Share this

Video Poker Strategy Calculator


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
(more)2♣3♣10♣K♦A♥
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Straight: QA
(more)2♣3♣10♣Q♦A♥
Single Card: an Ace 2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣3♣10♣J♦A♥
2 to a Straight: JQ 4 to a Straight: 89JQ
(more)2♣8♣9♣J♦Q♥
2 to a Straight: JQ 2 to a Straight: QA
(more)2♣3♣J♣Q♦A♥
2 to a Royal Flush: TK Single Card: a King
(more)2♣3♣4♦10♥K♥
2 to a Straight: JQ 2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣3♣J♦Q♣A♥
2 to a Straight: QK 2 to a Straight: KA
(more)2♣3♣Q♣K♦A♥
2 to a Straight: JK 2 to a Straight: KA
(more)2♣3♣J♣K♦A♥
2 to a Straight: JK 2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣3♣J♦K♣A♥
2 to a Straight: QK 2 to a Straight: QA
(more)2♣3♣Q♦K♣A♥
Single Card: a Queen 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ
(more)2♣3♦9♣10♦Q♦
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ 2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣3♣10♦J♦K♣
2 to a Royal Flush: TJ 2 to a Straight: JA
(more)2♣3♣10♦J♦A♥
2 to a Straight: KA 2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣9♣J♦K♥A♣
2 to a Straight: KA 2 to a Straight: QK
(more)2♣9♣Q♦K♥A♣
2 to a Straight: JA 2 to a Straight: JK
(more)2♣9♦J♥K♦A♣
2 to a Straight: QA 2 to a Straight: QK
(more)2♣9♦Q♥K♦A♣