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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 | 503,219,256 | 0.000025 | 39,611.42 | 16.11 | 0.020196 |
| Straight Flush | 140 | 2,434,859,544 | 0.000122 | 8,186.60 | 2.35 | 0.017101 |
| Four Aces | 240 | 4,295,140,140 | 0.000215 | 4,640.88 | 12.29 | 0.051714 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 120 | 10,930,748,436 | 0.000548 | 1,823.59 | 7.74 | 0.065804 |
| Four 5's through K's | 80 | 32,706,402,516 | 0.001641 | 609.46 | 10.20 | 0.131264 |
| Full House | 8 | 222,701,967,108 | 0.011172 | 89.51 | 0.52 | 0.089379 |
| Flush | 5 | 208,605,704,760 | 0.010465 | 95.55 | 0.15 | 0.052326 |
| Straight | 4 | 213,611,955,600 | 0.010716 | 93.32 | 0.09 | 0.042865 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,509,265,881,300 | 0.075716 | 13.21 | 0.25 | 0.227148 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,598,431,351,508 | 0.130357 | 7.67 | 0.09 | 0.260714 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,176,265,651,776 | 0.209513 | 4.77 | 0.01 | 0.209513 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,953,477,635,256 | 0.549508 | 1.82 | 0.75 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 50.56 | 1.168025 | |
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 | 500,028,312 | 0.000025 | 39,864.20 | 16.01 | 0.020068 |
| Straight Flush | 140 | 2,427,411,084 | 0.000122 | 8,211.72 | 2.35 | 0.017049 |
| Four Aces | 240 | 4,290,939,900 | 0.000215 | 4,645.42 | 12.28 | 0.051664 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 120 | 10,930,736,052 | 0.000548 | 1,823.59 | 7.74 | 0.065804 |
| Four 5's through K's | 80 | 32,712,785,436 | 0.001641 | 609.34 | 10.20 | 0.131289 |
| Full House | 8 | 222,710,725,692 | 0.011173 | 89.50 | 0.52 | 0.089383 |
| Flush | 5 | 208,039,373,604 | 0.010437 | 95.81 | 0.15 | 0.052184 |
| Straight | 4 | 213,348,718,716 | 0.010703 | 93.43 | 0.09 | 0.042813 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,509,367,535,364 | 0.075721 | 13.21 | 0.25 | 0.227164 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,598,593,074,164 | 0.130365 | 7.67 | 0.09 | 0.260730 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,183,265,785,176 | 0.209864 | 4.76 | 0.01 | 0.209864 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,947,043,403,700 | 0.549186 | 1.82 | 0.75 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.22 | 50.44 | 1.168011 | |
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 | 222; 333; 444; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Full House |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 3 of a Kind | 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK |
| Pat Hand | Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 789J; 78TJ; 79TJ; 89TQ; 89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK... |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789... |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)23JA; 23JQ; 23JK; 23QA; 23QK; 23KA; 24JA; 24JQ; 24JK; 24QA; 24QK; 24KA... |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44 |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)234J; 234Q; 234K; 235J; 235Q; 235K; 236A; 236J; 236Q; 236K; 237A; 237J... |
| 1 Pair | 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 2367; 2368; 2369; 236T... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 9TJ; 9JQ; 9QK |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 568; 7TJ; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TQ; 9JK |
| 4 to a Straight | 6789; 789T |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 467; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 79T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JK; QA; QK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 8TQ; 9TK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 78J; 79J; 89Q |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 236 | Single Card: a King | 2♣ 3♣ 6♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 246 | Single Card: a King | 2♣ 4♣ 6♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 256 | Single Card: a King | 2♣ 5♣ 6♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 347 | Single Card: a King | 3♣ 4♣ 7♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 357 | Single Card: a King | 3♣ 5♣ 7♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 367 | Single Card: a King | 3♣ 6♣ 7♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 458 | Single Card: a King | 4♣ 5♣ 8♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 468 | Single Card: a King | 4♣ 6♣ 8♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 478 | Single Card: a King | 4♣ 7♣ 8♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 569 | Single Card: a King | 5♣ 6♣ 9♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 579 | Single Card: a King | 5♣ 7♣ 9♣ 10♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 589 | Single Card: a King | 5♣ 8♣ 9♣ 10♦ K♦ |