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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
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush800490,732,3200.00002540,619.3615.720.019695
Straight Flush802,235,383,7120.0001128,917.140.700.008971
Four Aces1604,414,812,4080.0002214,515.085.600.035437
Four J's, Q's, K's12011,677,436,5560.0005861,706.998.300.070299
Four 2's, 3's, 4's8010,502,913,2280.0005271,897.883.290.042152
Four 5's through 10's5020,925,934,1760.001050952.562.520.052490
Full House9215,990,785,0080.01083692.290.690.097521
Flush5217,685,955,9480.01092191.570.170.054604
Straight4255,508,811,2320.01281878.010.120.051273
Three of a Kind31,494,880,494,2160.07499413.330.300.224983
Two Pair12,448,613,194,5520.1228418.140.000.122841
Jacks or Better14,319,107,237,7640.2166794.620.000.216679
Nothing010,931,196,826,0800.5483911.820.550.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2137.950.996946

The following table shows the results when following basic strategy only (not its exceptions):

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush800488,329,8240.00002440,819.2015.640.019599
Straight Flush802,238,132,4440.0001128,906.190.700.008983
Four Aces1604,390,746,6840.0002204,539.835.570.035244
Four J's, Q's, K's12011,665,537,5960.0005851,708.738.290.070228
Four 2's, 3's, 4's8010,500,196,4880.0005271,898.373.290.042141
Four 5's through 10's5020,919,233,4000.001049952.872.520.052473
Full House9215,824,669,1280.01082792.360.690.097446
Flush5216,857,561,2920.01087991.920.170.054396
Straight4258,881,693,2200.01298777.000.120.051950
Three of a Kind31,492,838,196,6600.07489213.350.300.224676
Two Pair12,445,481,527,0840.1226848.150.000.122684
Jacks or Better14,327,538,277,3480.2171024.610.000.217102
Nothing010,925,606,416,0320.5481101.820.540.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2137.840.996921

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandFour J's, Q's, K's; Straight Flush; Royal Flush
4 of a Kind2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; AAAA
4 to a Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
3 of a KindAAA
Pat HandFlush; Full House
3 of a Kind222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK
4 to a Straight Flush2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ
Pat HandStraight
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578...
1 PairAA
2 Pair
(more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 3344...
1 PairJJ; QQ; KK
3 to a Royal FlushTJA; 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 Straight89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK
1 Pair22; 33; 44; 77; 88
3 to a Straight Flush9TJ
1 Pair55; 66; 99; TT
3 to a Straight Flush8TJ; 8JQ; 9JQ
4 to a Straight2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; JQKA
3 to a Straight Flush345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK
2 to a Royal FlushJQ; JK; QK
4 to a Straight9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA
2 to a Royal FlushJA; 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 StraightJQK
4 to a Straight89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK
2 to a StraightJQ; JK; QK
2 to a StraightQA; KA
2 to a Royal FlushTJ
2 to a StraightJA
Single Carda Jack
Single Cardan Ace
2 to a Royal FlushTQ
Single Carda Queen; a King
3 to a Straight Flush236; 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...
GarbageDiscard everything

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
Single Card: a Jack2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ J♥ A♦
Single Card: an Ace2 to a Straight: KA
(more)2♣ 6♣ 10♣ K♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace2 to a Straight: QA
(more)2♣ 6♣ 10♣ Q♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣ 6♣ 10♣ J♦ A♥
Single Card: a Queen2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)2♣ 5♣ 6♦ 10♦ Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣ 3♣ 10♦ J♦ K♣
2 to a Royal Flush: JA4 to a Straight: TJKA
(more)2♣ 10♣ J♦ K♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA4 to a Straight: TQKA
(more)2♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: KA4 to a Straight: TQKA
(more)2♣ 10♣ Q♣ K♦ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: KA4 to a Straight: TJKA
(more)2♣ 10♣ J♣ K♦ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: JA4 to a Straight: TJQA
(more)2♣ 10♣ J♦ Q♣ A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: QA4 to a Straight: TJQA
(more)2♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♦ A♦
Single Card: an Ace2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)6♣ 7♦ 10♣ J♣ A♥
2 to a Straight: JA2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣ 8♦ 10♣ J♣ A♦
1 Pair: 993 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ
(more)9♣ 9♦ 7♣ 10♦ J♦
1 Pair: TT3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ
(more)10♣ 10♦ 7♣ 9♦ J♦