[Buzz]

Hi Mark - Nice post.

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I would keep QA;

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I'd keep A2.

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TPTK is still enough to win many hands

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True, but you can't ever feel good about TPTK in crazy pineapple.

Why not?

Because flopping two pair is common and flopping a set is not rare. And you also could be up against an over-pair of aces or kings. A lot of stuff that's commonly out there is better than TPTK.

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But the big advantage of keeping QA is that you can back into a low

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Keeping AQ and discarding the deuce, you'll back into a low 220/1035, or about one time out of five. Trouble is, it's a non-nut low and easily tied by an opponent who also has an ace, so that you shouldn't expect to win with it even the one time out of five you make it.

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Keeping A2 ..... you are really only playing for half the pot, and the low might not come in, or a two or ace might counterfeit your low. One of your opponents could have a holding like 35; if an ace or a two lands on the turn you are potentially in bad shape.

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That's all true.

Keep the A2, and you'll make the nut low
without getting counterfeited about 504/1035 or about half the time. With the nut low, you can drive the betting and might end up scooping with everybody getting out of your way.

And there's a remote chance your ace will hold up for high or a pair of aces will win for high if your ace gets counterfeited. (Pretty far fetched, I'll agree, but perhaps no more so than the bare ace winning for low).

You do get counterfeited a lot in C.P.-8 - a lot more than in Omaha-8, where you like to have and often can have a back-up for your nut low draw. But even so, I think the nut low draw is a better choice than TPTK. (I'd keep a set, or top two pair and dump the nut low draw, but TPTK simply doesn't have enough oomph).

I agree that Gerrod's tongue in cheek r.g.p. post is an excellent reference!

Just my opinion.

Buzz