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The following table shows all 42 legal ways to arrange nine cards with different numbers so that each row and each column is in descending order. The suffix T indicates that the arrangement is the transpose of the previous. For simplicity, the table assumes that the player was dealt cards numbered 1 through 9, but the principle applies to cards bearing any distinct numbers.

An open question is the extent to which one particular arrangement might be more beneficial than another.

 #1 DEF
A987
B654
C321
 #1T DEF
A963
B852
C741
 #2 DEF
A987
B653
C421
 #2T DEF
A964
B852
C731
 #3 DEF
A987
B652
C431
 #3T DEF
A964
B853
C721
 #4 DEF
A987
B643
C521
 #4T DEF
A965
B842
C731
 #5 DEF
A987
B642
C531
 #5T DEF
A965
B843
C721
 #6 DEF
A986
B754
C321
 #6T DEF
A973
B852
C641
 #7 DEF
A986
B753
C421
 #7T DEF
A974
B852
C631
 #8 DEF
A986
B752
C431
 #8T DEF
A974
B853
C621
 #9 DEF
A986
B743
C521
 #9T DEF
A975
B842
C631
#10 DEF
A986
B742
C531
#10T DEF
A975
B843
C621
#11 DEF
A985
B764
C321
#11T DEF
A973
B862
C541
#12 DEF
A985
B763
C421
#12T DEF
A974
B862
C531
#13 DEF
A985
B762
C431
#13T DEF
A974
B863
C521
#14 DEF
A985
B743
C621
#14T DEF
A976
B842
C531
#15 DEF
A985
B742
C631
#15T DEF
A976
B843
C521
#16 DEF
A984
B763
C521
#16T DEF
A975
B862
C431
#17 DEF
A984
B762
C531
#17T DEF
A975
B863
C421
#18 DEF
A984
B753
C621
#18T DEF
A976
B852
C431
#19 DEF
A984
B752
C631
#19T DEF
A976
B853
C421
#20 DEF
A983
B762
C541
#20T DEF
A975
B864
C321
#21 DEF
A983
B752
C641
#21T DEF
A976
B854
C321