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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 | 510,712,356 | 0.000026 | 39,030.25 | 16.36 | 0.020497 |
| Straight Flush | 80 | 2,257,054,164 | 0.000113 | 8,831.53 | 0.71 | 0.009058 |
| Four Aces | 240 | 4,691,037,528 | 0.000235 | 4,249.22 | 13.44 | 0.056481 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 120 | 10,517,376,192 | 0.000528 | 1,895.27 | 7.47 | 0.063316 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,494,516,920 | 0.001630 | 613.43 | 3.91 | 0.081508 |
| Full House | 9 | 216,509,451,696 | 0.010862 | 92.07 | 0.70 | 0.097756 |
| Flush | 5 | 221,206,408,260 | 0.011097 | 90.11 | 0.18 | 0.055487 |
| Straight | 4 | 253,645,957,320 | 0.012725 | 78.59 | 0.11 | 0.050899 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,500,742,999,320 | 0.075288 | 13.28 | 0.30 | 0.225865 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,454,199,647,912 | 0.123121 | 8.12 | 0.00 | 0.123121 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,220,418,243,924 | 0.211728 | 4.72 | 0.00 | 0.211728 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,016,037,111,608 | 0.552647 | 1.81 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 43.73 | 0.995716 | |
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 | 507,321,720 | 0.000025 | 39,291.10 | 16.25 | 0.020361 |
| Straight Flush | 80 | 2,260,868,952 | 0.000113 | 8,816.62 | 0.71 | 0.009074 |
| Four Aces | 240 | 4,685,398,164 | 0.000235 | 4,254.33 | 13.43 | 0.056413 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 120 | 10,516,764,732 | 0.000528 | 1,895.38 | 7.47 | 0.063312 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,498,189,292 | 0.001630 | 613.36 | 3.92 | 0.081518 |
| Full House | 9 | 216,486,152,748 | 0.010861 | 92.08 | 0.70 | 0.097745 |
| Flush | 5 | 220,977,932,748 | 0.011086 | 90.20 | 0.18 | 0.055430 |
| Straight | 4 | 256,436,967,264 | 0.012865 | 77.73 | 0.12 | 0.051459 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,500,312,332,304 | 0.075267 | 13.29 | 0.30 | 0.225801 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,453,077,824,696 | 0.123065 | 8.13 | 0.00 | 0.123065 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,216,181,836,968 | 0.211515 | 4.73 | 0.00 | 0.211515 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,019,288,927,612 | 0.552810 | 1.81 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.24 | 43.61 | 0.995692 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Four 2's, 3's, 4's; Four Aces; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK |
| 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... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJQ |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; 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 |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | 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 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 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 | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 1 Pair: 99 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 1 Pair: TT | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJQ | |
| 1 Pair: QQ | 3 to a Royal Flush: TJQ | |