Ace versus JT in 9-5 Super Double Bonus

To get the most out of the January Promotion of the Month at South Point, you need to play $8,000 in coin-in, four days a week. For every $2,000 coin-in played, you get a virtual spin. In the past, this virtual spin has averaged more than $12, which adds 0.60% to the return. Since this is normally a slot club worth 0.30%, for four days a week you get triple points for the first $8,000 coin-in. (This would be equivalent to 9x points at casinos that offer a 0.10% slot club).

Playing $8,000 coin-in a day is an impossible amount for nickel single-line players, and no-big-deal to $5 and higher players. The question is:  What games do they have that combine a decent return and enough coin-in per play that it won’t take you all day to do it?

The best games, in my opinion, are $1 or $2 NSU Deuces Wild and 25¢, 50¢, or $1 Five Play 9-5 Super Double Bonus. Since I write about NSU fairly frequently, I thought I’d cover a situation in SDB that I haven’t written about in several years, namely an ace of one suit and a JT of another. Depending on the fourth and fifth cards, sometimes you hold the A, sometimes AJ, and sometimes JT.

The factors that matter will be flush and straight penalties to the ace and/or the JT. A flush penalty is simply a card of the same suit. For the ace, the flush penalty will be in the range of 2-9. Any higher than that and we have either a pair or AK or AQ, all of which are higher in priority than either A or JT.

For the JT, the flush penalty will be in the range of 2-6. Any higher than that and you will have a 3-card straight flush or a 3-card royal flush, both of which are higher in value than either A or JT.

Straight penalties for the ace will be 2-5. These reduce the chances for the A2345 straight. For the JT, the straight penalties are 7-9. It happens that the 9 penalty is more severe than the 8, which in turn is more severe than the 7. In two cases, we need to look at the severity of straight penalty to the JT to determine the correct play. 

CASE 1 — Hold AJ if the following exists:

1.  2-6 fp to JT plus 8 or 9 fp to A

CASE 2 — Hold JT if any of the following exist:

1. fp to A without meeting the criteria for CASE 1.
2. No fp to JT 
3. 2-5 fp to JT and no 8 or 9 in hand
4. 6 fp to JT and no 7 or 8 or 9 in hand

CASE 3 — Hold A if either of the following exist:

1.   2-5 fp to JT and (8 or 9 in hand unsuited with A)
2.   6 fp to JT and (7 or 8 or 9 in hand unsuited with A)

Let’s take a quiz. For simplicity, I always make it the Ace of spades and the JT of hearts. That will make it easier to see the flush penalties for one or the other. In actual fact, the ace may be of any suit and the JT may be of any other suit:

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

Let’s now look at the answers, and why:

1. J♥ T♥ — CASE 2b
2. J♥ T♥ — CASE 2a — also covered by CASE 2b
3. A♠ — CASE 3b
4. A♠ J♥ — CASE 1a
5. J♥ T♥ — CASE 2a — also covered by CASE 2d
6. J♥ T♥ — CASE 2c

On the few hands where two separate rules cover the play, I do not believe I have any conflicts where one rule says to play it one way and another rule says to play it another way. Still, this is the first time I’ve published this list and mistakes are always possible. I am very interested in having those mistakes pointed out so they can be correct for all of us.