One of the hallmarks of the Dancer/Daily strategies, especially the advanced ones, is that they presume the player can follow simple logic. 

An example of what I’m talking about can be found in last week’s blog, when we discussed the strategy for holding a solitary A with a JT in the same hand in the game 9-5 Triple Bonus Poker Plus. When we discussed a straight penalty (sp) to the JT, we limited the discussion to a 7, 8, or 9 and didn’t include either a K or Q. 

In many contexts, both a K and a Q are indeed sps to JT, but in this particular case, if one of these cards were in the hand, it would create an AKJT or AQJT 4-card inside straight. These two combinations (listed as ST4 3h1i) are higher ranking than either holding the solitary A or JT, so if the inside straight combination were present, we would never get to the A versus JT decision. 

Daily and I assumed that understanding this sort of logic was part of the price of using advanced strategies. We included three easier strategies for each game so players could use the one they wanted. The advanced strategies yield better results, but it takes some work to master them.  

Liam W. Daily passed away a decade or so ago, so he is not involved in the current decisions of how to create strategies today. At the same time, I believe he and I together created a good methodology and I stick to it as much as I can. Today I’m discussing an addition to our methodology that I can’t know whether he’d agree with or not.

I want to discuss a strategy in the same game as I did last week, but this time it involves hands that include unsuited AQJ. The default play for the lesser three strategies is to hold QJ on these hands. The advanced strategy outlines the cases where you hold the solitary A.

Like last week, the A can have a flush penalty (fp)) — “or worse” — meaning a straight flush penalty (sfp — specifically a 5) or a straight flush kicker penalty (sfkp —specifically a 2, 3, or 4). These fps will be front and center in the strategy.

Likewise, the A can have straight penalties — either a 5 (a low straight penalty) or a 2, 3, or 4 (a kicker penalty). While the presence of one or more of these usually (not always) precludes the A from being chosen, I do not specifically mention them in the strategy. (You’ll see why not!)

For the unsuited QJ there can be no flush penalties simply because the two cards aren’t suited with each other. The relevant straight penalties are the 9 and 8, but not both in the same five cards. That would give us QJ98 which is explicitly listed (as ST4 2h1i) above both the A by itself and the unsuited QJ.

In the strategy, I break these hands down into three different parts — based on the number of the fps to the A.

1. The A has two or more fps or worse. In these hands, we always prefer QJ. (As we shall see later, it’s this category that is the whole reason for this column.)

2. The A has exactly one fp or worse. Here we hold the A if the other two cards are 97 or 96. A 9 is a more severe sp to the QJ than an 8 is (because the 9 interferes with KQJT9 and QJT98 straight while the 8 only interferes with the QJT98 straight.) After the 9 has been chosen, the reason it is limited to 97 and 96 is that these are the only ones not including a straight or straight flush penalty to the A. 

3. The A has no fp. Here we hold the A if the other two cards are an 87 or 86 or 9 anything. The 87 and 86 combinations avoid any straight penalties to the A, and the 9 is a strong enough straight penalty that one straight penalty or kicker penalty isn’t strong enough to change the play.

That’s the strategy in English — which is much too wordy to include in a strategy. Here is how I code it — never previously published and actually a work in progress as I’ve found reason to tweak this a little even in the process of writing this blog.

QJ (NEVER < A with two fp or worse)

(< A with exactly one fp or worse when 9p or 87 or 86)

(< A with no fp, when 97 or 96)

A

Here are some example hands. If you’ve mastered what I’ve said here, it should be easy for you.

1. A♥ Q♣ J♦ 8♣ 4♦
2. A♥ Q♣ J♦ 9♣ 4♦
3. A♠ Q♥ J♣ 9♠ 6♠ 
4. A♣ Q♦ J♠ 8♥ 6♣
5. A♦ Q♠ J♥ 8♣ 7♦
6. A♠ Q♥ J♣ 9♠ 8♠ 

Here are the answers:

1. QJ
2. A
3. QJ
4. QJ
5. QJ
6. QJ98

How did you do?

