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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 800 477,905,592 0.000024 41,709.56 15.31 0.019180
Straight Flush 50 2,167,478,628 0.000109 9,196.51 0.26 0.005437
Four Aces with any 2,3,4 400 1,201,420,908 0.000060 16,591.38 9.60 0.024109
Four Aces with any J,Q,K 320 1,261,846,488 0.000063 15,796.87 6.44 0.020257
Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 160 2,924,360,292 0.000147 6,816.27 3.71 0.023473
Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A 160 3,866,393,568 0.000194 5,155.51 4.90 0.031035
Four Aces 160 2,214,677,664 0.000111 9,000.51 2.81 0.017777
Four 2's, 3's, 4's 80 7,874,359,224 0.000395 2,531.41 2.47 0.031603
Four 5's through K's 50 27,739,345,860 0.001392 718.59 3.34 0.069581
Full House 7 210,593,130,372 0.010565 94.65 0.38 0.073954
Flush 6 224,213,751,720 0.011248 88.90 0.28 0.067489
Straight 4 250,348,316,388 0.012559 79.62 0.11 0.050237
Three of a Kind 3 1,509,438,225,228 0.075725 13.21 0.30 0.227174
Two Pair 1 2,457,560,812,572 0.123290 8.11 0.00 0.123290
Jacks or Better 1 4,236,518,487,276 0.212535 4.71 0.00 0.212535
Nothing 0 10,994,830,005,420 0.551583 1.81 0.55 0.000000
Totals 19,933,230,517,200 1.000000 2.23 50.46 0.997132

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 800 475,400,412 0.000024 41,929.35 15.23 0.019080
Straight Flush 50 2,164,416,168 0.000109 9,209.52 0.26 0.005429
Four Aces with any 2,3,4 400 1,209,061,320 0.000061 16,486.53 9.66 0.024262
Four Aces with any J,Q,K 320 1,268,704,128 0.000064 15,711.49 6.48 0.020367
Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 160 2,925,791,676 0.000147 6,812.94 3.71 0.023485
Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A 160 3,852,906,360 0.000193 5,173.56 4.89 0.030926
Four Aces 160 2,230,468,296 0.000112 8,936.79 2.83 0.017904
Four 2's, 3's, 4's 80 7,874,798,856 0.000395 2,531.27 2.47 0.031605
Four 5's through K's 50 27,744,822,168 0.001392 718.45 3.34 0.069594
Full House 7 210,643,099,812 0.010567 94.63 0.38 0.073972
Flush 6 224,045,858,220 0.011240 88.97 0.28 0.067439
Straight 4 251,481,678,396 0.012616 79.26 0.11 0.050465
Three of a Kind 3 1,509,855,014,940 0.075746 13.20 0.30 0.227237
Two Pair 1 2,457,217,360,908 0.123272 8.11 0.00 0.123272
Jacks or Better 1 4,226,440,953,096 0.212030 4.72 0.00 0.212030
Nothing 0 11,003,800,182,444 0.552033 1.81 0.55 0.000000
Totals 19,933,230,517,200 1.000000 2.23 50.48 0.997067

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy

Type of Play Play Details
Pat Hand
(more)Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A; Four 2's, 3's, 4's with an...
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; AAA
Pat Hand Straight; Flush; Full House
3 of a Kind + 1 Kicker JJJQ; JJJK; JJJA; QQQJ; QQQK; QQQA; KKKJ; KKKQ; KKKA
3 of a Kind 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
4 to a Flush
(more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J...
3 to a Royal Flush TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA
4 to a Straight 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK
1 Pair 22; 33; 44; 88; 99; TT
3 to a Straight Flush 9JQ
1 Pair 55; 66; 77
4 to a Straight 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T
3 to a Straight Flush 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK
4 to a Straight JQKA
2 to a Royal Flush JA; JQ; JK; QA; QK; KA
4 to a Straight 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA
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
Single Card an Ace
2 to a Straight JQ; JK; QK
2 to a Royal Flush TJ; 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
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)
2 to a Straight: JQ Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♣J♣Q♦A♥
2 to a Royal Flush: TK Single Card: a King
(more)2♣3♣4♦10♥K♥
2 to a Straight: JQ 4 to a Straight: 89JQ
(more)2♣8♣9♣J♦Q♥
2 to a Straight: JK Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♦J♣K♥A♦
2 to a Straight: QK Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♦Q♣K♥A♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ 2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣3♣10♦J♦K♣
2 to a Straight: JA Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♦10♣J♦A♣
2 to a Straight: QA Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♦10♣Q♦A♣
2 to a Straight: KA Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣3♦10♣K♦A♣
Single Card: a Queen 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)2♣8♦9♦10♣Q♣
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ Single Card: an Ace
(more)2♣6♣10♦J♦A♣
Single Card: an Ace 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 2♣3♣5♣6♦A♥
Single Card: an Ace 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 2♣4♣5♣6♦A♥