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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 | 507,266,988 | 0.000025 | 39,295.34 | 16.24 | 0.020359 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 1,539,768,744 | 0.000077 | 12,945.60 | 0.12 | 0.003090 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 | 45,504,980,652 | 0.002283 | 438.05 | 0.81 | 0.045657 |
| Full House | 8 | 224,449,957,548 | 0.011260 | 88.81 | 0.52 | 0.090081 |
| Flush | 5 | 203,592,978,948 | 0.010214 | 97.91 | 0.15 | 0.051069 |
| Straight | 4 | 185,929,056,300 | 0.009328 | 107.21 | 0.07 | 0.037310 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,430,910,810,000 | 0.071785 | 13.93 | 0.24 | 0.215356 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,522,489,732,568 | 0.126547 | 7.90 | 0.08 | 0.253094 |
| Jacks or Better | 2 | 4,634,257,125,168 | 0.232489 | 4.30 | 0.16 | 0.464978 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,684,048,840,284 | 0.535992 | 1.87 | 0.75 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.16 | 19.14 | 1.180993 | |
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 | 506,330,448 | 0.000025 | 39,368.03 | 16.21 | 0.020321 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 1,544,871,468 | 0.000078 | 12,902.84 | 0.12 | 0.003100 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 | 45,300,116,784 | 0.002273 | 440.03 | 0.80 | 0.045452 |
| Full House | 8 | 223,740,928,656 | 0.011225 | 89.09 | 0.52 | 0.089796 |
| Flush | 5 | 203,542,837,164 | 0.010211 | 97.93 | 0.15 | 0.051056 |
| Straight | 4 | 187,081,885,956 | 0.009385 | 106.55 | 0.07 | 0.037542 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 1,423,285,694,304 | 0.071403 | 14.01 | 0.24 | 0.214208 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2,513,135,400,768 | 0.126078 | 7.93 | 0.08 | 0.252155 |
| Jacks or Better | 2 | 4,657,775,262,228 | 0.233669 | 4.28 | 0.16 | 0.467338 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,677,317,189,424 | 0.535654 | 1.87 | 0.75 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.15 | 19.10 | 1.180968 | |
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)2345; 2346; 2356; 2456; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4567; 4568; 4578; 4678... |
| 1 Pair | JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | A234; A235; A245; A345; 789J; 78TJ; 79TJ; 89TQ; 89JQ; 8TJQ; 9TJK; 9TQK |
| 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 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9JQ |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JQ; JK; QK |
| 4 to a Straight | JQKA |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | JA; QA; KA |
| 3 to a Straight | JQK |
| 1 Pair | TT |
| 2 to a Straight | JQ |
| 4 to a Straight | 89TJ |
| 1 Pair | 99 |
| 2 to a Straight | JK; QK |
| 1 Pair | 22; 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88 |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 9TJ |
| 2 to a Straight | JA; QA; KA |
| Single Card | a Jack; a Queen; a King; an Ace |
| 4 to a Straight | 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| 1 Pair: 22 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 33 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 44 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 55 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 66 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 77 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 88 | 2 to a Straight: JK | |
| 1 Pair: 22 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 33 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 44 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 55 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 66 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 77 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 1 Pair: 88 | 2 to a Straight: QK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: KA | 4 to a Straight: JQKA | |
| 4 to a Straight: 89TJ | 1 Pair: TT | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JQ | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9JQ | |
| 1 Pair: 88 | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 1 Pair: 99 | 2 to a Straight: JQ | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: QA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | |
| 2 to a Royal Flush: JA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | |
| 2 to a Straight: JA | 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: JK | 9♣ J♣ Q♦ K♣ A♥ |
| 4 to a Straight: JQKA | 2 to a Royal Flush: QK | 9♣ J♦ Q♣ K♣ A♥ |