Two High Cards or Three of a Low Inside Straight Flush?

16 December 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.

Note: The statistics shown are from "Video Poker for Winners."

These quizzes will be posted periodically and will feature hands that have hold choices that produce either very close results or are played wrong due to missing the obvious.

Here is today’s dealt hand: Kc, 4s, 2s, Jh, 5s.
King of clubs – (Kc)
4 of spades – (4s)
2 of spades – (2s)
Jack of hearts – (Jh)
5 of spades – (5s)

Checking the possibilities.

The only two obvious possible holds are:
4s, 2s, 5s – (Low three-card straight flush)
Kc, Jh – (Two-card royal flush)

Choice 1 (4s, 2s, 5s) – a low three-card inside straight flush can produce two straight flushes, 43 flushes, 30 straights, nine three-of-a-kinds, 27 hands with two pairs, and 18 high pairs.

Choice 2 (Kc, Jh) – two high cards can produce two four-of-a-kinds, 18 full houses, 128 straights, 281 three-of-a-kinds, 711 hands with two pairs, and 5,022 high pairs.

Examining the returns from each hold.

Hold 1 (4s, 2s, 5s) – returns 2.6688 credits on average for the 5 credits bet.

Hold 2 (Kc, Jh) – returns 2.4702 credits on average for the 5 credits bet.

We have a winner!

For this quiz, hold 1 (4s, 2s, 5s) is the proper hold – by a decent margin. The two possible straight flushes, flushes, and other winning hands make this hold the favorite.

To the casual observer this was a fairly obvious choice. It is surprising, however, how many seasoned players can miss a low straight flush and grab the face cards.

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