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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 | 431,058,096 | 0.000022 | 46,242.56 | 13.81 | 0.017300 |
| Straight Flush | 100 | 2,520,008,556 | 0.000126 | 7,909.99 | 1.24 | 0.012642 |
| Four of a Kind | 42.1926 | 45,756,633,336 | 0.002295 | 435.64 | 3.90 | 0.096853 |
| Full House | 12 | 222,746,435,784 | 0.011175 | 89.49 | 1.35 | 0.134096 |
| Flush | 8 | 336,216,862,668 | 0.016867 | 59.29 | 0.83 | 0.134937 |
| Straight | 5 | 290,721,071,460 | 0.014585 | 68.56 | 0.23 | 0.072924 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,412,916,051,372 | 0.070882 | 14.11 | 0.29 | 0.212647 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,451,896,379,540 | 0.123005 | 8.13 | 0.00 | 0.123005 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 3,735,146,804,760 | 0.187383 | 5.34 | 0.00 | 0.187383 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,434,879,211,628 | 0.573659 | 1.74 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.35 | 22.21 | 0.991787 | |
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 | 435,107,148 | 0.000022 | 45,812.23 | 13.94 | 0.017463 |
| Straight Flush | 100 | 2,522,161,824 | 0.000127 | 7,903.23 | 1.24 | 0.012653 |
| Four of a Kind | 42.1926 | 45,721,787,856 | 0.002294 | 435.97 | 3.89 | 0.096779 |
| Full House | 12 | 222,629,639,184 | 0.011169 | 89.54 | 1.35 | 0.134025 |
| Flush | 8 | 336,305,591,448 | 0.016872 | 59.27 | 0.83 | 0.134973 |
| Straight | 5 | 290,743,317,252 | 0.014586 | 68.56 | 0.23 | 0.072929 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,411,643,677,416 | 0.070819 | 14.12 | 0.29 | 0.212456 |
| Two Pair | 1 | 2,450,379,059,352 | 0.122929 | 8.13 | 0.00 | 0.122929 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 3,738,760,633,980 | 0.187564 | 5.33 | 0.00 | 0.187564 |
| Nothing | 0 | 11,434,089,541,740 | 0.573619 | 1.74 | 0.56 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.35 | 22.34 | 0.991771 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 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 |
| Pat Hand | Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578... |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J... |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJQ; TJK; TQK; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TQA; TKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 89TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89T; 89J; 8TJ |
| 1 Pair | TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9JK; 9QK |
| 1 Pair | 99 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 8JQ |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 568... |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 3 to a Flush | (more)2TA; 2JA; 2JQ; 2JK; 2QA; 2QK; 2KA; 3TA; 3JA; 3JQ; 3JK; 3QA; 3QK; 3KA... |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JQ; JK; QA; QK; KA |
| 4 to a Straight | 89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 3 to a Flush | (more)23J; 23Q; 24J; 24Q; 25J; 25Q; 26J; 26Q; 27J; 27Q; 27K; 28A; 28J; 28Q... |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 3 to a Flush | (more)23K; 24K; 25K; 26A; 26K; 27A; 34K; 35K; 36A; 36K; 37A; 45K; 46A; 46K... |
| 3 to a Straight | TJQ |
| 4 to a Straight | A234; A235; A245; A345; 789J; 78TJ; 79TJ; 89TQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ; TK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QA; KA |
| 2 to a Straight Flush | 9J |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TA |
| Single Card | an Ace |
| 4 to a Straight | (more)2346; 2356; 2456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789... |
| 3 to a Flush | (more)237; 238; 239; 23T; 247; 248; 249; 24T; 257; 258; 259; 25T; 267; 268... |
| 2 to a Straight Flush | 78; 9T |
| 2 to a Straight Flush | 45; 56; 67; 89 |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Straight Flush: 9J | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 9J | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 1 Pair: 88 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 8JQ | |
| 1 Pair: 99 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9JK | |
| 1 Pair: 99 | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9QK | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: QQ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: JQA | |
| 1 Pair: JJ | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: KK | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: JKA | |
| 1 Pair: QQ | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 1 Pair: KK | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 1 Pair: AA | 3 to a Royal Flush: QKA | |
| 4 to a Straight: 89TJ | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 45 | 2 to a Straight Flush: 89 | 4♣ 5♣ 8♦ 9♦ 10♥ |
| 2 to a Straight Flush: 45 | 2 to a Straight Flush: 9T | 4♣ 5♣ 8♦ 9♥ 10♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 589 | 4 to a Straight: 89JQ | 5♣ 8♣ 9♣ J♦ Q♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 68T | 4 to a Straight: 8TJQ | 6♣ 8♣ 10♣ J♦ Q♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 69T | 4 to a Straight: 9TJK | 6♣ 9♣ 10♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 69T | 4 to a Straight: 9TQK | 6♣ 9♣ 10♣ Q♦ K♥ |