Should you draw to an inside straight in video poker?
Not on Jacks or Better with no high cards: discard all five and draw a new hand.
Average return per coin on Jacks or Better 9/6: Draw five new cards 0.3593 · Hold the inside straight draw 0.3404.
Open this hand in the analyzerJacks or Better 9/6 strategy chart
The hand
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| Play | Cards held | Return per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Draw five new cardsBest | none | 0.3593 |
| Hold the inside straight draw | 5♣ 6♦ 8♥ 9♠ | 0.3404 |
Average coins back per coin bet on a five-coin bet, where a royal pays 4,000, counting every possible draw from the 47 cards left. Above 1.0000 the hold wins money on average.
Why
An inside straight has only four outs, and with no jacks or better in it the draw pays nothing when it misses. A fresh five cards is worth slightly more. Machines where two pair pays only even money make a fresh hand worth less, and Double Bonus pays five for a straight, so the inside straight draw becomes the better play on those.
Does the paytable change the answer?
The answer changes on Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6, Double Bonus Poker 10/7, and Double Double Bonus Poker 9/6, highlighted below.
| Paytable | Draw five new cards | Hold the inside straight draw |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | 0.3593 | 0.3404 |
| Jacks or Better 8/5 | 0.3561 | 0.3404 |
| Bonus Poker 8/5 | 0.3585 | 0.3404 |
| Bonus Poker Deluxe 9/6 | 0.3249 | 0.3404 |
| Double Bonus Poker 10/7 | 0.3298 | 0.4255 |
| Double Double Bonus Poker 9/6 | 0.3258 | 0.3404 |
Average coins back per coin bet on a five-coin bet, where a royal pays 4,000, counting every possible draw from the 47 cards left. Above 1.0000 the hold wins money on average.