-ten in the same
hand (never hold "AT"). That is a relatively simple rule that is usually
correct --- although not always.
Basic strategy says that the order is (using quotes to indicate
suited cards)
QJ
"JT"
KQ, KJ
"QT"
AK, AQ, AJ
"KT"
Although FVP presents it slightly differently (as does Dancer
Daily because that type-face and bold/not bold doesn't translate well
over the Internet --- and certain abbreviations require a longer
explanation than is appropriate here), the strategies are identical in
this area.
Advanced strategy includes the cases where AQ > "QT"; KJ > "JT";
and K > "KT" (plus others in different areas of the strategy). FVP does
not have an advanced strategy --- nor will the new computer software
that's coming out early next year.
Until you've been playing for awhile, the penalty free list
above is far too complicated. It takes time, repetition, and correction
from compuer software to be fluent in these things.
Part of this discussion that hasn't been explicitly addressed is
that one reason I learn the strategy to the nth degree is because I get
paid to produce articles and books teaching others to succeed at video
poker. While this is an extra incentive for me that most of you don't
share, it is my strong belief that the additional study is an extremely
strong component of my success at the game. It would be time well spent
for me even if I didn't get paid for writing about it or teaching it. I
have numerous articles about some games that are too complicated to
publish in any current column I have but helped me to play a game
better.
I have suggested to many of my students that they write an
article explaining all the penalty cards in Double Double Bonus, or
whatever game they are studying. And then I critique what they've
written --- not for grammar and the like (that's not my strong point)
but for video poker content. Even though their article will likely never
be published, the act of writing it down forces them to learn it cold.
Every time a student has done this, their results have improved. It's an
entirely different level of knowledge required to be able to write
things down. And if they haven't played the game for six months or so, I
recommend they write the article again and compare it to what they wrote
before. And then again in another six months. Players who do this will
see their results improving. --- not because 100% > 99.995% but because
they have mastered whatever strategy they are using.
Bob Dancer
For the best in video poker information, visit www.bobdancer.com
or call 1-800-244-2224 M-F 9-5 Pacific Time.
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