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 | 500,982,576 | 0.000025 | 39,788.27 | 16.05 | 0.016755 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,193,908,496 | 0.000110 | 9,085.72 | 0.26 | 0.004586 |
| Four of a Kind | 47.2 | 121,991,117,496 | 0.006120 | 163.40 | 13.06 | 0.240720 |
| Full House | 9 | 216,065,326,356 | 0.010839 | 92.26 | 0.69 | 0.081296 |
| Flush | 6 | 221,176,267,368 | 0.011096 | 90.12 | 0.28 | 0.055479 |
| Straight | 4 | 220,797,922,656 | 0.011077 | 90.28 | 0.10 | 0.036923 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,361,342,573,316 | 0.068295 | 14.64 | 0.27 | 0.170738 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,575,344,642,192 | 0.129199 | 7.74 | 0.13 | 0.215331 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,168,350,239,796 | 0.209116 | 4.78 | 0.00 | 0.174263 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,045,467,536,948 | 0.554123 | 1.80 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 31.40 | 0.996091 | |
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 | 504,993,036 | 0.000025 | 39,472.29 | 16.17 | 0.016889 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,198,405,148 | 0.000110 | 9,067.13 | 0.26 | 0.004595 |
| Four of a Kind | 47.2 | 122,302,677,540 | 0.006136 | 162.98 | 13.10 | 0.241334 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,168,107,440 | 0.010794 | 92.64 | 0.69 | 0.080958 |
| Flush | 6 | 219,704,588,316 | 0.011022 | 90.73 | 0.28 | 0.055110 |
| Straight | 4 | 221,044,093,368 | 0.011089 | 90.18 | 0.10 | 0.036964 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,357,372,669,428 | 0.068096 | 14.69 | 0.27 | 0.170240 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,577,024,546,984 | 0.129283 | 7.73 | 0.13 | 0.215471 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,172,745,371,652 | 0.209336 | 4.78 | 0.00 | 0.174447 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,045,165,064,288 | 0.554108 | 1.80 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 31.56 | 0.996010 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Four of a Kind; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker | (more)222A; 3332; 333A; 4442; 4443; 444A; 5552; 5553; 5554; 555A; 6662; 6663... |
| 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... |
| 1 Pair + 2 Kickers | (more)332A; 443A; 5523; 554A; 6624; 665A; 7725; 7734; 776A; 8826; 8835; 887A... |
| 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; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 235J; 235Q; 235K; 236A; 2367... |
| 1 Pair | TT |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)234T; 235T; 236T; 23TJ; 23TQ; 23TK; 245T; 247T; 24TJ; 24TQ; 24TK; 256T... |
| 1 Pair | 99 |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2349; 2359; 2389; 239T; 2469; 2489; 249T; 2569; 2589; 259T; 2689; 269T... |
| 1 Pair | 66; 77; 88 |
| 4 to a Flush | 289T; 389T; 489T; 589T |
| 1 Pair | 55 |
| 1 Pair + 1 Kicker | 22A; 332; 33A; 443; 44A; 552; 553; 554; 55A |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44 |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A34; A45; 235; 345; 456; 567; 678; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ... |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 789 |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JK; QA; QK; KA |
| 3 to a Flush | 56A; 67A; 78A; 89A; 9TA |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A24; A25; A35; 234; 245; 246; 346; 347; 356; 457; 467; 568; 578; 679... |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JK |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TA; TQ; TK |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King |
| 3 to a Flush | 257; 268; 279; 28T; 358; 369; 37T; 459; 46T |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 236; 256; 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) |
| 1 Pair: 22 | 1 Pair + 1 Kicker: 22A | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TA | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: a King | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| Single Card: a Ten | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 1 Pair + 1 Kicker: 554 | 1 Pair: 55 | |
| 1 Pair + 1 Kicker: 55A | 1 Pair: 55 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | |
| 1 Pair + 1 Kicker: 552 | 1 Pair: 55 | |
| 1 Pair + 1 Kicker: 553 | 1 Pair: 55 | |
| 2 to a Straight: QA | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Straight: KA | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6662 | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6663 | |
| 4 to a Flush: 2TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 3TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 4TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 5TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 6TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 7TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 8TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 2TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 3TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 4TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 5TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 6TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 7TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 8TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 2TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 3TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 4TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 5TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 6TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 7TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 8TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 4 to a Flush: 9TJA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 9TQA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TQA | |
| 4 to a Flush: 9TKA | 3 to a Royal Flush: TKA | |
| 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 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 4443 | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 4442 | 4♦ 4♥ 4♣ 2♠ 3♣ |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 444A | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 4442 | 4♦ 4♥ 4♣ 2♠ A♣ |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6664 | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6663 | 6♦ 6♥ 6♣ 3♠ 4♣ |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6665 | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6663 | 6♦ 6♥ 6♣ 3♠ 5♣ |
| 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 666A | 3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker: 6663 | 6♦ 6♥ 6♣ 3♠ A♣ |