Dear Mark: Several weeks ago I wrote to you to inquire about blackjack's Royal Match bet and got your definitive answer that I've summarized here in two words: bad bet. Like most people who ask for advice, I didn't act on your info figuring I'd just make the bet on the deal to limit the loss.

HA!

Yesterday, I sat at a blackjack table at a local casino (Western Village for you as a former Renoite). In those four hours I never received the first two dealt cards in suite while the bet was out. Royal Match: I'm outta there.

It's OK to hold me up to public ridicule if you want to use this to reinforce your point to your readers. But please: Just don't use my name- I'm already suffering enough. Anonymous

Fortunate that you're rich enough. What I said was: "The Royal Match wager, a side bet in blackjack that is based on the first two cards dealt to the player is a bad deal, being over this columnist's mandated two percent tops casino advantage. By ignoring the Royal Match offering, you keep more of your hard-earned money in your wallet for a longer time."

What you read was only your favorite words; like: Blah, blah, blah ROYAL MATCH blah, blah, blah, blah, blah SIDE BET, blah, blah, DEAL, blah, blah, blah, blah, advantage.

By the way, Willoughby, oops, I wasn't supposed to mention your name, but next time keep a little something extra for the Western Village's Steakhouse, as it's one of my Top 10 picks as a best-kept secret in the Reno/Tahoe/Sparks area. Dear Mark: I am a novice Video Poker player so here's my question. Playing 5-card draw with jacks or better, I draw a pair of 5s, a king, a 7 and a 2. Do I just keep the pair of fives, or do I keep the fives and the king?

Jerry S.

A good decision on a live poker game can be a bad one at Jacks-orbetter video poker. For instance, a kicker, a high card with a pair, can be at times advantageous to hold at your kitchen table, but should always be discarded on a video poker machine. Holding a kicker, to any pair, Jerry, reduces your return by 5%.

I did write in a column years ago that there was one scenario where you did want to hold a kicker. There used to be a time when the machine didn't lock up as a winner when four cards had the same face value. For instance, you initially draw a 6-6-6-6- Jack. My advice back then was to hold all five cards so that you wouldn't accidentally discard one of your four-of-a-kinds. Today, most machines won't allow you the opportunity to do something so… dummy me.

Got a question about gambling? Write to: Deal Me In, P.O. Box 1234, Traverse City, Michigan 49685 -email: pilarski@markpilarski.com • To order Mark Pilarski's "Hooked on Winning" audio cassettes-laminated win cards package ($12.95 plus $2 S&H) call 1-800-WINNERS.