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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand | Payoff | Combinations | Probability | Hit Frequency | Variance | Return |
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 459,185,352 | 0.000023 | 43,409.99 | 14.71 | 0.018429 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,727,422,492 | 0.000187 | 5,347.73 | 7.41 | 0.037399 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 38,063,872,152 | 0.001910 | 523.68 | 1.10 | 0.047739 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 62,248,554,888 | 0.003123 | 320.22 | 0.61 | 0.046843 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 98,332,654,416 | 0.004933 | 202.71 | 0.32 | 0.044398 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,222,397,808,492 | 0.061325 | 16.31 | 0.56 | 0.245298 |
| Full House | 4 | 522,037,487,616 | 0.026189 | 38.18 | 0.24 | 0.104757 |
| Flush | 3 | 407,582,410,776 | 0.020447 | 48.91 | 0.08 | 0.061342 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,145,240,154,576 | 0.057454 | 17.41 | 0.06 | 0.114908 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,342,453,299,236 | 0.268017 | 3.73 | 0.00 | 0.268017 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,090,687,667,204 | 0.556392 | 1.80 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.25 | 25.62 | 0.989131 | |
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 | 459,665,256 | 0.000023 | 43,364.67 | 14.72 | 0.018448 |
| Four Deuces | 200 | 3,724,965,300 | 0.000187 | 5,351.25 | 7.40 | 0.037374 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 25 | 38,065,828,056 | 0.001910 | 523.65 | 1.10 | 0.047742 |
| Five of a Kind | 15 | 62,249,941,080 | 0.003123 | 320.21 | 0.61 | 0.046844 |
| Straight Flush | 9 | 98,203,678,656 | 0.004927 | 202.98 | 0.32 | 0.044340 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 | 1,222,584,717,084 | 0.061334 | 16.30 | 0.56 | 0.245336 |
| Full House | 4 | 522,368,597,640 | 0.026206 | 38.16 | 0.24 | 0.104824 |
| Flush | 3 | 406,909,724,232 | 0.020414 | 48.99 | 0.08 | 0.061241 |
| Straight | 2 | 1,144,037,182,608 | 0.057393 | 17.42 | 0.06 | 0.114787 |
| Three of a Kind | 1 | 5,345,302,979,820 | 0.268160 | 3.73 | 0.00 | 0.268160 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,089,323,237,468 | 0.556323 | 1.80 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.25 | 25.63 | 0.989096 | |
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... |
| 1 Pair | 88; 99 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 567 |
| 1 Pair | 77; QQ; KK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ |
| 1 Pair | 66; JJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89T |
| 1 Pair | 44; 55; TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 678; 789 |
| 1 Pair | 33; 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; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789; 678T; 679T... |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush | TK; JK; QK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A34; A35; A45 |
| 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 |
| 3 of a Kind | W33; W44; W55; W66; W77; W88; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)WA34; WA35; WA45; W346; W347; W356; W357; W367; W458; W468; W478; W569... |
| 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; WKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W57; W68; W8T; W9J |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W56; 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) |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: W45 | Wild Only | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QK | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W56 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JK | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W57 | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W68 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 67 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 9T | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: W567 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 78 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W79 | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 89 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| Wild Only | 4 to a Straight: W678 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: 66 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: 77 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: 77 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: 88 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: 88 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89T | 1 Pair: 88 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: 99 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89T | 1 Pair: 99 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | 1 Pair: 99 | |
| 4 to a Straight: W678 | 3 to a Straight Flush: W68 | |
| 4 to a Straight: W789 | 3 to a Straight Flush: W79 | |
| Wild Only | 3 to a Straight Flush: W9J | |
| 4 to a Straight: W9TJ | 3 to a Straight Flush: W9J | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: JA | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 4 to a Straight: W567 | 3 to a Straight Flush: W56 | |
| 4 to a Straight: W567 | 3 to a Straight Flush: W57 | |
| 4 to a Straight: W89T | 3 to a Straight Flush: W8T | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: TK | 4 to a Straight: 678T | |
| 1 Pair: 55 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | |
| 1 Pair: 66 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | |
| 1 Pair: 77 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | |
| 1 Pair: TT | 3 to a Straight Flush: 89T | |
| 1 Pair: TT | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: A34 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: A35 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: A45 | |
| 2 to a Natural Royal Flush: QA | Garbage: Discard everything | 7♣ 8♦ 9♥ Q♠ A♠ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: 44 | 4♣ 4♦ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: JJ | J♦ J♣ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: QQ | Q♦ Q♣ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: QQ | Q♦ Q♣ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | 1 Pair: KK | K♦ K♣ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 1 Pair: KK | K♦ K♣ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89T | 1 Pair: KK | K♦ K♣ 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ |
| 1 Pair: 33 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | 3♣ 3♦ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ |
| 1 Pair: 44 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | 4♣ 4♦ 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ |