Video poker quiz: Low pair or three-card open straight flush

22 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:

- 3 of diamonds (3d)
- 3 of spades (3s)
- Jack of hearts (Jh)
- 10 of hearts (Th)
- 9 of hearts (9h)

The only two obvious holds for the hand (3d, 3s, Jh, Th, 9h) are:

- Low pair (3d, 3s)
- Three-card open straight flush (Jh, Th, 9h)

Which hold would you choose?

The returns for these two holds for the hand (3d, 3s, Jh, Th, 9h) are:

- The low pair (3d, 3s) – returns 4.1184 credits for five credits played on average.
- The three-card open straight flush (Jh, Th, 9h) – returns 3.6772 credits on average.

There is quite a difference between the two holds. The low pair returns about a half a credit more than the three-card open straight flush.

Holding the low pair of 3’s 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:

- 3 of diamonds (3d)
- 3 of spades (3s)
- Jack of hearts (Jh)
- 10 of hearts (Th)
- Queen of hearts (Qh)

This hand has the queen of hearts (so you are “playing with the queen of hearts” ?? Sorry – dating myself and a Juice Newton fan) rather than the 9 of hearts.

Again, the only two obvious holds for this hand (3d, 3s, Jh, Th, Qh) are:

- Low pair (3d, 3s)
- Three-card open straight flush (Jh, Th, Qh). The queen of diamonds replacing the 9 of diamonds changes this hold to three cards of a royal flush as well as three cards of an open straight flush.

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

- The returns for these two holds for the hand (3d, 3s, Jh, Th, Qh) are:
- The low pair (3d, 3s) – returns the same 4.1184 credits for five credits played on average as in the first hand.
- The three-card open straight flush becomes three cards of a royal flush (Jh, Th, Qh) – which returns 7.6457 credits on average.

As is painfully obvious, holding for the royal flush is the only way to go for this hand. It returns 3.5 credits more on average. 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