5-Card Draw Question

I've been playing a few 5-Card Draw MTTs on PokerStars recently, and I like the game. It's a pretty easy game to pick up. There isn't a whole lot of aspects to it, especially in limit.

I do have one question regarding the game though. I'm not sure who plays it that much and knows much about it, but what I want to know, is is it better to draw 2 or 3 cards when you are dealt a pair?

I'll give a quick example situation to illustrate my question better.
You are dealt
Would it be better to keep the and draw two cards, or just the two 10s and draw three? Obviously, the two different draws depend on what you want to get. If you want/need to get a set, you should draw three and ditch the ace. If you want to get two pair, it seems like it would be better to keep the ace. In a game, you will be able to access what you need compared to your reads on your opponents hands.

But my question just deals with the best chance of improving your hand, disregarding any information about opponents.

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I too have been playing this lately. I have found that it is a coin flip most of the time when it comes to how many to draw when you have a pair in hand. Myself I tend to just keep the pair and draw three cards, as this gives you the extra chance to grab another card that may be a match for your pair.

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The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what they are capable of receiving

Don't think you can make me look like a fool because I have that part under control.

You have a bigger chance of catching 2 pair and a set when drawing three (28.71% to improve). Also the more players in a hand the less likely you are to catch another ace, so It's a bad card to keep for drawing-pair value.

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I don't play 5-card draw much but it seems to me that you could pick any of the other 3 to save for the 2nd pair. The only benefit to the ace would be a kicker if somebody else had TT. The chance of that is obviously slim so why not take all 3 and give yourself a better chance at the set and you're chances to hit 2 pair wouldn't change.

Does that logic make sense?

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That's not the reason for keeping the ace. The reason to keep the ace is for pairing up the ace so that you might get two pairs, aces and tens. That way, you are almost assured of beating any other two pairs. If you keep the two and pair that, your two pair, tens and dueces, is beaten much easier by another two pair.

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