# jacks or better strategy **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 6, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147 "2017-10-06T22:49:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/1 "2017-10-06T22:49:45Z")
In a Mensa book, a chart ranks hands to keep in playing Jacks or Better video poker highest to lowest. One hand lists simply “Two high cards: unsuited (when you have three don’t keep the ace)” My question is Why do they recommend getting rid of the ace? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/2 "2017-10-06T23:27:25Z")
[Here’s the chart.](https://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/strategy/jacks-or-better/9-6/optimal/) The relevant section is “Hands That Are Never Played.” In the case of 3 unsuited high cards, ace highest, the reason not to play it is that “some subset of [this] hand [is] better than the larger hand,” the two lowest high cards in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Stinky\_Pete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Stinky\_Pete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinky_Pete)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/3 "2017-10-07T00:58:12Z")
The reason you get rid of the ace is so that draw has a better chance of getting a straight. The difference may be small but the objective is to squeeze out every little bit to get odds in your favor. This guy provides a good guide. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/4 "2017-10-07T01:00:14Z")
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/5 "2017-10-07T13:51:53Z")
And the reason you hold two unsuited high cards and not three is so you still have a chance to make four of a kind. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/6 "2017-10-07T14:07:36Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > And the reason you hold two unsuited high cards and not three is so you still have a chance to make four of a kind. Do you mean in the situation discussed above (3 unsuited high cards, ace highest)? Because unsuited JQK is OK and better than unsuited JQ or QK or JK. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/7 "2017-10-07T15:01:17Z")
Right. Holding JQK is part of the advanced strategy; it is a refinement that gains a tiny amount of payback over the simple strategy. For many players it may be better to avoid mistakes by playing the simpler strategy. The simple strategy gives up the advantage of holding those specific three high cards to make the game faster and easier. The edge lost by eliminating the refinement is largely made up for by retaining the chance to hit the bigger payout for four of a kind while diminishing the chance to make a lower paying straight. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/8 "2017-10-07T18:17:52Z")
Let’s move this to the Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/9 "2017-10-08T06:06:30Z")
Getting back to this, I think **Stinky Pete** has it backwards: you have a better chance of a straight if you _keep_ the ace. However, this does not make up for what you lose out on two-pair, three-of-a-kind, and full house. Four of a kind is so rare as to not make a significant difference. With JQK, the chance for a straight is high enough that it does swamp everything else and you should keep all three. Four of a kind is again a red herring and you should ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/10 "2017-10-08T12:28:51Z")
I think that the point is, if you’ve already established that you should throw away one, then the ace is the one you should throw away, because throwing away the ace gives you a better chance of a straight than throwing away one of the others. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jacks-or-better-strategy/798147/11 "2017-10-08T21:27:08Z")
There is no wraparound in poker. Dump the ace.