----- Original Message ----- From: <Gaertk at aol.com> To: <dragaera at dragaera.info> Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2004 12:34 PM Subject: Re: Sethra Lavode Afterword Query - No Spoilers > In a message dated 4/9/2004 9:31:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, bryann at bryann.net writes: > > > I started poking around the internet (that's awfully close to a > > pun, don't you think?) to see if I remembered all this correctly > > (why I didn't do this BEFORE replying escapes me), and most of the > > pages I found do NOT require you to use the two cards in your > > hand. You can even make your hand out of the five face-up cards > > on the table. > > Okay, I can see that, but using the five cards in the middle means > that *at*best* you'll tie for best hand with everyone else (since > they can also use those same cards). Doesn't seem to add anything > to the game. > > > --KG > It means that you can have a pair of aces in your hand, one in the middle, and still lose because the dope across from you is holding the Jack of the Royal Flush that's on the table. (This isn't using all five in the middle, but you see why it makes the game interesting to not be limited to using BOTH cards in your hand.) In other cases, you end up blowing a nice pocket pair sequence and splitting a pot that you should have won because you both have the same flush or straight. So instead of taking your opponent for a ride he is saved at the last minute by a card on the river that evens out your hands, forcing you both the play the same cards. Shawn