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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 | 950 | 550,221,180 | 0.000028 | 36,227.67 | 24.86 | 0.026223 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,217,419,724 | 0.000111 | 8,989.38 | 0.27 | 0.005562 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 46,941,502,980 | 0.002355 | 424.64 | 1.36 | 0.058873 |
| Full House | 7 | 228,926,357,460 | 0.011485 | 87.07 | 0.42 | 0.080393 |
| Flush | 6 | 221,435,663,436 | 0.011109 | 90.02 | 0.28 | 0.066653 |
| Straight | 4 | 226,249,682,088 | 0.011350 | 88.10 | 0.10 | 0.045402 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,478,186,166,720 | 0.074157 | 13.48 | 0.30 | 0.222471 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,569,505,329,080 | 0.128906 | 7.76 | 0.14 | 0.257811 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,244,193,769,500 | 0.212921 | 4.70 | 0.00 | 0.212921 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,915,024,405,032 | 0.547579 | 1.83 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 28.25 | 0.976308 | |
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 | 950 | 548,773,800 | 0.000028 | 36,323.22 | 24.80 | 0.026154 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,208,659,592 | 0.000111 | 9,025.04 | 0.27 | 0.005540 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 46,940,708,856 | 0.002355 | 424.65 | 1.36 | 0.058872 |
| Full House | 7 | 228,919,581,864 | 0.011484 | 87.08 | 0.42 | 0.080390 |
| Flush | 6 | 220,833,629,208 | 0.011079 | 90.26 | 0.28 | 0.066472 |
| Straight | 4 | 225,914,122,128 | 0.011334 | 88.23 | 0.10 | 0.045334 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,478,133,081,156 | 0.074154 | 13.49 | 0.30 | 0.222463 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,569,398,484,572 | 0.128900 | 7.76 | 0.14 | 0.257801 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,250,581,656,516 | 0.213241 | 4.69 | 0.00 | 0.213241 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,909,751,819,508 | 0.547315 | 1.83 | 0.52 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 28.18 | 0.976267 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full 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 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 |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJQ; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJK; TQK |
| 1 Pair | AA |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TQA; TKA |
| 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 |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 678; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 789 |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JK; QA; QK; KA |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568... |
| 4 to a Straight | TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TK |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ; TK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA |
| 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 |
| 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: TA | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TJK | 1 Pair: JJ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TQK | 1 Pair: QQ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TJK | 1 Pair: KK | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TQK | 1 Pair: KK | |
| 2 to a Straight: QA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: QQ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: KK | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: QQ | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 1 Pair: KK | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | 4 to a Straight: 9JQK | 7♣ 9♣ J♣ Q♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ K♦ A♥ |