NationStates Jolt Archive

Here's the deal:

This is a variant of poker.

I spread a complete deck of 52 cards face up on a table.

You choose any five cards.

I choose any five cards.

You may put back 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cards and replace them.

I may put back 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and replace.

If your hand is higher than mine, you win

If my hand is higher than yours or if we tie, I win.

All suits are equal in rank (ie, a royal flush of hearts is equivalent to a royal flush of clubs)

Would you play?

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Assuming you decide to play, I can't figure out how to win if you're the first person to choose his/her set of cards. But according to the person who first presented me with this problem, there is one solution that ensures you will win every time...does anyone have any ideas?

cheat?

Would taking all four Aces, King high work? That would keep any royal flushes from being possible, and would be the highest 4-of-a-kind possible. Too lazy to look up the exact poker rules, but I think 4-of-a-kind beats a strait flush, just not a royal flush.

Would taking all four Aces, King high work? That would keep any royal flushes from being possible, and would be the highest 4-of-a-kind possible. Too lazy to look up the exact poker rules, but I think 4-of-a-kind beats a strait flush, just not a royal flush.No, a striaght flush beats 4-of-a-kind.

straight flush (of any kind) beats a four of a kind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rank_of_hands_%28poker%29

there's nothing special (rules-wise, at least) about the royal flush, it's just the highest straight flush you can get.

as to the riddle, i'm stumped, too.

Er...

Clearly this is wrong as it is obvious, but...

Royal Flush?

Er...

Clearly this is wrong as it is obvious, but...

Royal Flush?

you grab one royal flush, and they grab another royal flush of another suit, tying the game. which (according to the OP), means a loss for you.

There is no way to win the game if that's the order in which the cards are taken and placed back. After the 1st player replaces his cards, there are an 47 cards remaining. The 2nd player can, at the very least, construct a straight flush. That means that to win, you need to have a royal flush. However, if you have the royal flush, the second player can also create one in a different suit. There is no way to win.

Here's the deal:

This is a variant of poker.

I spread a complete deck of 52 cards face up on a table.

You choose any five cards.

I choose any five cards.

You may put back 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cards and replace them.

I may put back 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 and replace.

If your hand is higher than mine, you win

If my hand is higher than yours or if we tie, I win.

All suits are equal in rank (ie, a royal flush of hearts is equivalent to a royal flush of clubs)

Would you play?

-------------
Assuming you decide to play, I can't figure out how to win if you're the first person to choose his/her set of cards. But according to the person who first presented me with this problem, there is one solution that ensures you will win every time...does anyone have any ideas?


If the cards cannot be reused I would pick the four aces and a king.

That way only I could get a royal flush on the second draw.

Convince the other person to play deuces wild. Grab 4 aces and a two. Best hand possible.

If the cards cannot be reused I would pick the four aces and a king.

That way only I could get a royal flush on the second draw.

But he can get a royal flush also. If you don't replace any cards, he can get a straight flush, beating your four-of-a-kind. If you replace your cards for a royal flush, your opponent can also obtain one.

No. We would tie everytime.

Do the cards you replace go back into the deck? If not, the first player selects four 10s and another card of his choice. This keeps the royal flush open to him, but not to his opponent. It also gives him two directions to go with his straight flush. If his opponent blocks off the royal flush with, say, four jacks he can use any one of his 10's to create a straight flush (10-9-8-7-6). Of course if his opponent picks cards lower than 10, the first player will simply pick up a royal flush.

If the cards do go back in the deck, it is impossible for the first player to win because no matter what five cards he picks, his opponent will always be able to pick a royal flush unless he first player picks four aces, in which case any straight flush will beat him. Putting the cards back in the deck also makes picking the second time redundant.

Even if the cards are not returned to the deck, the A-A-A-A-K still doesn't guarantee victory.

You draw A-A-A-A-K

I draw K-Q-Q-Q-Q

The best hand you can now assemble is a Jack high straight flush, and I can match it.

Kundiawa's suggestion, though...

You draw 10-10-10-10-2

If I block the royal flush by selecting 4 aces, kings, queens or jacks, you can build a 10-high straight flush and defeat me. If I block the lower straight flush then the royal flush is available to you and you alone.

Kundiawa's solution works.

Kundiawa's suggestion, though...

You draw 10-10-10-10-2

If I block the royal flush by selecting 4 aces, kings, queens or jacks, you can build a 10-high straight flush and defeat me. If I block the lower straight flush then the royal flush is available to you and you alone.

Kundiawa's solution works.

Nope, it doesn't work.

P1: 10, 10, 10, 10, 2
P2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (or anything else, for that matter)

Now P1 must make a decision. If he does nothing and trades in no cards, he'll be beaten by 4 aces (among many other possible winning hands). If he goes for the royal flush, it can be matched. If he goes for any kind of straight flush whatsoever, it can be matched. If he goes for 4-of-a-kind, it can easily be beaten by a straight flush. There is no way to win.

My way wins.

Begoner21;11685797']But he can get a royal flush also. If you don't replace any cards, he can get a straight flush, beating your four-of-a-kind. If you replace your cards for a royal flush, your opponent can also obtain one.

If you look carefully where you quoted me you will see that I said "If the cards cannot be reused"

Do the cards you replace go back into the deck? If not, the first player selects four 10s and another card of his choice. This keeps the royal flush open to him, but not to his opponent. It also gives him two directions to go with his straight flush. If his opponent blocks off the royal flush with, say, four jacks he can use any one of his 10's to create a straight flush (10-9-8-7-6). Of course if his opponent picks cards lower than 10, the first player will simply pick up a royal flush.

If the cards do go back in the deck, it is impossible for the first player to win because no matter what five cards he picks, his opponent will always be able to pick a royal flush unless he first player picks four aces, in which case any straight flush will beat him. Putting the cards back in the deck also makes picking the second time redundant.

You are right, I lost my mind with the aces thing, but I was on the right track

Begoner21;11686098']Nope, it doesn't work.

P1: 10, 10, 10, 10, 2
P2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (or anything else, for that matter)

Now P1 must make a decision. If he does nothing and trades in no cards, he'll be beaten by 4 aces (among many other possible winning hands). If he goes for the royal flush, it can be matched. If he goes for any kind of straight flush whatsoever, it can be matched. If he goes for 4-of-a-kind, it can easily be beaten by a straight flush. There is no way to win.
All of these solutions assume that the discarded cards are not reused. If they are reused there is obviously no solution.

But with discards unavailable, the 10-10-10-10-2 plan does work.

If you look carefully where you quoted me you will see that I said "If the cards cannot be reused"

Sorry, my bad. I didn't realize that four cards could be replaced and not all 5 had to be replaced.

I think it's just a riddle, no answer that can be reached through conventional logic, hence "cheat"

I'm surprised no one has seen the answer to this one yet, so here:
1) Draw any five cards
2) Stab the other player in the face before he can grab a hand of any sort
3) Repeat Step 2 until the other player quits moving
4) Declare yourself the victor, after all, anything beats not having a hand at all
5) Nominate Fiddlebottoms for NSG Pope, because he has no shame and will plug himself any chance he gets until he wins.