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Video Poker Strategy Calculator
Introduction
The following table shows the results when following perfect strategy (basic strategy and all of the exceptions):
| Perfect Strategy Analysis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand | Payoff | Combinations | Probability | Hit Frequency | Variance | Return |
| Royal Flush | 800 | 494,573,160 | 0.000025 | 40,303.91 | 15.83 | 0.019849 |
| Straight Flush | 120 | 2,349,418,716 | 0.000118 | 8,484.32 | 1.66 | 0.014144 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 800 | 1,213,460,892 | 0.000061 | 16,426.76 | 38.84 | 0.048701 |
| Four Aces with any J,Q,K | 640 | 1,273,808,592 | 0.000064 | 15,648.53 | 26.08 | 0.040898 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 320 | 2,967,122,136 | 0.000149 | 6,718.04 | 15.13 | 0.047633 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A | 320 | 4,228,877,952 | 0.000212 | 4,713.60 | 21.56 | 0.067889 |
| Four Aces | 320 | 2,239,446,348 | 0.000112 | 8,900.96 | 11.42 | 0.035951 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 160 | 7,997,838,648 | 0.000401 | 2,492.33 | 10.12 | 0.064197 |
| Four 5's through K's | 80 | 28,700,322,012 | 0.001440 | 694.53 | 8.94 | 0.115186 |
| Full House | 8 | 178,348,510,116 | 0.008947 | 111.77 | 0.41 | 0.071578 |
| Flush | 5 | 208,057,394,904 | 0.010438 | 95.81 | 0.15 | 0.052189 |
| Straight | 4 | 215,292,748,716 | 0.010801 | 92.59 | 0.08 | 0.043203 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,572,810,115,140 | 0.078904 | 12.67 | 0.26 | 0.236712 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,211,938,612,532 | 0.110967 | 9.01 | 0.00 | 0.110967 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,554,966,086,928 | 0.228511 | 4.38 | 0.01 | 0.228511 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,940,352,180,408 | 0.548850 | 1.82 | 0.79 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 151.29 | 1.197608 | |
The following table shows the results when following basic strategy only (not its exceptions):
| Basic Strategy Analysis | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand | Payoff | Combinations | Probability | Hit Frequency | Variance | Return |
| Royal Flush | 800 | 493,420,932 | 0.000025 | 40,398.02 | 15.79 | 0.019803 |
| Straight Flush | 120 | 2,374,271,340 | 0.000119 | 8,395.51 | 1.68 | 0.014293 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 800 | 1,211,714,748 | 0.000061 | 16,450.43 | 38.79 | 0.048631 |
| Four Aces with any J,Q,K | 640 | 1,271,857,596 | 0.000064 | 15,672.53 | 26.04 | 0.040836 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 320 | 2,966,959,596 | 0.000149 | 6,718.40 | 15.13 | 0.047630 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A | 320 | 4,229,731,416 | 0.000212 | 4,712.65 | 21.57 | 0.067902 |
| Four Aces | 320 | 2,235,552,096 | 0.000112 | 8,916.47 | 11.40 | 0.035889 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 160 | 7,997,965,584 | 0.000401 | 2,492.29 | 10.12 | 0.064198 |
| Four 5's through K's | 80 | 28,700,876,712 | 0.001440 | 694.52 | 8.94 | 0.115188 |
| Full House | 8 | 178,307,308,548 | 0.008945 | 111.79 | 0.41 | 0.071562 |
| Flush | 5 | 209,114,523,588 | 0.010491 | 95.32 | 0.15 | 0.052454 |
| Straight | 4 | 215,458,824,864 | 0.010809 | 92.52 | 0.08 | 0.043236 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,572,448,272,720 | 0.078886 | 12.68 | 0.26 | 0.236657 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,211,263,528,184 | 0.110934 | 9.01 | 0.00 | 0.110934 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,552,342,920,432 | 0.228380 | 4.38 | 0.01 | 0.228380 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,942,812,788,844 | 0.548973 | 1.82 | 0.79 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 151.16 | 1.197593 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | (more)Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A; Four 2's, 3's, 4's with an... |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker | JJJQ; JJJK; JJJA; QQQJ; QQQK; QQQA; KKKJ; KKKQ; KKKA |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Full House |
| 3 of a Kind | 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578... |
| 1 Pair | AA |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 3344; 3355; 3366; 3377... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44 |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ |
| 4 to a Straight | 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Straight | 89TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 346; 356; 457; 467; 568; 578; 679; 689; 79T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245 |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 78T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45 |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 78J; 79J; 7TJ; 8TQ; 9TK |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89Q |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| Single Card | a Queen; a King |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| Single Card | a Jack |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | Single Card: a Queen | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A25 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A35 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A45 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A23 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A24 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A34 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TK | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89Q | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 8♣ 10♣ Q♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 568 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 5♣ 6♣ 8♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 578 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 5♣ 7♣ 8♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 6♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ K♦ A♦ |