Originally Posted by
Alan Mendelson
Our fellow forum member slingshot mused about the rare hand when you are dealt nothing but an unsuited 10 and holding it:
Such a hand might be something like this:
2c 5s 10d 8h 6s
Several times over the years I have heard about players who held a TEN in a dealt hand such as the one above and did in fact hit a royal. Their reasoning: there was nothing worth holding but only the 10 is part of a royal. My sister-in-law held an unsuited 10 with four other low cards playing Double Double Bonus and drew a royal. It also happened to my ex-wife.
I don't know of any strategy guide which suggests this play. Have you ever heard of this as an actual strategy in any game? (Of course in deuces wild you would hold the 2 in the above hand and discard the 10.) Would you hold the 10 if you were playing any other game?
I know that if I were playing Aces and Faces I definitely would NOT hold the 10.