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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 Flush800495,407,5320.00002540,236.0315.870.019883
Straight Flush502,145,558,4680.0001089,290.460.260.005382
Four Aces803,996,706,3800.0002014,987.411.250.016040
Four 2's, 3's, 4's4010,509,832,2720.0005271,896.630.800.021090
Four 5's through K's2532,672,554,4640.001639610.090.950.040977
Full House6227,376,651,5640.01140787.670.290.068441
Flush5217,263,418,5000.01090091.750.180.054498
Straight4224,745,710,3040.01127588.690.100.045100
Three of a Kind31,485,637,374,9360.07453113.420.310.223592
Two Pair22,576,447,728,2720.1292547.740.140.258508
Jacks or Better14,289,149,331,9280.2151764.650.000.215176
Nothing010,862,790,242,5800.5449591.840.510.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2020.650.968687

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

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Royal Flush800497,366,2680.00002540,077.5715.930.019961
Straight Flush502,149,186,4640.0001089,274.780.260.005391
Four Aces803,995,622,2640.0002004,988.771.250.016036
Four 2's, 3's, 4's4010,509,381,2880.0005271,896.710.800.021089
Four 5's through K's2532,666,542,5480.001639610.200.950.040970
Full House6227,353,125,0600.01140687.680.290.068434
Flush5217,454,195,5680.01090991.670.180.054546
Straight4224,940,841,3800.01128588.620.100.045139
Three of a Kind31,485,377,240,7600.07451813.420.310.223553
Two Pair22,576,165,428,8000.1292407.740.140.258479
Jacks or Better14,287,134,965,9680.2150754.650.000.215075
Nothing010,864,986,620,8320.5450691.830.510.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2020.720.968673

The following table shows the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandStraight Flush; Royal Flush
4 of a Kind
(more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK...
4 to a Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
3 of a KindAAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush; Full House
3 of a Kind222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK
2 Pair
(more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA...
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567...
1 PairJJ; QQ; KK; AA
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 Straight9TJQ; TJQK
1 Pair22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT
3 to a Straight Flush8JQ; 9JQ
4 to a Straight2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; JQKA
3 to a Straight Flush89J; 8TJ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK
2 to a Royal FlushJA; JQ; JK; QK
3 to a Straight FlushA23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T
2 to a Royal FlushQA; KA
4 to a Straight9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA
3 to a StraightJQK
3 to a Straight Flush345; 7TJ; 9TK
2 to a StraightJQ
3 to a Straight Flush568; 578; 689; 78J; 79J; 89Q; 8TQ
2 to a StraightJK
2 to a Royal FlushTJ
3 to a Straight Flush234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 679; 78T; 79T
2 to a StraightJA; QK
2 to a StraightQA; KA
2 to a Royal FlushTQ; TK
Single Carda Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace
3 to a Straight Flush236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T
GarbageDiscard everything

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
Single Card: a King2 to a Royal Flush: TK
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ 10♦ K♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣ 3♣ 10♦ J♦ K♣
2 to a Straight: JA2 to a Royal Flush: TJ
(more)2♣ 7♦ 10♣ J♣ A♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 79J2 to a Straight: JQ
(more)2♣ 7♦ 9♦ J♦ Q♣
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 679
(more)5♣ 6♦ 7♦ 9♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 689
(more)5♣ 6♦ 8♦ 9♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 234
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 6♦ A♦
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 235
(more)2♣ 3♣ 5♣ 6♦ A♦
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 245
(more)2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♦ A♦
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 78T
(more)6♣ 7♦ 8♦ 10♦ J♣
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 79T
(more)6♣ 7♦ 9♦ 10♦ J♣
2 to a Straight: JK3 to a Straight Flush: 78J
(more)7♣ 8♣ 9♦ J♣ K♦
2 to a Straight: JK3 to a Straight Flush: 79J
(more)7♣ 8♦ 9♣ J♣ K♦
2 to a Straight: JQ3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ
(more)7♣ 8♦ 10♣ J♣ Q♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 78J2 to a Straight: JQ7♣ 8♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 2342 to a Straight: JK2♣ 3♣ 4♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 2352 to a Straight: JK2♣ 3♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 2452 to a Straight: JK2♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 3462 to a Straight: JK3♣ 4♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 3562 to a Straight: JK3♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 4572 to a Straight: JK4♣ 5♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 4672 to a Straight: JK4♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 6792 to a Straight: JK6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♦ K♥
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 2342♣ 3♣ 4♣ 6♦ J♥
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 2352♣ 3♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 2452♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 3462♣ 3♦ 4♦ 6♦ J♥
Single Card: a Jack3 to a Straight Flush: 3562♣ 3♦ 5♦ 6♦ J♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 4674♣ 6♣ 7♣ 8♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 5685♣ 6♣ 8♣ 9♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 5785♣ 7♣ 8♣ 9♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 78T6♣ 7♦ 8♦ 10♦ A♥
Single Card: an Ace3 to a Straight Flush: 79T6♣ 7♦ 9♦ 10♦ A♥
3 to a Straight Flush: 7892 to a Royal Flush: QK7♣ 8♣ 9♣ Q♦ K♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 4562 to a Royal Flush: JA4♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ A♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 5672 to a Royal Flush: JA5♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ A♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 6782 to a Royal Flush: JA6♣ 7♣ 8♣ J♦ A♦