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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 | 479,168,460 | 0.000024 | 41,599.63 | 15.35 | 0.019231 |
| Four Deuces with an Ace | 400 | 547,362,948 | 0.000027 | 36,416.84 | 4.37 | 0.010984 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,075,210,408 | 0.000154 | 6,481.91 | 6.11 | 0.030855 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 41,373,551,688 | 0.002076 | 481.79 | 1.20 | 0.051890 |
| Five Aces | 80 | 6,756,577,332 | 0.000339 | 2,950.20 | 2.12 | 0.027117 |
| Five 3's, 4's, 5's | 40 | 15,839,005,164 | 0.000795 | 1,258.49 | 1.21 | 0.031784 |
| Five 6's through K's | 20 | 41,497,840,128 | 0.002082 | 480.34 | 0.75 | 0.041637 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 81,761,352,708 | 0.004102 | 243.80 | 0.33 | 0.041018 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,270,020,989,076 | 0.063714 | 15.70 | 0.58 | 0.254855 |
| Full House | 3 | 420,662,606,112 | 0.021104 | 47.39 | 0.09 | 0.063311 |
| Flush | 3 | 490,051,236,624 | 0.024585 | 40.68 | 0.10 | 0.073754 |
| Straight | 1 | 799,674,973,464 | 0.040118 | 24.93 | 0.00 | 0.040118 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,722,651,873,512 | 0.287091 | 3.48 | 0.00 | 0.287091 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,038,838,769,576 | 0.553791 | 1.81 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 32.74 | 0.973644 | |
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 | 474,103,932 | 0.000024 | 42,044.01 | 15.19 | 0.019028 |
| Four Deuces with an Ace | 400 | 547,479,756 | 0.000027 | 36,409.07 | 4.37 | 0.010986 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,077,293,308 | 0.000154 | 6,477.52 | 6.12 | 0.030876 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 41,216,064,648 | 0.002068 | 483.63 | 1.19 | 0.051693 |
| Five Aces | 80 | 6,756,330,324 | 0.000339 | 2,950.30 | 2.12 | 0.027116 |
| Five 3's, 4's, 5's | 40 | 15,845,789,484 | 0.000795 | 1,257.95 | 1.21 | 0.031798 |
| Five 6's through K's | 20 | 41,515,223,448 | 0.002083 | 480.14 | 0.75 | 0.041654 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 81,430,401,804 | 0.004085 | 244.79 | 0.33 | 0.040852 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,270,487,372,064 | 0.063737 | 15.69 | 0.58 | 0.254949 |
| Full House | 3 | 420,656,013,216 | 0.021103 | 47.39 | 0.09 | 0.063310 |
| Flush | 3 | 492,281,237,904 | 0.024697 | 40.49 | 0.10 | 0.074090 |
| Straight | 1 | 797,912,137,416 | 0.040029 | 24.98 | 0.00 | 0.040029 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,725,710,792,204 | 0.287244 | 3.48 | 0.00 | 0.287244 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,035,320,277,692 | 0.553614 | 1.81 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 32.58 | 0.973624 | |
The following tables show the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy — No Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 of a Kind | 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK; AAAA |
| Pat Hand | Flush; Straight Flush |
| 3 of a Kind | 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A345; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5678; 5679; 5689... |
| 3 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)3458; 3459; 345T; 345J; 345Q; 345K; 346A; 3468; 3469; 346T; 346J; 346Q... |
| 1 Pair | AA |
| 1 Pair | 33; 44; 55 |
| 1 Pair | 66; 77; 88; 99; TT; JJ; QQ; KK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)345; 346; 347; 356; 357; 367; 456; 457; 458; 467; 468; 478; 567; 568... |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A34; A35; A45 |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TQ; QK |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TK; JQ; JK |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
| Basic Strategy — One Wild Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | (more)Full House; Straight Flush; Five 6's through K's; Five 3's, 4's, 5's... |
| 4 of a Kind | W333; W444; W555; W666; W777; W888; W999; WTTT; WJJJ; WQQQ; WKKK; WAAA |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJA; WTJQ; WTJK; WTQA; WTQK; WTKA; WJQA; WJQK; WJKA; WQKA |
| Pat Hand | Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W567; W678; W679; W689; W789; W78T; W79T; W89T; W89J; W8TJ; W9TJ; W9TQ... |
| 3 of a Kind | W33; W44; W55; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | WA34; WA35; WA45; W345; W456; W457; W467; W568; W578; W9TK; W9JK; W9QK |
| 3 of a Kind | W66; W77; W88 |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W346; W347; W356; W357; W367; W458; W468; W478; W569; W579; W589; W67T... |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJ; WTQ |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTK; WJQ; WJK; WQA; WQK; WKA |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTA; WJA |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)W348; W349; W34T; W34J; W34Q; W34K; W358; W359; W35T; W35J; W35Q; W35K... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W67; W78; W89; W9T |
| Wild Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Two Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | (more)Straight Flush; Five 6's through K's; Five 3's, 4's, 5's; Five Aces... |
| 4 of a Kind | WW33; WW44; WW55; WW66; WW77; WW88; WW99; WWTT; WWJJ; WWQQ; WWKK; WWAA |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WWTA; WWTJ; WWTQ; WWTK; WWJA; WWJQ; WWJK; WWQA; WWQK; WWKA |
| 3 of a Kind | WWA |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Three Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Five 6's through K's; Five 3's, 4's, 5's; Five Aces; Wild Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | WWWA |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Four Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Four Deuces with an Ace |
| Wilds Only | |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QK | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: KA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JK | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JQ | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WTK | 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WQA | 2♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♣ A♦ |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WJK | 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WQA | 2♣ J♣ Q♦ K♣ A♦ |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WJQ | 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WKA | 2♣ J♣ Q♣ K♦ A♦ |