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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 Flush804509,399,6880.00002639,130.8316.400.020546
Straight Flush541,458,079,4280.00007313,670.880.190.003950
Four Aces843,971,004,4200.0001995,019.691.310.016734
Four 2's, 3's, 4's449,789,705,2520.0004912,036.140.830.021609
Four 5's through K's2930,638,202,7920.001537650.601.050.044574
Full House11220,811,894,4960.01107890.270.740.121853
Flush9187,358,397,9240.009399106.390.360.084594
Straight8169,402,822,6440.008499117.670.230.067988
Three of a Kind71,393,074,671,2920.06988714.311.220.489209
Two Pair62,481,981,816,8520.1245158.031.250.747089
Jacks or Better54,815,433,060,6680.2415784.141.141.207891
Nothing010,618,801,461,7440.5327191.884.250.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.1428.992.826038

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

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush804509,399,6880.00002639,130.8316.400.020546
Straight Flush541,457,903,4720.00007313,672.530.190.003950
Four Aces843,971,049,8280.0001995,019.641.310.016734
Four 2's, 3's, 4's449,771,315,0120.0004902,039.970.830.021569
Four 5's through K's2930,634,025,2560.001537650.691.050.044568
Full House11220,739,968,2240.01107490.300.740.121814
Flush9187,356,530,5200.009399106.390.360.084593
Straight8168,236,444,3760.008440118.480.230.067520
Three of a Kind71,392,346,781,0520.06985114.321.220.488954
Two Pair62,481,284,622,4200.1244808.031.250.746879
Jacks or Better54,819,426,603,4520.2417794.141.141.208893
Nothing010,617,495,873,9000.5326531.884.250.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.1428.982.826019

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandFull House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush
4 of a Kind
(more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK...
4 to a Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
3 of a Kind222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush
2 Pair
(more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA...
1 PairJJ; QQ; KK; AA
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567...
3 to a Royal FlushTJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA
4 to a Flush
(more)234K; 235K; 236A; 236K; 237A; 237K; 238A; 238J; 238Q; 238K; 239A; 239J...
4 to a StraightTJQK
2 to a Royal FlushJK; QK
2 to a Royal FlushJA; JQ; QA; KA
3 to a StraightJQK
2 to a StraightJQ
4 to a Flush
(more)234J; 234Q; 235J; 235Q; 236J; 236Q; 237J; 237Q; 245J; 245Q; 246J; 246Q...
2 to a StraightJK; QK
1 Pair22; 33; 44
2 to a StraightJA; QA; KA
1 Pair55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT
Single Carda Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace
4 to a Flush
(more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 2367; 2368; 2369; 236T...
4 to a Straight2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T
GarbageDiscard everything

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
4 to a Straight: 9TJQ2 to a Straight: JQ
(more)9♣ 9♦ 10♣ J♣ Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JQ2 to a Royal Flush: KA
(more)2♣ J♣ Q♣ K♦ A♦
1 Pair: 222 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣ 2♦ J♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: 332 to a Straight: JK
(more)3♣ 3♦ J♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: 442 to a Straight: JK
(more)4♣ 4♦ J♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: TT2 to a Straight: JK
(more)10♣ 10♦ J♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: 222 to a Straight: QK
(more)2♣ 2♦ Q♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: 332 to a Straight: QK
(more)3♣ 3♦ Q♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: 442 to a Straight: QK
(more)4♣ 4♦ Q♣ K♦ A♥
1 Pair: TT2 to a Straight: QK
(more)10♣ 10♦ Q♣ K♦ A♥
2 to a Royal Flush: QA2 to a Royal Flush: JK
(more)2♣ J♣ Q♦ K♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA2 to a Royal Flush: QK
(more)2♣ J♦ Q♣ K♣ A♦