Share this

Video Poker Strategy Calculator


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
(more)2♣3♣4♦J♥A♦
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Straight: KA
(more)2♣6♣10♣K♦A♥
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Straight: QA
(more)2♣6♣10♣Q♦A♥
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣6♣10♣J♦A♥
Single Card: a Queen 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)2♣5♣6♦10♦Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ 2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣3♣10♦J♦K♣
2 to a Royal Flush: JA 4 to a Straight: TJKA
(more)2♣10♣J♦K♣A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA 4 to a Straight: TQKA
(more)2♣10♣Q♦K♣A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: KA 4 to a Straight: TQKA
(more)2♣10♣Q♣K♦A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: KA 4 to a Straight: TJKA
(more)2♣10♣J♣K♦A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA 4 to a Straight: TJQA
(more)2♣10♣J♦Q♣A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA 4 to a Straight: TJQA
(more)2♣10♣J♣Q♦A♦
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)6♣7♦10♣J♣A♥
2 to a Straight: JA 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣8♦10♣J♣A♦
1 Pair: 99 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ
(more)9♣9♦7♣10♦J♦
1 Pair: TT 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ
(more)10♣10♦7♣9♦J♦