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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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 458,696,304 | 0.000023 | 43,456.27 | 14.69 | 0.018409 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,721,737,204 | 0.000187 | 5,355.89 | 7.39 | 0.037342 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 38,006,962,464 | 0.001907 | 524.46 | 1.10 | 0.047668 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 | 61,961,233,656 | 0.003108 | 321.70 | 0.70 | 0.049735 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 102,392,435,976 | 0.005137 | 194.67 | 0.42 | 0.051368 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,216,681,289,508 | 0.061038 | 16.38 | 0.55 | 0.244151 |
| Full House | 4 | 520,566,943,104 | 0.026116 | 38.29 | 0.24 | 0.104462 |
| Flush | 3 | 413,870,908,056 | 0.020763 | 48.16 | 0.08 | 0.062289 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,142,885,476,800 | 0.057336 | 17.44 | 0.06 | 0.114671 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,325,911,611,716 | 0.267188 | 3.74 | 0.00 | 0.267188 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,106,773,222,412 | 0.557199 | 1.79 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.26 | 25.78 | 0.997283 | |
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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 459,614,172 | 0.000023 | 43,369.49 | 14.72 | 0.018446 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,711,615,348 | 0.000186 | 5,370.50 | 7.37 | 0.037240 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 37,991,745,936 | 0.001906 | 524.67 | 1.10 | 0.047649 |
| Five of a Kind | 16 | 61,894,722,552 | 0.003105 | 322.05 | 0.70 | 0.049682 |
| Straight Flush | 10 | 102,457,717,332 | 0.005140 | 194.55 | 0.42 | 0.051400 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,214,598,724,404 | 0.060933 | 16.41 | 0.55 | 0.243733 |
| Full House | 4 | 520,336,018,944 | 0.026104 | 38.31 | 0.24 | 0.104416 |
| Flush | 3 | 413,670,547,152 | 0.020753 | 48.19 | 0.08 | 0.062258 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,151,195,731,104 | 0.057753 | 17.32 | 0.06 | 0.115505 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,320,741,743,084 | 0.266928 | 3.75 | 0.00 | 0.266928 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,106,172,337,172 | 0.557169 | 1.79 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.26 | 25.79 | 0.997259 | |
The following tables show the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy — No Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Natural Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 of a Kind | 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK; AAAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Straight Flush |
| 3 of a Kind | 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A345; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5678; 5679; 5689... |
| 3 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)3458; 3459; 345T; 345J; 345Q; 345K; 346A; 3468; 3469; 346T; 346J; 346Q... |
| 2 Pair | (more)3344; 3355; 3366; 3377; 3388; 3399; 33TT; 33JJ; 33QQ; 33KK; 33AA; 4455... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 567; 678; 789; 89T; 9TJ |
| 1 Pair | 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT; JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Straight | 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)345; 346; 347; 356; 357; 367; 456; 457; 458; 467; 468; 478; 568; 569... |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJ; TQ; JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | (more)3456; 3457; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789; 678T; 679T; 689T; 789J; 78TJ; 79TJ... |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A34; A35; A45 |
| 4 to a Straight | 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578 |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TK; JK; QK |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
| Basic Strategy — One Wild Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | W333; W444; W555; W666; W777; W888; W999; WTTT; WJJJ; WQQQ; WKKK; WAAA |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJA; WTJQ; WTJK; WTQA; WTQK; WTKA; WJQA; WJQK; WJKA; WQKA |
| Pat Hand | Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W345; W456; W457; W467; W567; W568; W578; W678; W679; W689; W789; W78T... |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W346; W347; W356; W357; W367; W458; W468; W478; W569; W579; W589; W67T... |
| 3 of a Kind | W33; W44; W55; W66; W77; W88; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | WA34; WA35; WA45 |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJ; WTQ; WTK; WJQ; WJK; WQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W67; W78; W89; W9T |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTA; WJA; WQA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W8T |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W68; W9J |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W45; W56; W57; W79 |
| 4 to a Straight | W567; W678; W789; W89T; W9TJ; WTJQ |
| Wild Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Two Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Straight Flush; Five of a Kind; Wild Royal Flush |
| 4 of a Kind | WW33; WW44; WW55; WW66; WW77; WW88; WW99; WWTT; WWJJ; WWQQ; WWKK; WWAA |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WWTA; WWTJ; WWTQ; WWTK; WWJA; WWJQ; WWJK; WWQA; WWQK; WWKA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | WW45; WW56; WW57; WW67; WW68; WW78; WW79; WW89; WW8T; WW9T; WW9J |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Three Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Five of a Kind; Wild 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) |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W45 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 9T | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: W567 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QK | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: W678 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 78 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 67 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 89 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JK | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: W789 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: WTJQ | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | 4 to a Straight: 678T | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | 4 to a Straight: 679T | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | 4 to a Straight: 689T | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JK | 4 to a Straight: 789J | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: W8T | 3 to a Wild Royal Flush: WTA | 2♣ 8♣ 10♣ K♦ A♣ |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TA | Garbage: Discard everything | 5♣ 7♦ 9♥ 10♠ A♠ |