Follow Up: How I Got My Royal Flush

30 November 2024

By Jerry Stickman

Follow-up: How I Got My Royal Flush

A recent article by me caused some readers to respond.

Here is one example from Vic.

In the September 15th article in your column, John S. tells of getting a Royal after holding suited K, 10. He does not mention what game he is playing, however. Assuming it was 9/6 Jacks or Better as you did by saying that if the two suited cards were Ace / 10, then hold only the Ace.

You also stated "Any face card with a suited 10 and junk warrants holding both suited cards, not just the face card.

Not true in DB and DDB. There, too, hold just the A.

Here are the relevant sections of the article:

(From John)

“Say you were dealt:

2h, 5c, Kh, 7d, 10s. Most players would hold just the Kh and draw four. But if the 10 were the same suit as the high card, hold both and draw just three. This is just what happened to me. I drew Ah, Qh and Jh and hit a RF.”

(Relevant portions of my response)

“Face cards are powerful in a video poker hand. Suited face cards are even more powerful due to the chance of high pairs, flushes, straight flushes, and, yes, royal flushes.

There are situations, as you mention above, that even non-face cards that are suited can be powerful. In most cases it takes three suited cards to warrant holding them. They can produce flushes and straight flushes given the proper starting cards.

...

Any face card with a suited 10 and junk warrants holding both suited cards, not just the face card.”

My statement in my response is accurate. However, more background information should have been included.

In video poker, there are “high” cards as well as “face” cards. High cards are important because in most video poker games, any two high cards of the same rank (ace, king, queen, jack) in a hand are winners. Also, a single high card in a hand with nothing else should be held because one or more of the three other high cards of the same rank still in the deck would make a winning hand.

All face cards are high cards. Not all high cards are face cards, however.

The name says it all – a face card shows a “face.” It could be a king’s face, a queen’s face, or a jack’s face. The key is, a face card has a face.

Holding a suited face / 10 is a proper hold in most cases. Holding a suited ace / 10 is not in most cases.

I apologize for any confusion.

To view the complete article, go here:

How I Got My Royal (casinocitytimes.com)

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines and 888casino.com. He authored the video poker section of “Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!” You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com