Number 9

This is very painful to listen to, parental discretion advised, just catch the Lennon bit, but the point remains: Why is 9 the worst starting card in hi lo or razz, or stud, or HE? Various answers get special marks. Who here would automatically discard a hand with a 9, in OHL for instance?

YouTube - The Beatles - The White Album - Revolution 9

BTW I think the whole two albums were crushed into this number.

Yes, it is painful to listen to. So I couldn't make it past 4 minutes. But anyway....

Razz - A 9 is obviously not the worst card. And if I look around the table and see high cards, I will play the 9 if in the hole plus 2 cards under 8, preferably in late position, no reraises.

Stud, Omaha hi and HE - If, as some say, 10 is the ideal drawing card, the 9 can't be far behind. Depends of course on what you have to go with it. So while they are not as good as aces, they are not as bad as 3s.

H/L8 - Omaha and stud - Here's the only area where 9s are clearly bad. But worse in Omaha than in stud. IMHO, 8s are even worse in Omaha, because they are very rarely good for the low. Both cards are weak for hi hands. Trouble is, if you have 89 or 79 or even 9T, your outs for a straight (5678) are qualifying cards for someone else's low, so split pot at best. But you make adjustments based on the strength of your hand overall - an 89TJ suited once or twice is very playable. But even suited, these cards are worrisome for a flush. Someone else will have the A3 or K2, hands with good scoop and 'either or' HL possibilities.

The difference in stud is that if you receive the aforementioned 678 to go with your 9, these are not community cards, thus not contributing to anyone elses low. In Omaha, if there's a qualifying low on the board, it's almost guaranteed someone will have one. In stud, there is more frequently NO low, partly because it will cost a lot to get it (unlike Omaha where you see 2 low cards on the flop or you don't, and go from there).