PLEASE NOTE: THE POLL HAS BEEN CHANGED AND NO LONGER REFLECTS THE ORIGINAL QUESTION BELOW. THE POLL NOW REFLECTS AN ACTUAL PAY TABLE FOR A JACKS OR BETTER VIDEO POKER GAME. IT WAS QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THAT THE ORIGINAL POLL AND MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS NOT REALISTIC, SO THE POLL WAS CHANGED TO USE A REALISTIC VIDEO POKER PAY FOR A DEALT FLUSH.
Here's a hypothetical question and please explain your answer. Please note the specifics of the question too, because they might affect your response. And if some specific does affect your response, please explain. This is not a question about "correct poker strategy" because every video poker book and software program will tell you what the "correct strategy" is. This is a question about your own personal situation.
The situation:
You are a low limit video poker player and you have a low, fixed budget for every trip. Never before in your life have you wagered more than $200 per trip to a casino, and never before have you ever played any video poker game higher than a 25-cent denomination.
But you just won a players' club drawing at the casino. And the "prize" is a free play of five coins on a $100 video poker game of your choice.
The rules of the free play prize:
1. You are given a $500 ticket to play one hand. You must play the hand for the full value of the ticket.
2. After the one hand is played you can either keep the win, if you won, or if you won, on the initial play you can keep playing as long as you like or cash out whenever you like.
The play: You choose 9/6 Jacks or Better because it is the game you have always played. You press "deal" and you are dealt a flush with four to the royal. The dealt flush is 6c 10c Jc Qc Kc.
Your choices:
A. Hold the dealt flush and keep the $15,000 cash prize.
B. Follow correct strategy, dump the 6 of clubs and try for the royal which is worth $400,000.
What do you do? Please explain.