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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 | 491,854,620 | 0.000025 | 40,526.67 | 15.75 | 0.019740 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,154,468,204 | 0.000108 | 9,252.04 | 0.26 | 0.005404 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 49,643,712,420 | 0.002491 | 401.53 | 15.56 | 0.199240 |
| Full House | 6 | 163,847,257,956 | 0.008220 | 121.66 | 0.21 | 0.049319 |
| Flush | 5 | 216,500,514,576 | 0.010861 | 92.07 | 0.18 | 0.054306 |
| Straight | 4 | 260,261,261,016 | 0.013057 | 76.59 | 0.12 | 0.052227 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,559,233,151,448 | 0.078223 | 12.78 | 0.33 | 0.234668 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,172,335,996,736 | 0.108981 | 9.18 | 0.00 | 0.108981 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,579,168,127,832 | 0.229725 | 4.35 | 0.00 | 0.229725 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,929,594,172,392 | 0.548310 | 1.82 | 0.50 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.91 | 0.953611 | |
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 | 488,386,584 | 0.000025 | 40,814.45 | 15.64 | 0.019601 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,147,458,344 | 0.000108 | 9,282.24 | 0.26 | 0.005387 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 49,651,909,596 | 0.002491 | 401.46 | 15.56 | 0.199273 |
| Full House | 6 | 163,877,843,340 | 0.008221 | 121.63 | 0.21 | 0.049328 |
| Flush | 5 | 215,955,275,952 | 0.010834 | 92.30 | 0.18 | 0.054170 |
| Straight | 4 | 259,266,281,952 | 0.013007 | 76.88 | 0.12 | 0.052027 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,559,609,956,836 | 0.078242 | 12.78 | 0.33 | 0.234725 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,172,925,399,284 | 0.109010 | 9.17 | 0.00 | 0.109010 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,586,175,649,836 | 0.230077 | 4.35 | 0.00 | 0.230077 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,923,132,355,476 | 0.547986 | 1.82 | 0.50 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.80 | 0.953597 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 3344; 3355; 3366; 3377... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; 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 Straight | 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789 |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | QK |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQA; TQKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK; 9JQK; TJKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 568; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 78J; 79T; 79J... |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467 |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace |
| 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 Royal Flush: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 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 | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | 4 to a Straight: 89JQ | 6♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ Q♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 4 to a Straight: 9TQK | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 345 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 3♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 456 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ K♦ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 6♣ 7♣ 8♣ J♦ K♦ |