A couple of LV casinos offer 9-6 Bdlx. as one of their better paying games. Until recently, I had not devoted much time to this game, as there didn't seem to be the right mix of total return benefits at the places that I know that had the game. That may be changing, wont be sure until I get the mailers. I got to thinking that some of you may also have limited experience with the game, so I requested that the administrator post the file that I made for my wife to learn the game into the files section at vpFREE ( By now we all now my talent for pasting text into a post seems to suck ). I see from a post today that it is now there for anyone who wants to download it. Whenever I do one of these, I try to use a game that she is already familiar with, and just show how she would change what she has previously learned for the game that she knows in order to play the new game. I did the same thing when she learned some of the deuces variants like NSUD, APDW, DBDW, and IL. Deuces progressives, by just making charts showing how each of these games differed from FPDW. We both seem to agree that this method is easier for her learning curve than just trying to memorize a whole new game. Most of the changes in Bdlx. are small and a lot of them have to do with penalty cards. We also have to remember to play four card inside straights, except those with one high card. In regular BP, the game that I am comparing the Bdlx. to, we can play these with three or four high cards only. On to my subject line of why the Ace is poor and pitiful. All of the other pay card honors in this game get a promotion, kind of like the politically correct equal pay for equal work movement. Since now all quads pay an equal 400 coins, the Ace has lost his superior status that we are all familiar with when we play bonus type games. He is now just one of the royal crowd when he gathers with his triplet clones for a payoff. I can understand it if he feels like the Rodney Dangerfield of the pay honors crowd. Keep in mind that in most games, including this one, the ace is the only pay card that catches flack in the form of straight and straight flush interference from both ends of the deck. The jack, queen, and king triumvirate doesn't have to face this treatment, They never have to worry about any guff from those little bicycle rogues. But, now that the former ruler of the royal crowd is just one of the gang, an irritating situation occurs in hands where he is fighting some of the bicycle thugs and the jack decides to butt in. I decided to make this post and I don't recall reading anything about this little quirk or any of the minute differences between these two games. Recently Bob Dancer wrote an entertaining article comparing Bdlx. to 9-6 JOB, which it has a little bit more in common with than BP. He did omit one of the differences that I will point out which is the choice of suited JQ or the 4-card inside straight with four high cards (AK (QJ) ). In the JOB game you can play the suited JQ as long as you don't have the 9 straight penalty, and in Bdlx., you will always play the AKQJ, whether you have the 9 or not. I guess I must be unintentionally trying to emulate Bob, as I left out a similar comparison in my file that is posted in the files section. When you are faced with AKQJ all unsuited and the 3 STFL's, 2 gap 2 HI, here is the line that I should have put in:
IN Bdlx. (8JQ), (9JK), (9QK), > AKQJ--INBP, ONLY (8JQ) IS > AKQJ.
If you would like the rest of the story of the A J saga, you will have to view the file online or download it. A lot of this is going to be more of a minor irritant instead of a profit worry. I will say that there are cases when dealt a J A unsuited, there are plenty of times where you will hold the J only. The difference between holds is puny, but the problem is that you would be surprised by the number of times you are dealt the hand during a session of play. I have this mechanical clicker counter from back in the 70's when I was still mentally ok, before the invasion of the microchip, that you could use to total your grocery bill while you shopped. Don't know where the hell we got it, but it has a side for dollars and one for cents. I used the clicker in a few sessions and just clicked on one side when I was dealt the hand and the other side when I had to play the jack only. My highest count in a session of 2,684 hands, the JA with no other choice was dealt 56 times, and J as the correct hold happened 21 times. If you are proficient at BP and JOB, with the chart and your software you should be able to ace this game with a half hours practice. I still feel bad for the ace here in Bdlx. as he has lost his superior status, is still the only pay honor that has to catch guff from both ends of the deck, and he still don't get to wear no hat. It just ain't right.
Nudge
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