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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 | 499,995,072 | 0.000025 | 39,866.85 | 16.01 | 0.020067 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 1,869,707,292 | 0.000094 | 10,661.15 | 0.14 | 0.003752 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 | 47,269,600,032 | 0.002371 | 421.69 | 0.85 | 0.047428 |
| Full House | 8 | 230,279,113,728 | 0.011553 | 86.56 | 0.55 | 0.092420 |
| Flush | 5 | 201,826,260,876 | 0.010125 | 98.76 | 0.15 | 0.050626 |
| Straight | 4 | 217,498,430,772 | 0.010911 | 91.65 | 0.09 | 0.043645 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,492,417,089,300 | 0.074871 | 13.36 | 0.27 | 0.224612 |
| Two Pair | 3 | 2,590,543,691,388 | 0.129961 | 7.69 | 0.47 | 0.389883 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,328,753,011,272 | 0.217163 | 4.60 | 0.00 | 0.217163 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,822,273,617,468 | 0.542926 | 1.84 | 0.64 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.19 | 19.19 | 1.089596 | |
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 | 498,166,584 | 0.000025 | 40,013.18 | 15.95 | 0.019993 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 1,882,860,804 | 0.000094 | 10,586.67 | 0.14 | 0.003778 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 | 47,263,999,368 | 0.002371 | 421.74 | 0.85 | 0.047422 |
| Full House | 8 | 230,252,558,472 | 0.011551 | 86.57 | 0.55 | 0.092410 |
| Flush | 5 | 202,171,748,232 | 0.010142 | 98.60 | 0.16 | 0.050712 |
| Straight | 4 | 217,009,324,884 | 0.010887 | 91.85 | 0.09 | 0.043547 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,492,201,329,924 | 0.074860 | 13.36 | 0.27 | 0.224580 |
| Two Pair | 3 | 2,590,266,057,084 | 0.129947 | 7.70 | 0.47 | 0.389841 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 4,331,395,419,120 | 0.217295 | 4.60 | 0.00 | 0.217295 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,820,289,052,728 | 0.542827 | 1.84 | 0.64 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.19 | 19.13 | 1.089580 | |
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)234J; 234Q; 234K; 235J; 235Q; 235K; 236A; 236J; 236Q; 236K; 237A; 237J... |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)2347; 2348; 2349; 234T; 2357; 2358; 2359; 235T; 2367; 2368; 2369; 236T... |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ; 9JQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; QK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; JK; QA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | KA |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 89J; 8TJ; 9TQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 9JQK; TJQA; TJKA; TQKA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ; JK; QK |
| 2 to a Straight | QA; KA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA |
| Single Card | a Jack |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 8TQ; 9TK |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | TQ |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | A23; A24; A25; A34; A35; A45 |
| Single Card | a Queen; a King; an Ace |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | (more)234; 235; 236; 245; 246; 256; 346; 347; 356; 357; 367; 457; 458; 467... |
| 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: TK | Single Card: a King | |
| Single Card: a Jack | 2 to a Straight: JA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | 2 to a Straight: QA | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 2 to a Royal Flush: TQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: TJ | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89Q | Single Card: a Queen | |
| 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: A25 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A34 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A35 | |
| Single Card: an Ace | 3 to a Straight Flush: A45 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9QK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 236 | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 246 | |
| Single Card: a Queen | 3 to a Straight Flush: 8TQ | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 256 | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 478 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 367 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 458 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 468 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 347 | |
| Garbage: Discard everything | 3 to a Straight Flush: 357 | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 8JQ | 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | |