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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 | 800 | 509,149,392 | 0.000026 | 39,150.06 | 16.31 | 0.020434 |
| Straight Flush | 60 | 2,056,096,416 | 0.000103 | 9,694.70 | 0.36 | 0.006189 |
| Four Aces | 400 | 4,734,470,280 | 0.000238 | 4,210.23 | 37.81 | 0.095007 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 10,519,113,048 | 0.000528 | 1,894.95 | 3.29 | 0.042217 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,508,685,764 | 0.001631 | 613.17 | 3.92 | 0.081544 |
| Full House | 8 | 216,779,997,204 | 0.010875 | 91.95 | 0.53 | 0.087002 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,635,717,412 | 0.010868 | 92.01 | 0.17 | 0.054340 |
| Straight | 4 | 252,458,749,680 | 0.012665 | 78.96 | 0.11 | 0.050661 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,503,380,296,476 | 0.075421 | 13.26 | 0.30 | 0.226262 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,458,195,201,548 | 0.123321 | 8.11 | 0.00 | 0.123321 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,234,061,777,220 | 0.212412 | 4.71 | 0.00 | 0.212412 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,001,391,262,760 | 0.551912 | 1.81 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.23 | 63.36 | 0.999391 | |
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 | 503,683,404 | 0.000025 | 39,574.92 | 16.13 | 0.020215 |
| Straight Flush | 60 | 2,045,249,580 | 0.000103 | 9,746.11 | 0.36 | 0.006156 |
| Four Aces | 400 | 4,735,029,108 | 0.000238 | 4,209.74 | 37.82 | 0.095018 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 10,518,704,376 | 0.000528 | 1,895.03 | 3.29 | 0.042216 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,529,608,532 | 0.001632 | 612.77 | 3.92 | 0.081596 |
| Full House | 8 | 216,875,194,560 | 0.010880 | 91.91 | 0.53 | 0.087041 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,546,657,876 | 0.010864 | 92.05 | 0.17 | 0.054318 |
| Straight | 4 | 250,613,573,928 | 0.012573 | 79.54 | 0.11 | 0.050291 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,504,490,252,724 | 0.075476 | 13.25 | 0.30 | 0.226429 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,460,134,257,308 | 0.123419 | 8.10 | 0.00 | 0.123419 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,239,256,002,984 | 0.212673 | 4.70 | 0.00 | 0.212673 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,994,982,302,820 | 0.551591 | 1.81 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.23 | 63.19 | 0.999371 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 3 of a Kind | AAA |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 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 | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8JQ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JQ; JK; QA; QK; KA |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 78J; 79T... |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK |
| 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) |
| Single Card: a King | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | |
| 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 | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: JQK | 1 Pair: JJ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: JQK | 1 Pair: QQ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: JQK | 1 Pair: KK | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TJQ | 1 Pair: JJ | |
| 3 to a Royal Flush: TJQ | 1 Pair: QQ | |