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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 | 1,280 | 601,424,892 | 0.000030 | 33,143.34 | 49.36 | 0.038620 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,228,767,080 | 0.000112 | 8,943.61 | 0.27 | 0.005591 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 46,849,311,840 | 0.002350 | 425.48 | 1.35 | 0.058758 |
| Full House | 9 | 228,612,152,160 | 0.011469 | 87.19 | 0.73 | 0.103220 |
| Flush | 6 | 225,098,242,788 | 0.011293 | 88.55 | 0.28 | 0.067756 |
| Straight | 4 | 223,713,528,156 | 0.011223 | 89.10 | 0.10 | 0.044893 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,475,040,612,144 | 0.073999 | 13.51 | 0.29 | 0.221997 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,566,153,280,592 | 0.128737 | 7.77 | 0.13 | 0.257475 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,198,246,432,884 | 0.210615 | 4.75 | 0.00 | 0.210615 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,966,686,764,664 | 0.550171 | 1.82 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 53.07 | 1.008924 | |
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 | 1,280 | 598,716,924 | 0.000030 | 33,293.25 | 49.13 | 0.038446 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,230,110,744 | 0.000112 | 8,938.22 | 0.27 | 0.005594 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 46,844,778,264 | 0.002350 | 425.52 | 1.35 | 0.058752 |
| Full House | 9 | 228,590,854,776 | 0.011468 | 87.20 | 0.73 | 0.103210 |
| Flush | 6 | 224,462,249,052 | 0.011261 | 88.80 | 0.28 | 0.067564 |
| Straight | 4 | 224,624,100,972 | 0.011269 | 88.74 | 0.10 | 0.045075 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,474,742,401,296 | 0.073984 | 13.52 | 0.29 | 0.221952 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,565,557,864,064 | 0.128708 | 7.77 | 0.13 | 0.257415 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,203,487,535,184 | 0.210878 | 4.74 | 0.00 | 0.210878 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,962,091,905,924 | 0.549941 | 1.82 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 52.85 | 1.008888 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 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 | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J... |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK; QK |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QA; KA |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 578; 689; 78T; 78J; 79T; 79J; 7TJ; 89Q; 8TQ; 9TK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568; 679 |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ; TK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TA |
| 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 | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TA | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TA | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 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♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 8♣ 10♣ Q♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 456 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ A♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ J♦ A♦ |