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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 | 473,734,764 | 0.000024 | 42,076.77 | 15.17 | 0.019013 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,173,028,208 | 0.000109 | 9,173.02 | 0.26 | 0.005451 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 47,036,533,668 | 0.002360 | 423.78 | 14.73 | 0.188776 |
| Full House | 9 | 229,024,825,812 | 0.011490 | 87.04 | 0.74 | 0.103406 |
| Flush | 6 | 221,668,234,968 | 0.011121 | 89.92 | 0.28 | 0.066723 |
| Straight | 4 | 254,739,744,708 | 0.012780 | 78.25 | 0.12 | 0.051119 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,476,869,429,076 | 0.074091 | 13.50 | 0.30 | 0.222272 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,559,283,090,740 | 0.128393 | 7.79 | 0.00 | 0.128393 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,211,166,789,108 | 0.211264 | 4.73 | 0.00 | 0.211264 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,930,795,106,148 | 0.548370 | 1.82 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.13 | 0.996417 | |
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 | 477,851,928 | 0.000024 | 41,714.24 | 15.30 | 0.019178 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,177,376,540 | 0.000109 | 9,154.70 | 0.26 | 0.005462 |
| Four of a Kind | 80 | 47,020,530,444 | 0.002359 | 423.93 | 14.72 | 0.188712 |
| Full House | 9 | 228,986,215,596 | 0.011488 | 87.05 | 0.74 | 0.103389 |
| Flush | 6 | 221,971,242,552 | 0.011136 | 89.80 | 0.28 | 0.066814 |
| Straight | 4 | 253,972,115,244 | 0.012741 | 78.49 | 0.11 | 0.050965 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,476,497,430,744 | 0.074072 | 13.50 | 0.30 | 0.222216 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,559,223,308,528 | 0.128390 | 7.79 | 0.00 | 0.128390 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,211,291,494,440 | 0.211270 | 4.73 | 0.00 | 0.211270 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,931,612,951,184 | 0.548412 | 1.82 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 32.26 | 0.996396 | |
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 | Full House; 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... |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 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 | TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 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 |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QA |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TK |
| 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) |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| Single Card: a King | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Straight: QA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |