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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 | 250 | 387,195,108 | 0.000019 | 51,481.10 | 1.20 | 0.004856 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,111,128,884 | 0.000106 | 9,441.98 | 0.25 | 0.005296 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 47,107,140,012 | 0.002363 | 423.15 | 1.36 | 0.059081 |
| Full House | 9 | 229,285,069,308 | 0.011503 | 86.94 | 0.74 | 0.103524 |
| Flush | 6 | 238,935,420,048 | 0.011987 | 83.43 | 0.30 | 0.071921 |
| Straight | 4 | 219,639,878,952 | 0.011019 | 90.75 | 0.10 | 0.044075 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,482,372,455,112 | 0.074367 | 13.45 | 0.30 | 0.223101 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,571,132,150,144 | 0.128987 | 7.75 | 0.13 | 0.257974 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,263,854,894,280 | 0.213907 | 4.67 | 0.00 | 0.213907 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,878,405,185,352 | 0.545742 | 1.83 | 0.53 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 4.93 | 0.983735 | |
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 | 250 | 387,847,848 | 0.000019 | 51,394.46 | 1.21 | 0.004864 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 2,107,672,200 | 0.000106 | 9,457.46 | 0.25 | 0.005287 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 47,116,548,756 | 0.002364 | 423.06 | 1.36 | 0.059093 |
| Full House | 9 | 229,341,698,244 | 0.011505 | 86.91 | 0.74 | 0.103549 |
| Flush | 6 | 237,362,538,012 | 0.011908 | 83.98 | 0.30 | 0.071447 |
| Straight | 4 | 219,619,460,832 | 0.011018 | 90.76 | 0.10 | 0.044071 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,482,869,437,416 | 0.074392 | 13.44 | 0.30 | 0.223175 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,572,002,119,952 | 0.129031 | 7.75 | 0.13 | 0.258062 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,269,158,797,392 | 0.214173 | 4.67 | 0.00 | 0.214173 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,873,264,396,548 | 0.545484 | 1.83 | 0.53 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.20 | 4.93 | 0.983722 | |
The following table shows the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| 4 of a Kind | (more)2222; 3333; 4444; 5555; 6666; 7777; 8888; 9999; TTTT; JJJJ; QQQQ; KKKK... |
| Pat Hand | Full House; Straight Flush; Royal Flush |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 4 to a Straight | TJQK |
| 1 Pair | TT |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | TJA; TQA; TKA |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99 |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 8JQ; 9TJ; 9TQ; 9JQ; 9JK; 9QK |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 3 to a Flush | (more)2JA; 2QA; 2KA; 3JA; 3QA; 3KA; 4JA; 4QA; 4KA; 5JA; 5QA; 5KA; 6JA; 6QA... |
| 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 |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QA; KA |
| 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) |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | Single Card: a Jack | |
| 3 to a Flush: 2JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 3JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 4JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 5JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 6JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 7JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 2QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 3QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 4QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 5QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 6QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 7QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 8QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 3 to a Flush: 8JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 79J | 4 to a Straight: 9JQK | 7♣ 9♣ J♣ Q♦ K♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJQA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ Q♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 7TJ | 4 to a Straight: TJKA | 7♣ 10♣ J♣ K♦ A♥ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | 4 to a Straight: TQKA | 8♣ 10♣ Q♣ K♦ A♥ |