Hold an ace alone or ace-king offsuit?
On Jacks or Better, hold both high cards: ace and king together beat the ace alone.
Average return per coin on Jacks or Better 9/6: Hold ace and king 0.4783 · Hold the king alone 0.4649 · Hold the ace alone 0.4566.
Open this hand in the analyzerJacks or Better 9/6 strategy chart
The hand
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| Play | Cards held | Return per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Hold ace and kingBest | A♥ K♦ | 0.4783 |
| Hold the king alone | K♦ | 0.4649 |
| Hold the ace alone | A♥ | 0.4566 |
Average coins back per coin bet on a five-coin bet, where a royal pays 4,000, counting every possible draw from the 47 cards left. Above 1.0000 the hold wins money on average.
Why
Two high cards give you two ways to make a paying pair, and they can still make a straight. In Double Double Bonus four aces pay 160 for one, and 400 with a deuce, three or four, so the extra draw to the lone ace is worth more there.
Does the paytable change the answer?
The answer changes on Double Double Bonus Poker 9/6, highlighted below.
| Paytable | Hold ace and king | Hold the ace alone | Hold the king alone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | 0.4783 | 0.4566 | 0.4649 |
| Jacks or Better 8/5 | 0.4772 | 0.4532 | 0.4605 |
| Bonus Poker 8/5 | 0.4805 | 0.4668 | 0.4606 |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6 | 0.4412 | 0.4229 | 0.4312 |
| Double Bonus Poker 10/7 | 0.4493 | 0.4468 | 0.4295 |
| Double Double Bonus Poker 9/6 | 0.4443 | 0.4554 | 0.4226 |
Average coins back per coin bet on a five-coin bet, where a royal pays 4,000, counting every possible draw from the 47 cards left. Above 1.0000 the hold wins money on average.