Valero Texas Open | 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 week’s 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 is from the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, TX.
Jordan Spieth’s third round ended with an adventurous 18th hole that included his golf ball landing on the roof of a building along the 18th hole and rolling into the building’s gutter. Below is Spieth’s hole courtesy of PGA TOURCAST. His drive ended up under a tree left of the fairway. His 2nd shot landed by a storm drain. From that spot, Spieth attempted to go over the buildings with his 3rd shot but came up short…landing on the rooftop and rolling into the gutter. From a drop, Spieth ran his ball up onto the green. He tapped in for double bogey after missing his bogey putt.
Card Golf Tour Example
In Card Golf Tour, an important strategy is to manage your hand so that you are not left with too many cards at the end of a hole. A hole ends when a competitor has turned over all of their cards in their hand. If you have to turn over two or three cards in your hand after a competitor has completed their hole, the risk of bogey or worse is increased because those cards could end up being high point value cards such as wedges. Managing your hand during the hole to not leave yourself with too many cards face down towards end of the hole is particularly important on par 5s in Card Golf Tour with 8 cards in your hand. The 18th hole at TPC San Antonio Oaks Course is a par 5. Spieth’s 18th hold adventures could have played out as follows in Card Golf Tour.
Spieth’s drive found trouble left of the fairway, as though the cards he flipped over to start his Card Golf Tour hole were two high point value cards – an eight iron, a six iron, and a pitching wedge.
After his gutter ball and penalty drop, Spieth’s hand looked like the below…with a total of 17 points. Meanwhile, his Card Golf Tour competitor just completed their hand…leaving Spieth with three cards face down that he had to turn over.
