On this page

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
Natural Royal Flush800440,202,7560.00002245,281.9314.100.017667
Four Deuces2004,060,462,8240.0002044,909.108.070.040741
Wild Royal Flush2535,796,957,6960.001796556.841.030.044896
Five of a Kind1563,818,309,8560.003202312.340.630.048024
Straight Flush983,218,233,4800.004175239.530.270.037574
Four of a Kind51,294,427,430,5760.06493815.401.040.324691
Full House3423,165,297,2400.02122947.110.080.063687
Flush2334,262,439,3240.01676959.630.020.033538
Straight21,117,181,521,9560.05604617.840.060.112092
Three of a Kind15,675,175,572,1120.2847093.510.000.284709
Nothing010,901,684,089,3800.5469101.830.560.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2125.841.007620

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

Basic Strategy Analysis
HandPayoffCombinationsProbabilityHit FrequencyVarianceReturn
Natural Royal Flush800436,375,8240.00002245,679.0413.980.017514
Four Deuces2004,119,883,8360.0002074,838.308.180.041337
Wild Royal Flush2534,732,432,6800.001742573.911.000.043561
Five of a Kind1563,096,846,2640.003165315.910.620.047481
Straight Flush983,356,594,2000.004182239.130.270.037636
Four of a Kind51,298,587,090,5960.06514715.351.040.325734
Full House3423,271,675,6560.02123447.090.080.063703
Flush2328,546,839,7920.01648260.670.020.032965
Straight21,122,751,019,4000.05632617.750.060.112651
Three of a Kind15,680,818,504,7080.2849923.510.000.284992
Nothing010,893,513,254,2440.5465001.830.550.000000
Totals19,933,230,517,2001.0000002.2125.801.007575

The following tables show the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy — No Wilds Dealt
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandFull House; Natural Royal Flush
4 to a Natural Royal FlushTJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA
4 of a Kind3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK; AAAA
3 of a Kind333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush; Straight Flush
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)A345; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5678; 5679; 5689...
3 to a Natural Royal FlushTJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA
1 Pair33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT; JJ; QQ; KK; AA
4 to a Straight4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK
4 to a Flush
(more)3458; 3459; 345T; 345J; 345Q; 345K; 346A; 3468; 3469; 346T; 346J; 346Q...
3 to a Straight Flush
(more)345; 456; 457; 467; 567; 568; 578; 589; 678; 679; 67T; 689; 68T; 69T...
2 to a Natural Royal FlushTJ
3 to a Straight Flush458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 7TJ
4 to a Straight
(more)3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 78TJ; 79TJ; 89TQ; 89JQ...
2 to a Natural Royal FlushTQ; JQ
3 to a Straight Flush346; 347; 356; 357; 367
4 to a Straight5689; 5789; 678T; 679T; 689T; 789J
GarbageDiscard everything

Basic Strategy — One Wild Dealt
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandFull House; Straight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush
4 of a KindW333; W444; W555; W666; W777; W888; W999; WTTT; WJJJ; WQQQ; WKKK; WAAA
4 to a Wild Royal FlushWTJA; WTJQ; WTJK; WTQA; WTQK; WTKA; WJQA; WJQK; WJKA; WQKA
4 to a Straight FlushW567; W678; W789; W89T; W9TJ
3 of a KindW33; W44; W55; W66; W77; W88; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA
Pat HandStraight; Flush
4 to a Straight Flush
(more)WA34; WA35; WA45; W345; W346; W347; W356; W357; W367; W456; W457; W458...
3 to a Wild Royal FlushWTJ; WTQ; WTK; WJQ; WJK; WQK
3 to a Straight FlushW67; W78; W89; W9T
Wild Only

Basic Strategy — Two Wilds Dealt
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandStraight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush
4 of a KindWW33; WW44; WW55; WW66; WW77; WW88; WW99; WWTT; WWJJ; WWQQ; WWKK; WWAA
4 to a Wild Royal FlushWWTA; WWTJ; WWTQ; WWTK; WWJA; WWJQ; WWJK; WWQA; WWQK; WWKA
4 to a Straight FlushWW67; WW78; WW89; WW9T
Wilds Only

Basic Strategy — Three Wilds Dealt
Type of Play Play Details
Pat HandWild Royal Flush
Wilds Only

Basic Strategy — Four Wilds Dealt
Type of Play Play Details
Wilds Only

The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:

Basic Strategy Exceptions
Right Play Wrong Play Pattern(s)
3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WTAWild Only
(more)2♣ 3♣ 4♦ 10♥ A♥
3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WJAWild Only
(more)2♣ 3♣ 5♦ J♥ A♥
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TKGarbage: Discard everything
(more)3♣ 4♣ 5♦ 10♥ K♥
3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WQAWild Only
(more)2♣ 4♣ 5♦ Q♥ A♥
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JKGarbage: Discard everything
(more)3♣ 4♦ 6♥ J♠ K♠
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QKGarbage: Discard everything
(more)3♣ 5♦ 6♥ Q♠ K♠
3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WKAWild Only
(more)2♣ 5♣ 6♣ K♦ A♦
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TQ4 to a Straight: TQKA
(more)3♣ 10♦ Q♦ K♣ A♣
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JQ4 to a Straight: JQKA
(more)3♣ J♦ Q♦ K♣ A♣
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JQ4 to a Straight: 89JQ
(more)3♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ Q♦
2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TQ4 to a Straight: 89TQ
(more)3♣ 8♣ 9♣ 10♦ Q♦
3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TJ
(more)3♣ 7♦ 10♦ J♦ Q♣
Pat Hand: Five of a KindWilds Only
(more)2♣ 2♦ 2♥ 10♦ 10♣
4 to a Straight: 679T2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TQ
(more)6♣ 7♦ 9♣ 10♦ Q♦
4 to a Straight Flush: 8TJQ3 to a Natural Royal Flush: TJQ8♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♣ K♦