Straight penalties are probably the easiest penalty cards to understand. While there are numerous kinds of straight penalties, today’s column will differentiate between one-way and two-way straight penalties.

The definition of a straight penalty, also called straight interference, is a card in the original five cards that reduces the chances for one of the combinations in the hand becoming a straight.

Although the main part of the discussion will be about Bonus Poker, once we see how it works, after we see how it works I’ll provide an example from Double Bonus.

Let’s take a simple example of one-way straight interference from 8-5 Bonus. All dollars and cents figures assume you are playing a $1 game, five coins at a time.

Let’s compare (a) Ah Ks 5d 4d 2d with (b) Ah Ks 6d 5d 3d. In both cases the plays to consider are the two high cards (worth $2.403 in both cases) with the diamonds, which are 3-card inside straights with zero high cards and one inside. In case (a) the diamonds are worth $2.396, which make them less valuable than holding the two high cards. In case (b) the diamonds are worth $2.470, which make them quite a bit better than holding the high cards.

The reason for the difference in the value of the diamonds was that the ace in example (a) is a straight penalty. It is harder to get the A2345 straight when you only have three aces still in the deck rather than four. In this case the straight penalty is worth 7.4¢.

This straight interference doesn’t affect the ‘653’ straight flush draw in (b). The only straights we can get from that starting position are 65432 and 76543. Neither of these straights utilize an ace or king so those cards provide no straight interference.

The only straight containing an ace and king is AKQJT, and neither the ‘653’ nor the ‘542’ straight flush draws have any cards in this range. This makes it “one-way” straight interference.

Now let’s look at the hands (c) Ah Qs Td 8d 7d versus (d) Ah Js Td 8d 7d.
Not surprising, given the above examples, is the ‘T87’ in (c) is worth $2.470 and in (d) it is worth $2.396. We already understand that this is the value of a SF3 0h1i combination in this game without straight interference and with straight interference.

AQ in example (c) and AJ in example (d) are each worth $2.383. The reason for the lower value in these hands than in (a) and (b) is that the ‘T87’ combination includes a straight penalty to both AQ and AJ. It is harder to get the AKQJT straight when one of the tens is out of the deck and hence not available. The value of the straight penalty in this case is 2.0¢.

Example (d) is a case of two-way straight interference. The ten hurts the value of AJ and the J hurts the value of ‘T97’.

Now we see how the concept works, let’s look at examples from 10-7 Double Bonus:

	(e)	Kh Qh 5c 6c 8c
	(f)	Kh Qh 7c 8c Tc
	(g)	Kh Jh 7c 8c Tc

Our choices in all three cases are the hearts or the clubs. In the absence of interference, ‘KQ’ and ‘KJ’ are worth the same. Similarly, in the absence of interference, ‘568’ and ‘78T’ are both SF3 0h1i and are worth the same.

In (e) there is no interference at all. ‘KQ’ is worth $2.922 and ‘568’ is worth $2.882. In both (f) and (g) ‘KQ’ and ‘KJ’ have straight interference (the ten) and are worth $2.873. In (f) ‘78T’ has no interference so must be worth $2.882 --- which is more than ‘KQ’ in the same hand. In (g) the jack provides interference to ‘78T’, reducing the value of the clubs to $2.789, which is worth less than ‘KJ’.

So (e) provides no straight penalties at all, (f) shows one-way straight interference, and (g) demonstrates two-way interference. You should now be able to clearly see how the different types of straight penalties affect the play.

Today’s discussion isn’t meant to be comprehensive, but it does demonstrate one-way and two-way straight interference in two common games. That way if you see a situation on “Video Poker for Winners” or other software that looks unusual, now you have one more “explanation” in your arsenal that might explain it.

Bob Dancer is America's best-known video poker writer and teacher. He has a variety of "how to play better video poker" products, including the software "Video Poker for Winners," Winner's Guides, strategy cards, his autobiography Million Dollar Video Poker, and his two novels, including Sex, Lies, and Video Poker. Dancer's products may be ordered at www.bobdancer.com or by telephone at 1-800-244-2224 M-F 9-5 Pacific Time.