The leading impetus for today’s column is the strategy line of “(NEVER < A with two fp or worse).” So, what’s so unusual about that?

What’s unusual is that QJ > A is the default strategy. Advanced strategies generally only list the exceptions — namely the cases where QJ < A. So why did I include this line telling you to do the default?

Because of the next line — “(< A with exactly one fp or worse when 9p or 87 or 86).” This line includes the new phrase, to me, of “or worse.” Anybody else using this strategy might forget what I mean by fp or worse — namely fp or sfp or sfkp. If you weren’t exactly clear on the definition, you might easily conclude that two fps qualifies as “exactly one fp or worse.” Obviously two fps are worse than one, but I am not using “or worse” in that context.

And not just for you. I have a place where I play this game now, but it could easily go away for one of a variety of reasons. In that case, my strategy will stay in a computer folder until the next time I find that game and decide to play it. My memory isn’t what it used to be, and I might have forgotten what I meant by “fp or worse” way back in the summer of 23.So, I added the redundant line.

On July 24^th, we are celebrating International Self Care Day, chosen to emphasize to our global community that self-care is a cornerstone to overall wellness. As we continue to find out more and more just how important self-care is today, we learn that it is more than something we do for ourselves. By caring for our mental, physical, and emotional health, it not only helps us but the side effect can help promote healthy relationships. Part of this self-care conversation intertwines with someone who may have a gambling problem because of the stigma that goes along with it. This can weigh heavily on their self-worth and self-esteem and cause many problems for not only problem gamblers but can also affect up to 9 or 10 people around them. Keep reading to learn more about the link between problem gambling, health, and the stigma one feels in seeking out recovery resources, as well as helpful self-care tips.

The impacts of disordered gambling reach much farther than many people assume. Those who struggle with problem gambling are more likely to deal with stress-related conditions, including sleep deprivation, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. [1] Additionally, problem gambling can take a toll on one’s mental health, as it can worsen or initiate depressive episodes and anxiety, as well as lead to substance use disorders. [2] This perceived stigma can cause internal strife and interfere with help-seeking efforts.

There are also social impacts, as compulsive gambling can strain relationships, lead to legal troubles, and threaten job security. [3] While these issues are not one-size-fits-all and those who struggle with problem gambling may experience a mix of these impacts, each highlights the importance of prioritizing self-care and taking proactive steps to protect health. 

One thing that might hold people back from taking care of themselves is the stigma attached to problem gambling and recovery. In general, people may not seek help for problem gambling in fear of judgment from others and being labeled a “problem gambler.” [4] There are also more gender-specific stigmas — for example, women are often viewed as caregivers, and struggling with problem gambling can be viewed as irresponsible and this shame prevents these women from admitting their struggle and getting the care they deserve. [5] For men, they fear the perceived embarrassment and shame that could come from seeking recovery resources. [6] In society, men are supposed to be strong and be able to stop or control themselves so it becomes self-perceived as failure. It’s important to remember that there is no shame in seeking help, and that the best favor anyone can do for themselves and their loved ones is to protect and promote self-care and wellness through problem gambling recovery. 

So, what does self-care actually look like? For those struggling with problem gambling, the first step to better self-care is seeking out Your One Sure Thing, 888-ADMIT-IT. You can call, text, or chat this 24/7, multilingual, and completely free HelpLine as it can help those who might have a problem with gambling and their loved ones take the first step to a better future. Additional tips for practicing self-care include:

• Getting regular exercise
• Eating healthy
• Prioritizing a good sleep cycle
• Trying a new hobby
• Participating in relaxing activities
• Goal setting
• Practicing gratitude
• Staying connected to community [7]

This International Self-Care Day is the perfect opportunity to take a positive step in the right direction. Taking care of one’s self, whether it’s through seeking recovery resources or one of the helpful tips above, is crucial when overcoming a problem gambling addiction and creating a life full of joy. 

