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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 | 2,843 | 632,963,076 | 0.000032 | 31,491.93 | 256.47 | 0.090277 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 1,956,427,920 | 0.000098 | 10,188.58 | 0.24 | 0.004907 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 400 | 1,197,164,940 | 0.000060 | 16,650.36 | 9.56 | 0.024024 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 160 | 2,851,826,688 | 0.000143 | 6,989.64 | 3.62 | 0.022891 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,387,282,984 | 0.000170 | 5,884.73 | 4.29 | 0.027189 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 7,662,453,504 | 0.000384 | 2,601.42 | 2.40 | 0.030752 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,391,805,056 | 0.001625 | 615.38 | 3.90 | 0.081251 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,506,940,580 | 0.010811 | 92.49 | 0.68 | 0.097303 |
| Flush | 5 | 223,315,418,424 | 0.011203 | 89.26 | 0.18 | 0.056016 |
| Straight | 4 | 246,213,627,996 | 0.012352 | 80.96 | 0.11 | 0.049408 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,494,872,260,920 | 0.074994 | 13.33 | 0.29 | 0.224982 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,446,057,554,912 | 0.122713 | 8.15 | 0.00 | 0.122713 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,163,177,682,288 | 0.208856 | 4.79 | 0.00 | 0.208856 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,094,007,107,912 | 0.556558 | 1.80 | 0.60 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.26 | 282.33 | 1.040568 | |
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 | 2,843 | 633,343,884 | 0.000032 | 31,473.00 | 256.62 | 0.090331 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 1,966,330,992 | 0.000099 | 10,137.27 | 0.24 | 0.004932 |
| Four Aces with any 2,3,4 | 400 | 1,197,524,076 | 0.000060 | 16,645.37 | 9.56 | 0.024031 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4 | 160 | 2,852,000,064 | 0.000143 | 6,989.21 | 3.62 | 0.022892 |
| Four Aces | 160 | 3,387,919,728 | 0.000170 | 5,883.62 | 4.29 | 0.027194 |
| Four 2's, 3's, 4's | 80 | 7,662,444,216 | 0.000384 | 2,601.42 | 2.40 | 0.030752 |
| Four 5's through K's | 50 | 32,389,468,608 | 0.001625 | 615.42 | 3.89 | 0.081245 |
| Full House | 9 | 215,493,194,340 | 0.010811 | 92.50 | 0.68 | 0.097297 |
| Flush | 5 | 223,995,821,184 | 0.011237 | 88.99 | 0.18 | 0.056187 |
| Straight | 4 | 245,972,165,796 | 0.012340 | 81.04 | 0.11 | 0.049359 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,494,774,888,624 | 0.074989 | 13.34 | 0.29 | 0.224967 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,445,843,085,704 | 0.122702 | 8.15 | 0.00 | 0.122702 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,159,332,402,300 | 0.208663 | 4.79 | 0.00 | 0.208663 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,097,729,927,684 | 0.556745 | 1.80 | 0.60 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.26 | 282.48 | 1.040553 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Four 2's, 3's, 4's with any A,2,3,4; Four Aces with any 2,3,4; Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Royal Flush | TJQA; TJQK; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| 3 of a Kind | AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Full House; Straight Flush |
| 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... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 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... |
| 4 to a Straight | 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JQ; JK; QA; QK |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | KA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 9TJ; 9TQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ; TQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678 |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQA; JQKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 8TJQ; 9JQK |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ; TJKA; TQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TA; TK |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45 |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 4 to a Straight | 9TJK; 9TQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 568; 578; 679; 689; 78T; 78J; 79T; 79J; 89Q |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467 |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QK |
| 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) |
| 2 to a Straight: JQ | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9JQ | 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A25 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A35 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A45 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A23 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A24 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A34 | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TJ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89Q | Single Card: an Ace | |
| 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | |
| 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 8♣ 10♣ Q♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 689 | 4 to a Straight: 89JQ | 6♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ Q♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | 4 to a Straight: 9TQK | 7♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♥ |