Who Knows How To Play Poker - Are You Up For A Challenge ????

[Gizmonster]

Okay here's the deal:
I have a standard deck of 52 cards.
I bet I can beat you at a game of 5 card poker.
I'll beat any hand you get - note I'll beat your hand, not draw with you.
You can even choose your own cards from the deck.
I choose my 5 cards first; then you choose your 5 cards.
I then discard as many, or as few cards, as I wish (anything from 0-5 cards) from my hand and then choose the equivalent number of cards from the deck to replace the ones I've discarded. The discarded cards go onto a separate pile and cannot be reused by either player. You do the same - discard a number of cards and choose whichever cards you want from the remaining cards in the deck, to replace the ones you've discarded.
We've now both got 5 cards each ....... but I'll beat you :)
Who wants to challenge me ??

[jim360]

Ranking of hands is: high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush (and five of a kind if there are wild cards).

[-Talbot-]

I choose my 5 cards first


Once you said that it was end of ....er yeah end of!

[BlackadderV]

And there's me thinking that the cards were dealt face down.

[Gizmonster]

It's a neat lil' trick this, but it only works if I choose 4 tens and any other card. It won't work if I choose 4 jacks or 4 nines .... or indeed any other selection ....
If people want to test it, choose your cards and I'll beat ya ......

[BlackadderV]

Well obviously it doesn't work with any other combination. By choosing 4 tens you deprive your opponent of achieving a royal flush

[Gizmonster]

By choosing 4 jacks, I also deprive my opponent of a royal flush, but I'm then not in a position to beat you.

[-Talbot-]

Why not?

[-Talbot-]

You will end up with 8 9 10 J Q flush

I cannot get a flush that high because you have binned the other J's.

[jim360]

If player one doesn't pick four tens, but goes for four jacks or queens, then player two should take the four tens instead. The result is that both players are stopped from having a royal flush, but crucially the player with the jacks can't form a straight flush below it either. Thus, again, his best hand is 5 6 7 8 9 of a suit, whereas the other person could make 6 7 8 9 10. The key to the tens is that you can form straights on both sides of it, just, making them the most flexible starting option.

[Gizmonster]

If I go first and choose 4 jacks, you choose 4 tens.
The highest hand I can now make is 5,6,7,8,9, all of the same suit. You keep a ten and discard 4 cards and choose a 6,7,8,9 to match the 10 you've got. You've now got 6,7,8,9,10 all of the same suit.

[DTCwordfan]

Is there money on this? Only then am I interested.

[BlackadderV]

Quite, Talbot.

[Gizmonster]

Maybe I should switch best answer to your last post Jim ??

[BlackadderV]

Now I am lost. I would have thought the 6,7,8,9,10 would beat your 5,6,7,8,9.

[Gizmonster]

.... which is why I don't choose the 4 jacks.

[BlackadderV]

I see now.

[jim360]

Yeah, but if player one has the jacks then you get the 6,7,8,9,10, ie you win. The tens are the pivot point for straight flushes in some sense, being the lowest card you need to make the Royal flush while still being a high-ish valued card. Whoever controls the tens controls the game.

[Gizmonster]

I'll only beat you if I choose the 4 tens. No matter what you pick, I'll be able to pick a hand and stop you from getting s hand to beat mine.
If I pick any other cards apart from the 4 tens (such as the 4 jacks), you'll be able to beat me, no matter what I pick afterwards.

[-Talbot-]

Just got the cards out to test it (this actual thinking was hurting me) yep, you can't beat the 10's

[Ken4155]

Yeah, Giz, but then i would have to shoot you for being a low down cheatin' son of a gun. Nothing personal, pardner, but i would have to save face:-)