1. Matheson, Flora I., et al. “The Use of Self-Management Strategies for Problem Gambling: A Scoping Review .” BioMed Central, 29 Apr. 2019, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6755-8.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Hing, Nerilee, et al. “Perceived Stigma and Self-Stigma of Problem Gambling …” Taylor & Francis Online, 15 Nov. 2015, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14459795.2015.1092566. 
5. “Female Gamblers and Mental Health.” Algamus, 12 May 2022, www.algamus.org/blog/female-gamblers-mental-health.
6. Baxter, Alison, et al. “Gender Differences in Felt Stigma and Barriers to Help-Seeking for Problem Gambling.” Addictive Behaviors Reports, 3 Nov. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845950/#:~:text=Men%20are%20less%20likely%20to,lose%20an%20important%20social%20network.
7. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health.

El 24 de julio, celebramos el Día Internacional del Autocuidado, elegido para subrayar ante nuestra comunidad global que el autocuidado es una piedra angular del bienestar general. A medida que continuamos descubriendo más y más cuán importante es el autocuidado hoy en día, aprendemos que es más que lo que hacemos por nosotros mismos. Cuidar nuestra salud mental, física y emocional no solo nos ayuda, sino que el efecto colateral puede ayudar a promover relaciones saludables. Parte de esta conversación del autocuidado se entrelaza con alguien que puede tener un problema con las apuestas debido al estigma que lo acompaña. Esto puede pesar mucho en su autoestima y causarles muchos problemas no solo a los apostadores problemáticos, sino que también puede afectar hasta a 9 o 10 personas a su alrededor. Siga leyendo para obtener más información sobre el vínculo entre el problema del juego, la salud y el estigma que uno siente al buscar recursos para la recuperación, así como consejos útiles de autocuidado.

Los efectos de las apuestas desordenadas llegan mucho más lejos de lo que muchas personas suponen. Quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas tienen más probabilidades de lidiar con afecciones relacionadas con el estrés, lo que incluye la privación del sueño, las enfermedades cardiovasculares y la hipertensión. [1] Además, las apuestas problemáticas pueden pasarle factura a la salud mental de la persona, ya que puede empeorar o iniciar episodios depresivos y ansiedad, así como conducir a trastornos por uso de sustancias. [2] Este estigma percibido puede ocasionar conflictos internos e interferir con los esfuerzos para buscar ayuda.

También hay impactos sociales, ya que las apuestas compulsivas pueden tensar las relaciones, conducir a problemas legales y amenazar la seguridad laboral. [3] Si bien estos problemas no son generalizables, y quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas pueden experimentar una combinación de estos efectos, cada uno de ellos destaca la importancia de priorizar el autocuidado y tomar medidas proactivas para proteger la salud. 

Una cosa que podría impedir que las personas se cuiden a sí mismas es el estigma asociado a las apuestas problemáticas y la recuperación. En general, las personas pueden no buscar ayuda para las apuestas problemáticas por temor a ser juzgadas por otros y verse etiquetadas como “apostadores problemáticos”. [4] También hay más estigmas específicos de cada género: por ejemplo, las mujeres a menudo son vistas como cuidadoras, y luchar contra las apuestas problemáticas puede verse como irresponsable y esta vergüenza impide que las mujeres admitan su lucha y obtengan la atención que merecen. [5] En el caso de los hombres, temen el bochorno percibido y la vergüenza que podrían provenir de la búsqueda de recursos de recuperación. [6] En la sociedad, se supone que los hombres son fuertes y capaces de detenerse o controlarse a ellos mismos, de modo que se convierte en un fracaso autopercibido. Es importante recordar que no representa una vergüenza buscar ayuda, y que el mejor favor que una persona puede hacerse a sí misma y a sus seres queridos es proteger y promover el autocuidado y el bienestar a través de la recuperación de las apuestas problemáticas. 

