Should you break a flush to draw to a royal?
Dealt 10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ 3♠ in 9/6 Jacks or Better. Here is the correct play and exactly what the alternative costs.
Short answer
Hold four to the royal. four to the royal 19.55 vs the made flush 6.00. The other play costs 13.55 credits per coin in expected value. Small per hand, real over thousands of hands.
Four to a royal beats almost everything, even a paid flush. Break it.
Related decisions
Four to a straight flush or a high pair?Four to a flush or a low pair?Break a made straight to draw to a royal?
Common questions
Should you break a flush to draw to a royal?
Hold four to the royal, worth 19.55 per coin versus 6.00 for the alternative. Four to a royal beats almost everything, even a paid flush. Break it.
Is this the same on every machine?
These figures are 9/6 Jacks or Better. The order holds across most Jacks or Better tables; bonus and Deuces Wild games can change close calls. Match your machine on the strategy pages.