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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
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush31,240806,590,3200.00004024,712.9639,485.611.264114
Straight Flush501,584,171,6120.00007912,582.750.180.003974
Four Aces803,420,046,4520.0001725,828.351.040.013726
Four 2's, 3's, 4's4010,015,485,6960.0005021,990.240.720.020098
Four 5's through K's2528,973,930,4480.001454687.970.760.036339
Full House6204,715,638,7560.01027097.370.160.061620
Flush5173,134,053,4800.008686115.130.070.043428
Straight4196,068,060,2280.009836101.660.040.039345
Three of a Kind31,317,769,835,6640.06610915.130.050.198328
Two Pair22,316,588,057,2880.1162178.600.000.232435
Jacks or Better13,777,303,137,0040.1894985.280.230.189498
Nothing011,902,851,510,2520.5971361.672.640.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.4839,491.512.102905

The following table shows the results when following basic strategy only (not its exceptions):

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush31,240806,187,8400.00004024,725.2939,465.911.263484
Straight Flush501,573,150,3680.00007912,670.900.180.003946
Four Aces803,465,335,7720.0001745,752.181.050.013908
Four 2's, 3's, 4's4010,015,507,3680.0005021,990.240.720.020098
Four 5's through K's2528,929,628,2360.001451689.020.760.036283
Full House6205,306,914,3840.01030097.090.160.061798
Flush5172,428,079,8240.008650115.600.070.043251
Straight4195,671,728,3680.009816101.870.040.039265
Three of a Kind31,317,760,628,6760.06610915.130.050.198326
Two Pair22,322,797,554,3320.1165298.580.000.233058
Jacks or Better13,775,816,047,7080.1894235.280.230.189423
Nothing011,898,659,754,3240.5969261.682.640.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.4839,471.822.102841

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandRoyal Flush
4 to a Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
Pat HandStraight Flush
3 to a Royal FlushTJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA
4 of a Kind
(more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK...
3 of a KindAAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush; Full House
3 of a Kind222; 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...
2 Pair
(more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 3344; 3355; 3366; 3377; 3388...
2 to a Royal FlushJQ; KA
2 PairJJAA; QQKK
2 to a Royal FlushQK
2 PairJJKK
2 to a Royal FlushJK
2 to a Royal FlushJA
2 Pair
(more)22JJ; 22KK; 33JJ; 33KK; 44JJ; 44KK; 55JJ; 55KK; 66JJ; 66KK; 77JJ; 77KK...
2 to a Royal FlushQA
2 Pair
(more)22QQ; 22AA; 33QQ; 33AA; 44QQ; 44AA; 55QQ; 55AA; 66QQ; 66AA; 77QQ; 77AA...
2 to a Royal FlushTJ
2 Pair22TT; 33TT; 44TT; 55TT; 66TT
2 to a Royal FlushTQ
2 to a Royal FlushTK
2 to a Royal FlushTA
1 PairJJ; QQ; KK; AA
4 to a Flush
(more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J...
4 to a Straight9TJQ; TJQK
1 Pair22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT
4 to a Straight2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ
Single Cardan Ace
Single Carda Jack
Single Carda Queen
Single Carda King
3 to a Straight Flush345; 456; 567; 578; 678; 789; 78T; 79T; 89T
Single Carda Ten
3 to a Straight Flush234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568; 679; 689
GarbageDiscard everything

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
Single Card: a JackSingle Card: an Ace
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♣ J♦ A♥
Single Card: a QueenSingle Card: a Jack
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ J♣ Q♥
Single Card: a KingSingle Card: a Queen
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ Q♣ K♥
Single Card: a QueenSingle Card: an Ace
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ Q♥ A♣
Single Card: a KingSingle Card: a Jack
(more)2♣ 7♣ 8♦ J♣ K♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JQ2 Pair: JJQQ
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♣ Q♦ 2♣
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ J♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QK2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ Q♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JQ2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)2♣ J♣ Q♣ K♦ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 to a Royal Flush: JK
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♥ K♣ A♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 to a Royal Flush: QK
(more)Q♦ Q♣ J♥ K♣ A♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 234Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 7♦ 10♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 235Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 3♣ 5♣ 7♦ 10♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 245Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 7♦ 10♦
Single Card: a Ten3 to a Straight Flush: 78T
(more)2♣ 6♣ 7♦ 8♦ 10♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 to a Royal Flush: QK
(more)K♣ K♦ 2♣ J♦ Q♣
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 to a Royal Flush: JA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ J♣ Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ J♦ K♣
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)A♣ A♦ 2♣ Q♦ K♣
3 to a Straight Flush: 346Single Card: a Ten
(more)3♣ 4♣ 6♣ 8♦ 10♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 356Single Card: a Ten
(more)3♣ 5♣ 6♣ 8♦ 10♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 457Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 4♦ 5♦ 7♦ 10♣
3 to a Straight Flush: 467Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 4♦ 6♦ 7♦ 10♣
3 to a Straight Flush: 568Single Card: a Ten
(more)2♣ 5♦ 6♦ 8♦ 10♣
2 to a Royal Flush: TQ2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)10♣ 10♦ 7♣ J♣ Q♦
2 Pair: 22TT2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣ 2♦ 10♣ 10♦ J♣
2 Pair: 33TT2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)3♣ 3♦ 10♣ 10♦ J♣
2 Pair: 44TT2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)4♣ 4♦ 10♣ 10♦ J♣
2 Pair: 55TT2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)5♣ 5♦ 10♣ 10♦ J♣
2 Pair: 66TT2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)6♣ 6♦ 10♣ 10♦ J♣
Single Card: a Ten3 to a Straight Flush: 578
(more)4♣ 5♦ 7♦ 8♦ 10♣
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ2 Pair: 77TT
(more)7♣ 7♦ 10♣ 10♥ J♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 Pair: JJQQ
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♣ Q♥ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QK2 Pair: JJQQ
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♣ Q♥ K♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 Pair: JJQQ
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♣ Q♥ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 Pair: JJQQ
(more)J♣ J♦ Q♣ Q♥ A♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 Pair: JJKK
(more)J♣ J♦ K♣ K♥ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 Pair: JJAA
(more)J♣ J♦ A♣ A♥ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 Pair: JJAA
(more)J♣ J♦ A♣ A♥ Q♥
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 Pair: QQKK
(more)Q♦ Q♣ K♣ K♥ J♥
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 Pair: QQKK
(more)Q♣ Q♦ K♣ K♥ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 Pair: KKAA
(more)K♣ K♦ A♣ A♥ J♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QK2 Pair: KKAA
(more)K♣ K♦ A♣ A♥ Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 Pair: KKAA
(more)K♦ K♣ A♣ A♥ J♥
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 Pair: KKAA
(more)K♦ K♣ A♣ A♥ Q♥
2 to a Royal Flush: TK2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)10♣ 10♦ 8♣ Q♣ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JK2 to a Royal Flush: JQ
(more)J♣ J♦ 8♣ Q♣ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QK2 to a Royal Flush: JQ
(more)Q♣ Q♦ 8♣ J♣ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TA2 to a Royal Flush: TK10♣ 10♦ 9♣ K♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 to a Royal Flush: JKJ♣ J♦ 9♣ K♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 to a Royal Flush: QKQ♣ Q♦ 9♣ K♣ A♦