Please note rules may differ
from casino to casino always check the rules at the casino you are playing.
Generally
speaking, one should try to set the highest two-card hand that you can legally
set (that is, the best two-card hand that still leaves a higher five-card hand
behind). More specifically, one should expect and "average" hand to
be something like a medium-to-high pair behind in the five-card hand and an ace-high
in front. Detailed computer analysis has been done to determine ideal strategy,
but this requires memorizing large tables. A close approximation can be done with
only a few rules of thumb. If you are playing in a casino, you can always ask
that your hand be set "house way" if you are in doubt; most house strategies
are quite reasonable (though they are generally conservative, leading to more
pushes).
If
you have no pair, no straights, and no flushes, set the second and
third-higest cards in your two-card hand. For example, with K-Q-J-9-7-4-3, play
Q-J and K-9-7-4-3. There are a few minor exceptions to this (for example, with
A-Q-10-9-5-4-2 it is slightly better to play Q-9 and A-10-5-4-2), but these are
rare and don't affect your win rate much.
If
you have nothing a single pair, set it in your five-card hand and put the
two highest remaining cards in your two-card hand. For example, with A-Q-Q-9-6-5-3,
play A-9 and Q-Q-6-5-3. There are no exceptions to this rule. This rule and the
rule above will cover 90% of the hands you play.
Two
pair is the most common case where strategy isn't obvious. You can either
play the high pair behind and small pair in front, or else two pair behind and
high cards in front. The smaller your high pair and higher your remaining cards,
the more you should be inclined to play two pair behind. If your side cards are
small, or your larger pair is large, split the pairs. You should always split
pairs if your high pair is aces, and almost always split if your high pair is
kings or queens; they are high enough by themselves. With something like J-J-4-4-A-Q-5
you can consider playing A-Q and J-J-4-4-5-, since A-Q in front is not much worse
than 4-4, but two pair behind is much better than a single pair of jacks. Jacks
and tens might be more inclined to split, because tens in front is much better
than A-Q. With pairs as small as 7s and 8s, you might consider playing two pair
behind if you can play a king-high or better in front. With 2s and 3s, you might
even play as little as a queen-high in front. If you have no side cards higher
than a jack, always split pairs, even 2s and 3s.
Three
pair is a very good hand. Always play the highest pair in front, no exceptions.
For example, with K-K-7-7-4-4-A, play K-K and 7-7-4-4-A. If you have three
of a kind and nothing else, play three of a kind behind and remaining high cards
in front, unless they are aces--always split three aces, playing a pair of aces
behind and ace-high in front. Occasionally, you can even split three kings if
your remaining side cards are not queen-high (for example, with K-K-K-J-9-7-6,
it is slightly better to play K-J and K-K-9-7-6 than to play J-9 and K-K-K-7-6).
If
you can play a straight or a flush or both, play whichever straight-or-better
five-card hand makes the best two-card hand. For example, with K?-9?-8?-7?-6?-5?-4?,
playing the flush would put 8-6 in front, playing the 9-high straight would put
K-4 up front, but the correct play is K-9 and 8-7-6-5-4. Occasionally, you will
have a straight or flush with two pair; in that case, play as if it were two pair
and ignore the straight or flush. This rule applies even if you can play a straight
flush: if a straight or flush makes a better hand in front, play it that way.
With
a full house, generally play trips behind and the pair in front. The exception
is if the pair is very small and your side cards are very high, for example, with
5-5-5-3-3-A-Q, it might be better to play A-Q with the full house behind. These
are rare, though, and you will never be making a big mistake if you never play
a full house behind.
With
two sets of trips, play the higher as a pair in front, and the smaller trips
behind. For example, with Q-Q-Q-7-7-7-A, play Q-Q and 7-7-7-A-Q. No exceptions.
With four of a kind, play as if it were two pair, but be slightly less inclined
to split. For example, with 10-10-10-10-J-5-4, play 10-10 and 10-10-J-5-4; with
3-3-3-3-K-Q-7, play K-Q and 3-3-3-3-7.
With
three pair and a straight or flush (only possible with the joker), play as
three pair (aces in front).
The cases below will probably never happen to you, but just in case
With
four of a kind and a pair, play the pair in front unless it is very small
and the four of a kind is very large. For example, with 9-9-9-9-7-7-K, play 7-7
and 9-9-9-9-K, but with Q-Q-Q-Q-3-3-9, you might play Q-Q and Q-Q-3-3-9.
With a full house and a pair, play the higher pair in front and a full house in
back. With four of a kind and trips, split the four to play a pair in front
and full house behind.
With
all four aces and the joker, play a pair of aces in front and three aces (or
a full house) behind.
