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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 | 491,855,652 | 0.000025 | 40,526.59 | 15.75 | 0.019740 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,154,130,740 | 0.000108 | 9,253.49 | 0.26 | 0.005403 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 47,005,788,324 | 0.002358 | 424.06 | 14.73 | 0.188653 |
| Full House | 8 | 228,890,564,676 | 0.011483 | 87.09 | 0.57 | 0.091863 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,493,699,248 | 0.010861 | 92.07 | 0.18 | 0.054305 |
| Straight | 4 | 260,258,167,080 | 0.013056 | 76.59 | 0.12 | 0.052226 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,475,243,948,064 | 0.074009 | 13.51 | 0.30 | 0.222028 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,556,435,840,408 | 0.128250 | 7.80 | 0.00 | 0.128250 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,216,703,051,664 | 0.211541 | 4.73 | 0.00 | 0.211541 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,929,553,471,344 | 0.548308 | 1.82 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.43 | 0.974009 | |
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 | 488,386,584 | 0.000025 | 40,814.45 | 15.64 | 0.019601 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,147,458,344 | 0.000108 | 9,282.24 | 0.26 | 0.005387 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 47,013,931,836 | 0.002359 | 423.99 | 14.73 | 0.188686 |
| Full House | 8 | 228,920,852,844 | 0.011484 | 87.07 | 0.57 | 0.091875 |
| Flush | 5 | 215,955,275,952 | 0.010834 | 92.30 | 0.18 | 0.054170 |
| Straight | 4 | 259,266,281,952 | 0.013007 | 76.88 | 0.12 | 0.052027 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,475,618,052,708 | 0.074028 | 13.51 | 0.30 | 0.222084 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,557,020,682,548 | 0.128279 | 7.80 | 0.00 | 0.128279 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,223,667,238,956 | 0.211891 | 4.72 | 0.00 | 0.211891 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,923,132,355,476 | 0.547986 | 1.82 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.32 | 0.973999 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush |
| 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; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 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 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789 |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QK |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQA; TQKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK; 9JQK; TJKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 568; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 78J; 79T; 79J... |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467 |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T |
| 4 to a Straight | (more)2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789... |
| 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: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 4 to a Straight: 9JQK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 4 to a Straight: 9JQK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 6♣ 7♦ 8♦ 10♦ J♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | 4 to a Straight: 89JQ | 6♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ Q♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 4 to a Straight: 9TQK | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 345 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 456 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ J♦ K♦ |