Quiz: Two Card Royal or Four Card Inside Straight with Three High Cards?

8 April 2023

By Jerry Stickman

This article contains a video poker strategy quiz. The game is full-pay (9/6 – 9-for-1 full house, 6-for-1 flush) jacks or better.

The quiz assumes the maximum five credits is played. The maximum bet produces the highest long-term return because the royal flush pays 800-for-1 (4,000-for-5) rather than 250-for-1 when less than the maximum is bet.

Look at the dealt hand below and decide which card or cards you would hold. Then read on to see if you are right.

These quizzes will be posted periodically and will feature hands that have holds that produce very close results.

Here is today’s dealt hand: 2c, Kd, Qd, Th, As
• 2 of clubs – (2c)
• King of diamonds – (Kd)
• Queen of diamonds – (Qd)
• 10 of hearts – (Th)
• Ace of spades – (As)

Let us look at the options for a hold. The two best choices of cards to hold are:
1. Kd, Qd – (Two-card royal flush – two high cards)
2. Kd, Qd, Th, As – (Four-card inside straight, three high cards)

Choice 1 (Kd, Qd) two suited high cards can produce a royal flush, straight flush as well as many others.

Choice 2 (Kd, Qd, Th, As) four cards of an inside straight with two high cards can produce a straight or jack or better.

Let us look at the returns from each of these holds along with an explanation of which winning hands play a part in the respective return.

1. Kd, Qd:
Long-term return – 2.9439 for five credits bet.
• 16,215 possible final hands.
• 4,914 high pairs paying 1-for-1.
• 711 two-pair hands paying 2-for-1.
• 281 three-of-a-kind hands paying 3-for-1.
• 82 straights paying 4-for-1.
• 163 flushes paying 6-for-1.
• 18 full houses paying 9-for-1.
• Two four-of-a-kind hands paying 25-for-1.
• Three straight flushes paying 50-for-1.
• One royal flush paying 800-for-1.

2. Kd, Qd, Th, As:
Long term return – 2.3728 for five credits bet.
• 47 possible final hands.
• Nine high pairs paying 1-for-1.
• Four straights paying 4-for-1.

Explanations:

Many video poker players reason that more high cards are better. That does not hold true in this case.

Hold 1 (Kd, Qd) can produce every one of the paying hands on the pay schedule – including a royal flush. About 62 percent of the possible hands pay nothing.

Hold 2 (Kd, Qd, Th, As) cannot produce any winning hand higher than a straight. Roughly 72 percent of the possible hands pay nothing. These facts combine to give this hold the lower return.

Hold 1 (Qs, Jc) is the proper hold – by a healthy margin.

Did you play this hand correctly?

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. 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