To use the strategy look up all viable ways to play an initial hand on the following list and elect that which is highest on the list. A "high card" means a jack or higher.

1. Full house or better
2. 4 to a royal flush
3. Straight, three of a kind, or flush
4. 4 to a straight flush
5. Two pair
6. High pair
7. 3 to a royal flush
8. 4 to a flush
9. Low pair
10. 4 to an outside straight
11. 2 suited high cards
12. 3 to a straight flush
13. 2 unsuited high cards (if more than 2 pick then pick lowest 2)
14. Suited 10/J, 10/Q, or 10/K
15. One high card
16. Discard everything

Terms:

High card: A jack, queen, king, or ace. These cards are retained more often because if paired up they return the original bet.

Outside straight: An open ended straight that can be completed at either end, such as the cards 7,8,9,10.

Inside straight: A straight with a missing inside card, such as the cards 6,7,9,10. In addition A,2,3,4 and J,Q,K,A also count as inside straights because they are at an extreme end.

Example: Suppose you have the following hand.

The top three plays are (1) keep the low pair, (2) keep the 4 to a flush, and (3) keep the 2 suited high cards. The 4 to a flush is listed highest and is thus the best play, so discard the 3 of hearts.

The next table is a frequency distribution of the error, or difference in expected return, between the simple strategy and the optimal strategy.