Entonces, ¿cómo es realmente el cuidado personal? Para quienes luchan contra las apuestas problemáticas, el primer paso para un mejor autocuidado es buscar a Your One Sure Thing, 888-ADMIT-IT. Puede llamar, enviar mensajes de texto o chatear en esta línea de ayuda multilingüe y completamente gratuita las 24 horas del día, 7 días a la semana, ya que puede ayudar a quienes podrían tener un problema con las apuestas y a sus seres queridos para que den el primer paso hacia un futuro mejor. Los consejos adicionales para practicar el autocuidado incluyen:

• Hacer ejercicio con regularidad
• Comer de modo saludable
• Darle prioridad a un buen ciclo de sueño
• Probar un nuevo pasatiempo
• Participar en actividades relajantes
• Establecer metas
• Practicar la gratitud
• Mantenerse vinculado a la comunidad [7]

Este Día Internacional del Autocuidado es la oportunidad perfecta para dar un paso positivo en la dirección correcta. Cuidarse a usted mismo, ya sea mediante la búsqueda de recursos de recuperación o aplicando uno de los consejos útiles anteriores, es crucial para superar un problema de adicción a las apuestas problemáticas y crear una vida llena de alegría. 

1. Matheson, Flora I., et al. “The Use of Self-Management Strategies for Problem Gambling: A Scoping Review .” BioMed Central, 29 de abril de 2019, bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6755-8.
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
4. Hing, Nerilee, et al. “Perceived Stigma and Self-Stigma of Problem Gambling …” Taylor & Francis Online, 15 de noviembre de 2015, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14459795.2015.1092566.
5. “Female Gamblers and Mental Health.” Algamus, 12 de mayo de 2022, www.algamus.org/blog/female-gamblers-mental-health.
6. Baxter, Alison, et al. “Gender Differences in Felt Stigma and Barriers to Help-Seeking for Problem Gambling.” Addictive Behaviors Reports, 3 de noviembre de 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845950/#:~:text=Men%20are%20less%20likely%20to,lose%20an%20important%20social%20network.
7. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” National Institute of Mental Health, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health.

This is a continuation of last week’s discussion. You might want to check that blog out for context.

Consider the values of these combinations, playing 9/6 Jacks or Better for dollars, five coins at a time. Note that the value of these combinations can vary depending on the other two cards in the hands. In the examples so far, I’m considering the fourth and fifth card to be an unsuited 2 and 3.

Within each of the four SF3 categories (SF3+1; SF3+0; SF3-1; SF3-2), you’ll see that each example is worth very close to the same amount, and that the difference in value between the categories is approximately 50 cents each time. In this particular game, adding (or subtracting) a high card is equal to almost exactly the same amount as subtracting (or adding) a gap, or inside.

With this information, it’s not hard to conclude that however you play, say, QJ8 in a hand, you’ll play 987 the same way. Figuring out which of these two examples of an SF3+0 is being discussed in a particular hand shouldn’t be confusing because in games without wild cards, it’s impossible to have two separate SF3 combinations in the same five cards.

And it shouldn’t be surprising that there might be hands where you’d play QJ8 differently than you’d play QT8, simply because QJ8 is worth about 50 cents more. 

Coming to these conclusions takes you a long way from treating all 3-card straight flush combinations the same. And having four SF3 categories (in the first column) is a lot easier to deal with than listing eight separate types of hands (in the second column). 

In addition to removing four lines of strategy from the basic strategy chart, using this notation provides part of a shorthand to discuss more complicated hands. While a complete discussion of straight penalties, flush penalties, and various other types of penalties is beyond what I want to talk about today, understanding the categorization of SF3s is the first step to being able to understand our advanced strategies.

