The American Express | Nick Sahrmann
Introduction
In order to score well on the course, a golfer must understand their odds of hitting a successful shot. The same can be said at the card table. A player must be able to recognize the situation they are in, and how they can maximize each of their turns based on their odds.
You can play the odds in Card Golf Tour just like you can play the odds on the golf course. From week to week, we will share examples of pros playing the odds during the weeks professional golf tournament. Then we will review how you can play similar odds during your next round of Card Golf Tour.
Pro Example
This week’s edition of Playing The Odds highlights the hole-in-one by Joe Highsmith on the Par 3 13th hole during The American Express tournament in La Quinta, CA.
Joe overcame the odds to ace the 190 yard hole during the second round of the tournament. You can watch the moment using the link below:
https://www.pgatour.com/video/competition/6345212749112/joe-highsmith-cards-an-ace-for-the-shot-of-the-day
What does a hole-in-one look like in Card Golf Tour? Just like in golf, aces are very rare in Card Golf Tour. However, with the right combination of the two cards that have negative point values (the Putter and the Driver), they are possible. Additional assistance can come from the zero point Hybrid card and/or matching cards to zero out a column in your hand.
Card Golf Tour Example
Here’s what Highsmith’s hole-in-one could have looked like in Card Golf Tour. As a Par 3, Highsmith was dealt four cards and turned one card over for his tee shot.
1. Highsmith made solid contact and started the ball on line for the pin – as though he turned over a low-point 2 iron.
2. Highsmith’s tee shot landed on the front of the green and started rolling toward the hole – as though he added a Putter for – 5 points that his opponent placed on the discard pile.
3. After the third bounce, Highsmith’s ball starts breaking left towards the hole. On his next turn, Highsmith adds another Putter for – 5 points from the draw pile.
4. Now sitting at – 8 points, the odds are low of making it to – 10 for a hole-in-one eagle. All Putters have been played so that is not an option. A Driver would give him the -2 points needed but there is only one more in the draw pile. The third way Highsmith could get a hole-in-one is a black 2 iron as that would match his existing black 2 iron and make the total zero points for the column.
Against the odds, just like how Highsmith’s ball at The American Express found the bottom of the cup, Highsmith pulls a black 2 iron from the draw pile The left column totals to zero points and the right column totals – 10 points…for a Card Golf Tour hole-in-one. High fives for Highsmith.
