Originally Posted by accountinquestion View Post
The higher variance play is keeping the kicker. The "special play" (aka special education) is just lower variance and expectation.

Less gamble , less likely to hit a big hand, lose more money.

What sort of idiocy is this shit?
You sound like kew: "I don't understand it, so I'll make believe I know all about it".

It's already known there's an EV give-up when the kicker gets tossed for twice the possibility of hitting four A's....and, as in Jason's example, there's still an opportunity for the bigger winner (as well as a better chance at the FH).

You claim "you lose more money". Well, how much money do you think Jason "lost" on this day? And do you think he'll ever see that deal enough times over his lifetime for him to be a loser by making this play? Certainly, he could hit it under the same circumstances again...and again also. His reason for doing it is because he likes to, and he's ahead because of it. Not much to criticize, is there.

In SPS, the same play is ALWAYS made (I've hit it once on a $10 machine at the Venetian in the 4 years I made it) not because I like the play--but because it gives me a better chance of hitting a cash-out goal as well as being able to go down in denomination--which is the overriding goal on every hand played.

Short term strategy. The hand is not being played a thousand or more times. Not today.