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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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 940 | 455,737,800 | 0.000023 | 43,738.37 | 20.16 | 0.021491 |
| Four Deuces | 400 | 4,032,535,356 | 0.000202 | 4,943.10 | 32.21 | 0.080921 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 35,047,361,496 | 0.001758 | 568.75 | 1.01 | 0.043956 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 | 61,938,178,824 | 0.003107 | 321.82 | 0.70 | 0.049717 |
| Straight Flush | 13 | 103,447,803,408 | 0.005190 | 192.69 | 0.75 | 0.067466 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,272,300,988,752 | 0.063828 | 15.67 | 0.57 | 0.255313 |
| Full House | 3 | 419,147,435,916 | 0.021028 | 47.56 | 0.08 | 0.063083 |
| Flush | 2 | 335,191,941,888 | 0.016816 | 59.47 | 0.02 | 0.033631 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,113,061,260,912 | 0.055839 | 17.91 | 0.05 | 0.111679 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,620,512,091,704 | 0.281967 | 3.55 | 0.00 | 0.281967 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,968,095,181,144 | 0.550242 | 1.82 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 56.11 | 1.009224 | |
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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 940 | 459,699,276 | 0.000023 | 43,361.46 | 20.33 | 0.021678 |
| Four Deuces | 400 | 4,027,201,464 | 0.000202 | 4,949.65 | 32.16 | 0.080814 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 35,152,563,288 | 0.001764 | 567.05 | 1.02 | 0.044088 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 | 61,896,474,816 | 0.003105 | 322.04 | 0.70 | 0.049683 |
| Straight Flush | 13 | 103,655,144,172 | 0.005200 | 192.30 | 0.75 | 0.067602 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,271,136,831,756 | 0.063770 | 15.68 | 0.57 | 0.255079 |
| Full House | 3 | 419,046,048,828 | 0.021022 | 47.57 | 0.08 | 0.063067 |
| Flush | 2 | 335,934,018,720 | 0.016853 | 59.34 | 0.02 | 0.033706 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,113,225,776,376 | 0.055848 | 17.91 | 0.05 | 0.111695 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,616,379,228,044 | 0.281760 | 3.55 | 0.00 | 0.281760 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,972,317,530,460 | 0.550454 | 1.82 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 56.24 | 1.009172 | |
The following tables show the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy — No Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Natural Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK; AAAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| Pat Hand | 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; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789; 678T... |
| 3 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 567; 678; 789; 89T; 9TJ |
| 1 Pair | 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT; JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Straight | 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)3458; 3459; 345T; 345J; 345Q; 345K; 346A; 3468; 3469; 346T; 346J; 346Q... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)345; 346; 347; 356; 357; 367; 456; 457; 458; 467; 468; 478; 568; 569... |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJ; TQ; JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | (more)3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789; 678T; 679T... |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TK; JK; QK |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
| Basic Strategy — One Wild Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush |
| 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 |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | W78T; W9QK |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W345; W346; W347; W356; W367; W456; W457; W458; W467; W468; W478; W567... |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | W357; W78J |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush |
| 3 of a Kind | W33; W44; W55; W66; W77; W88; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | WA34; WA35; WA45 |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJ; WTQ; WJQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W67; W78; W89; W9T |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTK; WJK; WQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W57; W68; W79; W8T; W9J |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W56 |
| Wild Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Two Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WWTJ |
| 4 of a Kind | WW33; WW44; WW55; WW66; WW77; WW88; WW99; WWTT; WWJJ; WWQQ; WWKK; WWAA |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WWTA; WWTQ; WWTK; WWJA; WWJQ; WWJK; WWQA; WWQK; WWKA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | WW67; WW78; WW89; WW9T |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Three Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Wild Royal Flush |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Four Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Wilds Only | |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QK | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JK | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W56 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: W45 | Wild Only | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W57 | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W68 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 67 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 9T | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 78 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W79 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 89 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W9J | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W8T | |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W345 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W458 | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ 8♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W456 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W569 | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ 9♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W457 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W579 | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ 9♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W467 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W67T | 2♣ 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ 10♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W567 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W67T | 2♣ 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ 10♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W568 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W68T | 2♣ 5♣ 6♣ 8♣ 10♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W679 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W79J | 2♣ 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W689 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W89Q | 2♣ 6♣ 8♣ 9♣ Q♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W789 | 4 to a Straight Flush: W89Q | 2♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ Q♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W79T | 4 to a Straight Flush: W9TK | 2♣ 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ K♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W89T | 4 to a Straight Flush: W9TK | 2♣ 8♣ 9♣ 10♣ K♣ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush: W89J | 4 to a Straight Flush: W9JK | 2♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♣ K♣ |