On this page
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 | 497,511,012 | 0.000025 | 40,065.91 | 15.94 | 0.019967 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,132,728,608 | 0.000107 | 9,346.35 | 0.26 | 0.005350 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 400 | 1,227,489,228 | 0.000062 | 16,239.03 | 9.81 | 0.024632 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 160 | 2,854,321,032 | 0.000143 | 6,983.53 | 3.62 | 0.022911 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,457,361,460 | 0.000173 | 5,765.45 | 4.39 | 0.027752 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 7,662,852,888 | 0.000384 | 2,601.28 | 2.40 | 0.030754 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,536,780,416 | 0.001632 | 612.64 | 3.92 | 0.081614 |
| Full House | 8 | 216,627,427,872 | 0.010868 | 92.02 | 0.54 | 0.086941 |
| Flush | 5 | 218,972,097,300 | 0.010985 | 91.03 | 0.18 | 0.054926 |
| Straight | 4 | 258,156,990,828 | 0.012951 | 77.21 | 0.12 | 0.051804 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,501,655,447,280 | 0.075334 | 13.27 | 0.31 | 0.226003 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,454,569,282,448 | 0.123140 | 8.12 | 0.00 | 0.123140 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,227,183,284,112 | 0.212067 | 4.72 | 0.00 | 0.212067 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,005,696,942,716 | 0.552128 | 1.81 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.23 | 41.99 | 0.967861 | |
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 | 500,082,756 | 0.000025 | 39,859.86 | 16.02 | 0.020070 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,124,883,860 | 0.000107 | 9,380.86 | 0.26 | 0.005330 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 400 | 1,233,626,532 | 0.000062 | 16,158.24 | 9.85 | 0.024755 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 160 | 2,855,484,612 | 0.000143 | 6,980.68 | 3.62 | 0.022920 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,475,315,680 | 0.000174 | 5,735.66 | 4.41 | 0.027896 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 7,662,444,216 | 0.000384 | 2,601.42 | 2.40 | 0.030752 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,523,152,856 | 0.001632 | 612.89 | 3.92 | 0.081580 |
| Full House | 8 | 216,669,326,040 | 0.010870 | 92.00 | 0.54 | 0.086958 |
| Flush | 5 | 219,190,731,144 | 0.010996 | 90.94 | 0.18 | 0.054981 |
| Straight | 4 | 256,813,161,192 | 0.012884 | 77.62 | 0.12 | 0.051535 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,502,148,806,232 | 0.075359 | 13.27 | 0.31 | 0.226077 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,455,308,913,752 | 0.123177 | 8.12 | 0.00 | 0.123177 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,221,346,629,060 | 0.211774 | 4.72 | 0.00 | 0.211774 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,011,377,959,268 | 0.552413 | 1.81 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.23 | 42.15 | 0.967806 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | (more)Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4; Four Aces with any 2,3,4; Straigh... |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 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... |
| 1 Pair | AA |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 3344... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK |
| 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 | 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 8TJ; 9TJ; 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89T; 89J; 8JQ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789 |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JK; QK |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK; TJQA; TQKA |
| 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; 346; 356; 457; 467; 78J; 79J; 7TJ; 89Q... |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 568; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 79T |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ; TK |
| 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 |
| 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 Straight: JQ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: a King | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Straight: QK | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 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 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 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: 679 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 89Q | 8♣ 9♣ 10♦ Q♣ A♥ |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | 8♣ 9♦ 10♣ Q♣ A♥ |
| 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♥ |