Video poker quiz: Four-card Straight Flush or High Pair

10 March 2025

By Jerry Stickman

Today’s article is a quiz on proper video poker strategy. The game is full-pay (9/6) jacks or better. The bet is the maximum five credits so that the royal flush pays 800-for-1 rather than 250-for-1.

See if you can play the two hands properly.

Today’s first hand contains:
- 10 of diamonds (Td)
- Queen of diamonds (Qd)
- 8 of diamonds (8d)
- Jack of diamonds (Jd)
- Jack of clubs (Jc)

The two obvious holds for the hand (Td, Qd, 8d, Jd, Jc) are:
- High pair (Jd, Jc)
- Three cards of a royal flush (Td, Qd, Jd)
- Four-card straight flush (Td, Qd, 8d, Jd)

If you hold the high pair it is a winner as is – though it only recoups your original bet. You also have the option of several other higher-paying hands appearing with this hold. The three cards of a royal flush are not a winner by themselves, but hitting the royal dramatically alters the bankroll. The four cards of a straight flush are also not a winner – and only one card, the 9 of diamonds will fill the straight flush.

Which hold would you choose?

The returns for these two holds for the hand (Td, Qd, 8d, Jd, Jc) are:
- High pair (Jd, Jc) – returns 7.6827 credits for five credits played on average.
- Three cards of a royal flush (Td, Qd, Jd) – return 6.9010 credits on average.
- The four-card straight flush (Td, Qd, 8d, Jd) – returns 12.2340 credits on average.

Well, it is not even close. The straight flush hold returns almost twice as much as the high pair. The three cards of a royal flush return the least of the three holds.

As a side note, holding the high pair along with one of the other diamonds returns more than holding three cards of a royal flush. Each of those three holds returns 7.0814 credits on average.

Holding the four-card straight flush is the proper hold for this hand. Is this the hold you chose?

Let’s try another similar hand with one minor change.

The second hand contains:
- 10 of diamonds (Td)
- Queen of diamonds (Qd)
- 7 of diamonds (7d)
- Jack of diamonds (Jd)
- Jack of clubs (Jc)

The two obvious holds for this hand (Td, Qd, 7d, Jd, Jc) are:
- High pair (Jd, Jc)
- Three cards of a royal flush (Td, Qd, Jd)
- Four-card flush (Td, Qd, 7d, Jd)

This hand does not provide an option of producing a straight flush. A flush is the best that this hold can produce.

Which cards would you hold? Will this hand have a different best hold?

The returns for these two holds for the hand (Td, Qd, 7d, Jd, Jc) are:
- High pair (Jd, Jc) – returns 7.6827 credits for five credits played on average.
- Three cards of a royal flush – return 7.1600 credits on average.
- The four-card flush (Td, Qd, 7d, Jd) – returns 6.2766 credits on average.

As with the first hand, there are three other holds that return more than the four-card flush.
- The three holds containing the high pair along with one of the other diamonds each return 7.0814 credits on average.

In this case, holding the high pair is the proper hold. Is this the hold you chose?

How did you do? Did you play both hands correctly?

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

"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