Now consider 10-7 (or 9-7) Double Bonus. When we’re dealing with SF3s, the amount you receive for the full house is irrelevant because full houses only have two different ranks of cards in them and SF3s have three. While two pair as a final hand is definitely possible when starting from an SF3, the probability of ending up with two pair affects all these hands identically — so it doesn’t matter in ranking these hands whether we get paid five coins or ten for two pair. Compared to Jacks or Better, Double Bonus pays more for the flush and more for the straight. See how the values of our SF3s change in this game:

In Double Bonus, all of the SF3s are worth more than they were in Jacks or Better and the SF3s in each category aren’t clustered so tightly. In these examples, you’ll see that when you reduce the number of high cards by one unit and increase the number of insides, the value of the SF3 goes up by about a nickel. 

Our SF3 simplification still works, but not quite so perfectly.

Another example is Triple Bonus Poker Plus. In this game, flushes get paid only 5-for-1 (instead of 6-for-1 in Jacks or Better and 7-for-1 in Double Bonus) but straight flushes get paid 100-for-1 instead of 50-for-1 in the other two games. Let’s see how that affects the value of our combinations.

Here the combinations are not nearly so clustered as they were in the other two games. Getting paid twice as much for a straight flush adds a lot more to the value of an SF3 without insides than it does to an SF3 with one or more insides. Remember, an SF3 with two insides has the potential to become one straight flush only. An SF3 with one inside has the potential to turn into two straight flushes, and an SF3 with no inside has the potential to turn into three different straight flushes.

Because of this, in one case on the strategy for this game, we have to separate the two types of SF3-1. On a hand like “KQ” 346, hold 346. (346 has the same value as 875 in the previous chart. Both have no high cards and one inside.) On a hand like “KQ” A35, we hold “KQ”. A35 (one high card and two insides) is worth the same as QT8 and as our chart above says, A35 is worth 22 cents less than 346. 

In my personal Triple Bonus Poker Plus strategy, however, I still use the SF3 notation discussed in the last two weeks. But when it doesn’t fit (as in the hands discussed in the previous paragraph), I resort to the clumsier notation. There is value to use the same notation in all strategies — but I don’t force it when it isn’t a good fit.

When Liam W. Daily and I began looking at publishing strategy cards and later Winner’s Guides for a number of video poker games, we devised a terminology for discussing the various forms of 3-card straight flush combinations. We decided to start from zero, add one for every high card in the combination, and subtract one for every inside (which is usually, but not always, a gap).

Although the idea was original to us, in the sense that we didn’t read or hear about it from anybody, we later found out that other strong players were using very similar terminology among their teams. These notations weren’t published or otherwise publicized, so we hadn’t heard about them.

At the time (mid-1990s), I was a strong intermediate video poker player. Daily was much less of a player, but an Oxford-educated Ph.D. economist. He was a brilliant theoretician who had devised new ways of looking at a number of problems — including for the International Monetary Fund! By the time we finished the Winner’s Guides many years later, we could both call ourselves experts. Our expertise came from doing the hard work on so many strategies.

I was teaching and publishing articles (in Strictly Slots and Casino Player, at the time, plus a weekly blog that has morphed, more or less, into what you are reading now) which gave me a sort of trial by fire. When I published something that wasn’t quite right, there were a number of players who would trumpet the evidence that I wasn’t as good as I claimed I was. In addition to developing a thick skin, I learned from this. When the criticism was justified (sometimes, not always, and sometimes inconclusively), I improved my knowledge base.

I started to be recognized as an expert when Shirley and I had our $500,000 half-hour at the MGM Grand in 2001. Just hitting two big royals in short order didn’t mean I was a better player or any smarter than I was the day before (when I was $500,000 less wealthy), but there were a number of players who concluded that if I could hit such big jackpots, I must know what I’m talking about.

