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 | 495,440,040 | 0.000025 | 40,233.39 | 15.87 | 0.019884 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,130,616,656 | 0.000107 | 9,355.62 | 0.26 | 0.005344 |
| Four Aces or Eights | 80 | 7,419,777,624 | 0.000372 | 2,686.50 | 2.32 | 0.029779 |
| Four Sevens | 50 | 3,504,944,448 | 0.000176 | 5,687.17 | 0.42 | 0.008792 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 36,188,925,732 | 0.001816 | 550.81 | 1.05 | 0.045388 |
| Full House | 8 | 229,559,059,116 | 0.011516 | 86.83 | 0.56 | 0.092131 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,083,387,904 | 0.010840 | 92.25 | 0.17 | 0.054202 |
| Straight | 4 | 223,686,988,728 | 0.011222 | 89.11 | 0.10 | 0.044887 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,484,867,137,608 | 0.074492 | 13.42 | 0.30 | 0.223476 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,578,186,683,360 | 0.129341 | 7.73 | 0.13 | 0.258682 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,290,680,977,308 | 0.215253 | 4.65 | 0.00 | 0.215253 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,860,426,578,676 | 0.544840 | 1.84 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 21.73 | 0.997818 | |
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 | 492,246,000 | 0.000025 | 40,494.45 | 15.77 | 0.019756 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,105,748,036 | 0.000106 | 9,466.10 | 0.25 | 0.005282 |
| Four Aces or Eights | 80 | 7,427,038,776 | 0.000373 | 2,683.87 | 2.33 | 0.029808 |
| Four Sevens | 50 | 3,505,106,988 | 0.000176 | 5,686.91 | 0.42 | 0.008792 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 36,191,180,136 | 0.001816 | 550.78 | 1.05 | 0.045391 |
| Full House | 8 | 229,596,471,180 | 0.011518 | 86.82 | 0.56 | 0.092146 |
| Flush | 5 | 215,189,639,784 | 0.010796 | 92.63 | 0.17 | 0.053978 |
| Straight | 4 | 222,819,869,820 | 0.011178 | 89.46 | 0.10 | 0.044713 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,485,248,163,876 | 0.074511 | 13.42 | 0.30 | 0.223533 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,578,691,007,828 | 0.129366 | 7.73 | 0.13 | 0.258733 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,297,957,998,372 | 0.215618 | 4.64 | 0.00 | 0.215618 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,854,006,046,404 | 0.544518 | 1.84 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 21.62 | 0.997749 | |
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... |
| 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; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2359; 235T; 235J; 235Q; 235K... |
| 1 Pair | 88 |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2348; 2358; 2368; 2378; 2389; 238T; 2458; 2468; 2478; 2489; 248T; 2568... |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 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 |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JQ; JK; QK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345 |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 568; 578; 689; 78J; 79J; 7TJ; 89Q; 8TQ; 9TK |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QA |
| 2 to a Straight | KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 679; 78T; 79T |
| 2 to a Straight | QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ |
| 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 |
| 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: QK | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 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: 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: 467 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | Single Card: an Ace | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | |
| 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: 689 | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | 7♣ 8♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | 7♣ 9♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Straight: JA | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: JA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: JA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ J♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Straight: QA | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: QA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: QA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Straight: KA | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | 2 to a Straight: KA | 7♣ 8♣ 10♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 2 to a Straight: KA | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ K♦ A♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 3♣ 4♦ 5♦ 7♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 3♣ 4♦ 6♦ 7♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 568 | 4♣ 5♦ 6♦ 8♦ J♥ |
| 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♦ |