[Al Mirpuri]

Dear Domit,

Forget the math.

It is very simple.

Keeping a kicker harms your chances of making quads, a boat, trips and any other two pair than the one you are going for.

The improvement to the two pair that you are going for is enough to make it worth your while to draw to it if that two pair will win post draw.

Keeping a kicker is pointless if your pair is higher than your opponents.

You should not be playing pairs smaller than your opponent's pairs. At Jacks or better, you should not be playing less than Aces up front but loosening to Jacks at the back. You should never be playing short pairs (shorts - pairs lower than Jacks against an opener who must by definition have at least Jacks.). You never play shorts in Jacks or better whether you are heads up or multiway.

If you do not raise and keep a kicker then everyone knows that you have a pair with a kicker. You are bluffable.

If you raise and keep a kicker then everyone knows that you have a pair with a kicker. Why? Well, when a player has trips he draws two multiway but disguises them by drawing one when heads up or short-handed.

Raising and keeping a kicker with a short pair may be effective as an occasional bluff but do it too often and it will cost you money. However, it will allow you to draw two cards to your trips when heads up or short-handed.

Do not play short pairs (any pair lower than Aces-Jacks -accounting for position) in any form of draw poker.

Purchase a copy of Winning Concepts in Draw and Lowball by Mason Malmuth. I own one. Incredible book. It might be my favorite book by Mason Malmuth.