Enough of the background. Here is a complete list of 3-card straight flush combinations, and our terminology for them, for all games without wild cards where you get your money back for a pair of jacks or better:

There are two combinations in the SF3+1 category — namely two high cards and one inside (QJ9) and one high card and no insides (JT9). These are the most valuable 3-card straight flush combinations in this type of game. While having three high cards and two insides would also qualify as SF3+1, such a combination is physically impossible. Having three high cards in a 3-card combination makes some sort of an RF3 combination, rather than an SF3 combination.

There are three combination types in the SF3+0 category — with more than one combination in each type. You can see the list above. For those unfamiliar with our KH9 notation, the H represents a high card lower in value than the first card listed. So KH9 represents both KQ9 and KJ9. These combinations have exactly the same value and can’t both co-exist in the same five cards (unless you had a 4-card straight flush draw) which is much higher on the strategy chart).

There are two combination types in the SF3-1 category. There are two unusual things here — both of which deal with insides. The combination 234 has an inside and is worth exactly the same as 235 and 245. Although 234 may look like it has no insides, the only straight flushes it can be part of are A2345 and 23456 – which are exactly the same two straight flushes which are possibilities for 235 and 245.

All six of the ace-low combinations listed have exactly the same value. Even though A23 has one gap and A45 has two gaps, the only straight flush either one may be part of is A2345. Sometimes players can understand that these combinations have equal value when they see a strategy listing something like SF3: A-low. But sometimes they need to be told explicitly,

It is my belief that understanding the previous two paragraphs, and applying the concepts to strategies, is a major difference between beginners and intermediate players.

The final SF3 category is SF3-2. These all have no high cards and two gaps. Sometimes they are the lowest valued category of cards worth holding. But in most games, you are better off holding them than throwing all of the cards away.

So far, we have just defined things. Next week I will show how these are used in strategies and show how they differ between games.

I recently received an offer from Southwest via my Chase Rapid Rewards Priority Visa Card. I received two coupon codes which are good for 20% off the points needed for a flight, round trip or one way. The big catch is that you must travel within 14 days of booking the flight.

Anyone who flies Southwest even a little bit knows that SWA fares tend to increase as you get closer to the departure date. And they increase a LOT within a month of departure. So, this is one of those offers that sounds good but isn’t typically all that usable.

I booked a one way flight from Reno to Detroit on 7/24 for 33,879 RR miles. I checked the last week of June, and the flight was almost 50,000 RR miles. I figured I would not be able to use this offer. But in today’s email was a SWA flight sale notice. I get these regularly. So, I checked online, and my flight had decreased by about 400 RR miles. No big deal. However, I could use my 20% off coupon and now my flight is 7023 RR miles less. Using 1.5 cents per mile, this is $105 savings.

The coupon code I used is CMD2UHFDAK. I don’t know if that code is unique to me or not.

For future flights, if I get a SWA email announcing a fare sale and that email is within 2 weeks of my flight departure, I will check to see if I can save some miles. It is good to periodically check SWA to see if your flight cost has decreased but I typically do this at least one month out. Now, with this coupon offer, checking within 2 weeks could be a money saver, especially if SWA is having a fare sale (a pretty frequent occurrence).

I didn’t see a straightforward way to modify my flight to now include the coupon code. I ended up purchasing the new flight and then cancelling the old flight. A call to SWA may have allowed me to do the flight modification but hold times on SWA have been very long so I just decided to do it online.

One quirk about SWA is you can’t easily book a round trip, multi city flight online easily. You can book a one way flight with a stop in between but I haven’t found a way to make it work for a roundtrip ticket. We are going on a cruise out of Los Angeles in October. Our flight plan is DTW to LAX, then take the cruise, then LAX to LV for 2 days then finally to DTW. With the 5 day gap in the middle, plus the extra stop, I didn’t see a way to do this online. I am going to call SWA and see if it can be done. I’ll report out when I find more information.

As always, if you are interested in sharing a credit card referral, you can email me at [email protected]

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling under Mental Health, Online Gambling, Problem Gambling Awareness