Joker plus two suited cards, or the joker plus an ace?
Keep the two suited close cards. On 20/7/5 Joker Wild W + 8♠ 9♠ is worth 1.8883 per coin vs 1.7148 for W + the ace — the draw beats the guaranteed pair.
The exact numbers — Joker 8♠ 9♠ A♥ 3♣
EVs are exact — every possible draw enumerated, not simulated — at max bet on 20/7/5 Joker Wild. Check it yourself: the analyzer runs the same solver in your browser.
See all 32 holds of this hand ranked →Why
W + A is already a made hand: the joker plays as a second ace, so a paying pair is locked in before the draw. Two suited connectors guarantee nothing at all — and still win. The joker fills one slot of a straight flush, so 8♠ 9♠ sits inside four different straights (5-6-7-8-9 through 8-9-10-J-Q) and only has to find spades with the two draws: 50 for the straight flush, 5 for the flush, 3 for the straight. On top of that the joker pairs with anything you draw, which is three of a kind for 2. The lesson is the one Kings or Better keeps teaching: a guaranteed 1 coin is a low floor to defend.
Chart line #11 of 35 — 'W + 2 suited CLOSE cards — touching (4-5 up to 9-10) or one gap (4-6 up to 8-10), plus A-2 to A-5 and K-9' — sits directly above line #12, 'W + an Ace or a King'. See the full solver-optimized strategy chart, or drill hands with exact-EV feedback until plays like this are automatic.