Strategy Question

[Deuces_Wild]

You're playing Jacks or Better and have a Q,5,5,9,A.

What would you hold and why?

[Thomas]

I'm usually looking to get a payoff and stay in the game, so I would probably hold the Queen and Ace. At least this way you may get to keep playing.

[Lady_Luck]

Holding the 5s gives an expected value of .8237.

Odds of a 2 pair are .3197
3 of a kind: .3430
Full house: .0916
4 of a kind: .0694

The next best strategy would be to hold the 5's and one other card.
But that doesn't give any extra options, so just holding the 5s is best on this.

Holding the Queen and Ace gives an expected payout of .4790 .

If you held the queen and ace every time you would only win back .47 of your bet in the long run. But by holding the 2 5s, you would win .82 times your bet over time.

Holding just the queen gives .4679 and only the Ace gives .4563

Noted expert Bob Dancer says to keep the 5's.