Proper strategy says that you should hold four cards of an Inside Straight Flush rather than hold just three cards of a royal flush. But when I told a friend of mine about this play is vehemently disagreed with holding the four cards of the Inside Straight Flush.
His argument had several points, which I will try to remember here:
1. It isn't very often you get 3 cards to a royal.
2. With three cards to a royal you still have plenty of chances for a high pair to get your money back, or to get a straight or a flush or two pair or even 3 of a kind.
3. But with four cards to an inside straight flush in a hand with three cards to a royal, too much is riding on just one single card and do you want so much riding on one single card and let a chance for a royal pass you by?
The photo of the hand in question is below: four cards to an inside straight flush with three royal cards. What would you do, and why?