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Folding on all pairs under 5. Since the call bet is twice
the amount of the ante, some players refuse to play low pairs. Too
risky, they say. Statistically, however, 44% of all hands will not
even contain a qualifying set; no pair, no ace-king, nothing. Another
6.08% of the time, the dealer will be holding an ace-king-x-x-x,
(where x represents unpaired, non-suited, non-sequential cards.).
The result: even the weakest pair will beat the dealer 50.08% of
the time.
Calling on an ace-king, but folding on a pair of twos. This
method of playing is based on the misguided notion that if they
player doesn't have a pair, then neither does the dealer. Flat out,
it's a bad move. As I've already shown a pair of twos will beat
the dealer 50.08% of the time, while ace-king hands will fall within
the range of 44% to 50.08%, depending on the strength of the remaining
cards in the hand.
Playing Ace-Queen-X-X-X hands. Inexperienced players call
on this hand because under the right circumstances it can look powerful.
For example, the hand A-Q-J-10-9, (unsuited) looks strong, but is
in reality worthless. Since the only way this hand can win is for
the dealer to have nothing, there is no good reason why this play
should ever be made.
Betting all hands. Some players routinely "bluff"
the dealer, regardless of the strength of their hand. Since the
dealer will have a qualifying hand 56% of the time, even a large
bankroll cannot withstand the constant draw.
Now that you know what not to do, it's time to see exactly what
you must do to get the edge down to the lowest amount. The following
table lists the rules for making the call bet.
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