The following is a reply by Jim Wolf who is the developer
of "Frugal Video Poker" (FVP) on my old post about being told to hold
two cards to a straight in "Win Poker." (WP) I think I submitted a
typical funky hand of something like Kh,6d,2s,8c,9c. Which I was told
to hold the 8&9.
The last comment is reference to a new article I have coming up on
Midwest Casino Guide where I chart Motor City Casino's entire video
poker inventory and their percentages. It should be up soon.
Hi TM & VP,
FVP in perfect play mode does agree with WP for the hand in
question, therefore the hand should appear in the strategy chart. By
default, however, it doesn't because it is one of those WNO hands
(Will Not Occur), because another strategy play steals plays from it -
in the case it is the {Hold None} combination.
To view the WNO hands in the strategy chart, you must turn on this
advanced tutoring feature. To do this, go to the Options menu and
select the Tutor Options menu item. Check the checkbox that
says "Allow Will Not Occur in Strategy Charts", then click OK.
Now you will see the strategy combination {2 Card Straight Flush
(6 to 10: Open)} underneath the {Hold None} combination. This is the
combination that identifies Hold the 8, 9 play on your hand.
Now to finally answer your original question, we can tweak the
strategy chart to see if holding that combination is better or worse
than holding none.
We go to the Strategy Charts menu and select Tweak Strategy
Charts. We go to rank #72 (6 to 10) and click Select. We then go to
rank 70 and click Place, and then click Make Change. This will make
the (6 to 10) ranking higher than (hold none). We then click Analyze
to find the EVs.
Doing this results in a lower EV (99.7104) than the original EV of
the chart (99.7252). Therefore you should not hold the 8, 9 in basic
play.
In final analysis, if you have identified the penalty situations
in perfect play to hold this combination, you should do so - it will
help your EV - but to hold the 8, 9 indiscriminately will lower your
EV.
You know, I bet a lot of people would even pay for a site that
mapped out different casinos inventory, but I can imagine that it
would be a lot of work to keep up with!
Good luck/ skill to you,
Jim