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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 | 469,657,332 | 0.000024 | 42,442.07 | 15.04 | 0.018849 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,160,889,308 | 0.000108 | 9,224.55 | 0.26 | 0.005420 |
| Four Aces with any J,Q,K | 400 | 1,280,722,284 | 0.000064 | 15,564.05 | 10.23 | 0.025700 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A | 160 | 3,445,292,676 | 0.000173 | 5,785.64 | 4.37 | 0.027655 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,151,381,284 | 0.000158 | 6,325.24 | 4.00 | 0.025295 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's | 80 | 8,212,741,764 | 0.000412 | 2,427.11 | 2.57 | 0.032961 |
| Four 2's through 10's | 50 | 31,437,820,128 | 0.001577 | 634.05 | 3.79 | 0.078858 |
| Full House | 9 | 216,049,444,920 | 0.010839 | 92.26 | 0.69 | 0.097548 |
| Flush | 6 | 221,328,581,580 | 0.011103 | 90.06 | 0.28 | 0.066621 |
| Straight | 4 | 252,715,833,264 | 0.012678 | 78.88 | 0.11 | 0.050712 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,495,530,484,968 | 0.075027 | 13.33 | 0.30 | 0.225081 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,450,110,290,120 | 0.122916 | 8.14 | 0.00 | 0.122916 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,324,735,720,872 | 0.216961 | 4.61 | 0.00 | 0.216961 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,922,601,656,700 | 0.547959 | 1.82 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 42.19 | 0.994578 | |
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 | 467,022,120 | 0.000023 | 42,681.56 | 14.96 | 0.018743 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,157,385,668 | 0.000108 | 9,239.53 | 0.26 | 0.005412 |
| Four Aces with any J,Q,K | 400 | 1,289,041,752 | 0.000065 | 15,463.60 | 10.30 | 0.025867 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A | 160 | 3,445,438,188 | 0.000173 | 5,785.40 | 4.37 | 0.027656 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,117,052,836 | 0.000156 | 6,394.90 | 3.95 | 0.025020 |
| Four J's, Q's, K's | 80 | 8,212,913,592 | 0.000412 | 2,427.06 | 2.57 | 0.032962 |
| Four 2's through 10's | 50 | 31,430,259,696 | 0.001577 | 634.21 | 3.79 | 0.078839 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,927,484,192 | 0.010833 | 92.31 | 0.69 | 0.097493 |
| Flush | 6 | 220,537,113,432 | 0.011064 | 90.38 | 0.28 | 0.066383 |
| Straight | 4 | 254,327,021,076 | 0.012759 | 78.38 | 0.12 | 0.051036 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,494,014,649,828 | 0.074951 | 13.34 | 0.30 | 0.224853 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,447,757,421,452 | 0.122798 | 8.14 | 0.00 | 0.122798 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,334,466,698,100 | 0.217449 | 4.60 | 0.00 | 0.217449 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,916,081,015,268 | 0.547632 | 1.83 | 0.54 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.21 | 42.12 | 0.994510 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | (more)Four J's, Q's, K's with any J,Q,K,A; Four Aces with any J,Q,K; Straigh... |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 of a Kind | AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Full House |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567... |
| 1 Pair | AA |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 3344... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK |
| 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 | 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T |
| 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 | JA; JQ; JK; QA; QK; KA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King |
| 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: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | 4 to a Straight: 89JQ | |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: QK | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Straight: KA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: QK | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Straight: KA | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: KA | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: QA | 2 to a Straight: QK | |