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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 | 496,188,240 | 0.000025 | 40,172.72 | 15.89 | 0.019914 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,152,883,604 | 0.000108 | 9,258.85 | 0.26 | 0.005400 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 47,084,328,684 | 0.002362 | 423.35 | 1.37 | 0.059053 |
| Full House | 6 | 229,444,197,516 | 0.011511 | 86.88 | 0.29 | 0.069064 |
| Flush | 5 | 217,494,726,336 | 0.010911 | 91.65 | 0.18 | 0.054556 |
| Straight | 4 | 224,915,292,156 | 0.011283 | 88.63 | 0.10 | 0.045134 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,483,619,627,628 | 0.074429 | 13.44 | 0.31 | 0.223288 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,576,379,215,340 | 0.129250 | 7.74 | 0.14 | 0.258501 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,286,678,700,708 | 0.215052 | 4.65 | 0.00 | 0.215052 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,864,965,356,988 | 0.545068 | 1.83 | 0.49 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 19.04 | 0.949961 | |
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 | 497,326,536 | 0.000025 | 40,080.77 | 15.93 | 0.019960 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,149,441,884 | 0.000108 | 9,273.68 | 0.26 | 0.005392 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 47,077,676,412 | 0.002362 | 423.41 | 1.37 | 0.059044 |
| Full House | 6 | 229,426,215,948 | 0.011510 | 86.88 | 0.29 | 0.069058 |
| Flush | 5 | 217,405,279,800 | 0.010907 | 91.69 | 0.18 | 0.054533 |
| Straight | 4 | 224,956,336,860 | 0.011285 | 88.61 | 0.10 | 0.045142 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,483,408,383,936 | 0.074419 | 13.44 | 0.31 | 0.223257 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,576,184,534,216 | 0.129241 | 7.74 | 0.14 | 0.258481 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,287,261,552,120 | 0.215081 | 4.65 | 0.00 | 0.215081 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,864,863,769,488 | 0.545063 | 1.83 | 0.49 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 19.08 | 0.949948 | |
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 |
| 3 of a Kind | 222; 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush |
| 2 Pair | (more)2233; 2244; 2255; 2266; 2277; 2288; 2299; 22TT; 22JJ; 22QQ; 22KK; 22AA... |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A234; A235; A245; A345; 2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TJQ; TJK; TQA; TQK; TKA; JQA; JQK; JKA; QKA |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 234J; 234Q; 234K; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 235J... |
| 4 to a Straight | 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 8JQ; 9JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 89J; 8TJ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK; QK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45; 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; KA |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 568; 578; 689; 78J; 79J; 7TJ; 89Q; 8TQ; 9TK |
| 2 to a Straight | JK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 234; 235; 245; 346; 356; 457; 467; 679; 78T; 79T |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ; TK |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 236; 246; 256; 347; 357; 367; 458; 468; 478; 569; 579; 589; 67T; 68T; 69T |
| 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 King | 2 to a Royal Flush: TK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78T | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79T | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | |
| 2 to a Straight: JK | 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 78J | 2 to a Straight: JQ | 7♣ 8♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 3♣ 4♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 3♣ 5♣ 6♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 457 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 4♣ 5♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 467 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 4♣ 6♣ 7♣ J♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 679 | 2 to a Straight: JK | 6♣ 7♣ 9♣ J♦ K♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 234 | 2♣ 3♣ 4♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 235 | 2♣ 3♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 245 | 2♣ 4♣ 5♣ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 346 | 2♣ 3♦ 4♦ 6♦ J♥ |
| Single Card: a Jack | 3 to a Straight Flush: 356 | 2♣ 3♦ 5♦ 6♦ J♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | 7♣ 8♣ 9♣ Q♦ K♦ |