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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 | 490,732,320 | 0.000025 | 40,619.36 | 15.72 | 0.019695 |
| Straight Flush | 80 | 2,235,383,712 | 0.000112 | 8,917.14 | 0.70 | 0.008971 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 4,414,812,408 | 0.000221 | 4,515.08 | 5.60 | 0.035437 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's | 120 | 11,677,436,556 | 0.000586 | 1,706.99 | 8.30 | 0.070299 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 10,502,913,228 | 0.000527 | 1,897.88 | 3.29 | 0.042152 |
| Four 5's through 10's | 50 | 20,925,934,176 | 0.001050 | 952.56 | 2.52 | 0.052490 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,990,785,008 | 0.010836 | 92.29 | 0.69 | 0.097521 |
| Flush | 5 | 217,685,955,948 | 0.010921 | 91.57 | 0.17 | 0.054604 |
| Straight | 4 | 255,508,811,232 | 0.012818 | 78.01 | 0.12 | 0.051273 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,494,880,494,216 | 0.074994 | 13.33 | 0.30 | 0.224983 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,448,613,194,552 | 0.122841 | 8.14 | 0.00 | 0.122841 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,319,107,237,764 | 0.216679 | 4.62 | 0.00 | 0.216679 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,931,196,826,080 | 0.548391 | 1.82 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 37.95 | 0.996946 | |
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 | 488,329,824 | 0.000024 | 40,819.20 | 15.64 | 0.019599 |
| Straight Flush | 80 | 2,238,132,444 | 0.000112 | 8,906.19 | 0.70 | 0.008983 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 4,390,746,684 | 0.000220 | 4,539.83 | 5.57 | 0.035244 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's | 120 | 11,665,537,596 | 0.000585 | 1,708.73 | 8.29 | 0.070228 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 10,500,196,488 | 0.000527 | 1,898.37 | 3.29 | 0.042141 |
| Four 5's through 10's | 50 | 20,919,233,400 | 0.001049 | 952.87 | 2.52 | 0.052473 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,824,669,128 | 0.010827 | 92.36 | 0.69 | 0.097446 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,857,561,292 | 0.010879 | 91.92 | 0.17 | 0.054396 |
| Straight | 4 | 258,881,693,220 | 0.012987 | 77.00 | 0.12 | 0.051950 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,492,838,196,660 | 0.074892 | 13.35 | 0.30 | 0.224676 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,445,481,527,084 | 0.122684 | 8.15 | 0.00 | 0.122684 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,327,538,277,348 | 0.217102 | 4.61 | 0.00 | 0.217102 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,925,606,416,032 | 0.548110 | 1.82 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 37.84 | 0.996921 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Four J's, Q's, K's; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | 2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; AAAA |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind | AAA |
| Pat Hand | Flush; Full House |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578... |
| 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; 77; 88 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ |
| 1 Pair | 55; 66; 99; TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 8TJ; 8JQ; 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK; QK |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568... |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA |
| Single Card | a Jack |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ |
| Single Card | 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 Jack | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4 to a Straight: TJKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 4 to a Straight: TQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | 4 to a Straight: TQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | 4 to a Straight: TJKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4 to a Straight: TJQA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 4 to a Straight: TJQA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 1 Pair: 99 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 1 Pair: TT | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |