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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 | 1,814.6667 | 614,383,716 | 0.000031 | 32,444.27 | 101.39 | 0.055932 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,106,463,212 | 0.000106 | 9,462.89 | 0.25 | 0.005284 |
| Four Aces | 80 | 3,923,496,816 | 0.000197 | 5,080.48 | 1.23 | 0.015747 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 40 | 10,509,002,544 | 0.000527 | 1,896.78 | 0.80 | 0.021088 |
| Four 5's through K's | 25 | 32,512,865,880 | 0.001631 | 613.09 | 0.94 | 0.040777 |
| Full House | 6 | 226,499,704,920 | 0.011363 | 88.01 | 0.28 | 0.068178 |
| Flush | 5 | 222,461,993,112 | 0.011160 | 89.60 | 0.18 | 0.055802 |
| Straight | 4 | 222,807,085,920 | 0.011178 | 89.46 | 0.10 | 0.044711 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,477,632,471,888 | 0.074129 | 13.49 | 0.30 | 0.222387 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,566,597,284,144 | 0.128760 | 7.77 | 0.13 | 0.257519 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,198,852,738,044 | 0.210646 | 4.75 | 0.00 | 0.210646 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,968,713,027,004 | 0.550273 | 1.82 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 106.15 | 0.998070 | |
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 | 1,814.6667 | 614,522,004 | 0.000031 | 32,436.97 | 101.41 | 0.055944 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,111,617,536 | 0.000106 | 9,439.79 | 0.25 | 0.005297 |
| Four Aces | 80 | 3,928,514,916 | 0.000197 | 5,073.99 | 1.23 | 0.015767 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 40 | 10,508,500,992 | 0.000527 | 1,896.87 | 0.80 | 0.021087 |
| Four 5's through K's | 25 | 32,503,075,812 | 0.001631 | 613.27 | 0.94 | 0.040765 |
| Full House | 6 | 226,485,587,160 | 0.011362 | 88.01 | 0.28 | 0.068173 |
| Flush | 5 | 222,447,420,240 | 0.011160 | 89.61 | 0.18 | 0.055798 |
| Straight | 4 | 222,029,264,940 | 0.011139 | 89.78 | 0.10 | 0.044555 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,477,493,492,964 | 0.074122 | 13.49 | 0.30 | 0.222366 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,566,528,399,692 | 0.128756 | 7.77 | 0.13 | 0.257513 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,200,034,115,916 | 0.210705 | 4.75 | 0.00 | 0.210705 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,968,546,005,028 | 0.550264 | 1.82 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 106.17 | 0.997970 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 3 of a Kind | AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Full House |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | JQK |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJQ; TKA; JQA; JKA; QKA |
| 2 Pair | TTJJ; TTQQ |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJK; TQA; TQK |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J... |
| 4 to a Straight | 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ; 9JQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; QK; KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 9TQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TA; TQ; TK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 9TK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 346; 356; 457; 467; 568; 578; 679; 689; 78J; 79J; 89Q |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QA; KA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245 |
| 2 to a Straight | JK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 78T; 79T |
| 2 to a Straight | QK |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King |
| 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 Straight: QK | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: QK | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 568 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 578 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 568 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | 7♣ 8♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: JA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: JA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: QA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: QA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: KA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: KA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ K♦ A♥ |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 6♦ Q♥ |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ 6♦ Q♥ |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♦ Q♥ |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 3♣ 4♦ 5♦ 7♦ Q♥ |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 3♣ 4♦ 6♦ 7♦ Q♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 578 | 4♣ 5♦ 7♦ 8♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 5♣ 6♦ 7♦ 9♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | 5♣ 6♦ 8♦ 9♦ J♥ |