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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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 2.2 | 114,950,220 | 0.000006 | 173,407.50 | 0.00 | 0.000013 |
| Four Deuces | 2.2 | 2,908,248,756 | 0.000146 | 6,854.03 | 0.00 | 0.000321 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 2.2 | 12,736,039,472 | 0.000639 | 1,565.10 | 0.00 | 0.001406 |
| Five of a Kind | 2.2 | 44,965,131,480 | 0.002256 | 443.30 | 0.00 | 0.004963 |
| Straight Flush | 2.2 | 57,473,998,396 | 0.002883 | 346.82 | 0.00 | 0.006343 |
| Four of a Kind | 2.2 | 1,186,979,874,552 | 0.059548 | 16.79 | 0.08 | 0.131005 |
| Full House | 2.2 | 353,035,637,664 | 0.017711 | 56.46 | 0.03 | 0.038964 |
| Flush | 2.2 | 295,785,795,336 | 0.014839 | 67.39 | 0.02 | 0.032645 |
| Straight | 2.2 | 1,043,244,412,932 | 0.052337 | 19.11 | 0.07 | 0.115141 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.2 | 6,166,512,737,796 | 0.309358 | 3.23 | 0.44 | 0.680589 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,769,473,690,596 | 0.540277 | 1.85 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.18 | 1.20 | 1.011390 | |
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 |
| Natural Royal Flush | 2.2 | 113,016,540 | 0.000006 | 176,374.45 | 0.00 | 0.000012 |
| Four Deuces | 2.2 | 2,698,448,832 | 0.000135 | 7,386.92 | 0.00 | 0.000298 |
| Wild Royal Flush | 2.2 | 12,937,634,520 | 0.000649 | 1,540.72 | 0.00 | 0.001428 |
| Five of a Kind | 2.2 | 44,623,906,944 | 0.002239 | 446.69 | 0.00 | 0.004925 |
| Straight Flush | 2.2 | 56,611,702,416 | 0.002840 | 352.10 | 0.00 | 0.006248 |
| Four of a Kind | 2.2 | 1,183,509,372,192 | 0.059374 | 16.84 | 0.08 | 0.130622 |
| Full House | 2.2 | 353,495,143,248 | 0.017734 | 56.39 | 0.03 | 0.039015 |
| Flush | 2.2 | 294,931,213,308 | 0.014796 | 67.59 | 0.02 | 0.032551 |
| Straight | 2.2 | 1,042,027,930,956 | 0.052276 | 19.13 | 0.07 | 0.115007 |
| Three of a Kind | 2.2 | 6,172,772,307,084 | 0.309672 | 3.23 | 0.44 | 0.681279 |
| Nothing | 0 | 10,769,509,841,160 | 0.540279 | 1.85 | 0.55 | 0.000000 |
| Totals | 19,933,230,517,200 | 1.000000 | 2.18 | 1.20 | 1.011386 | |
The following tables show the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy — No Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| 3 of a Kind | 333; 444; 555; 666; 777; 888; 999; TTT; JJJ; QQQ; KKK; AAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Straight Flush; Natural Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ |
| 4 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJQK |
| 1 Pair | 33; 44; 55; 66; 77; 88; 99; TT; JJ; QQ; KK; AA |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)A345; 3456; 3457; 3467; 3567; 4568; 4578; 4678; 5679; 5689; 5789; 678T... |
| 4 to a Natural Royal Flush | TJQA; TJKA; TQKA; JQKA |
| 4 to a Straight | 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK |
| 4 to a Flush | (more)3458; 3459; 345T; 345J; 345Q; 345K; 346A; 3468; 3469; 346T; 346J; 346Q... |
| Garbage | Discard everything |
| Basic Strategy — One Wild Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| 3 of a Kind | W33; W44; W55; W66; W77; W88; W99; WTT; WJJ; WQQ; WKK; WAA |
| Pat Hand | Straight; Flush; Straight Flush; Wild Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Straight | W567; W678; W789; W89T; W9TJ; WTJQ |
| 4 to a Straight Flush | (more)W345; W346; W347; W356; W357; W367; W456; W457; W458; W467; W468; W478... |
| 4 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJA; WTJQ; WTJK; WTQA; WTQK; WTKA; WJQA; WJQK; WJKA; WQKA |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | W67; W78; W89; W9T |
| 3 to a Wild Royal Flush | WTJ |
| Wild Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Two Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
| Wilds Only | |
| Basic Strategy — Three Wilds Dealt | |
|---|---|
| Type of Play | Play Details |
The following table shows the exceptions to the basic strategy:
| Basic Strategy Exceptions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Right Play | Wrong Play | Pattern(s) |
| 1 Pair: WT | Wild Only | |
| 1 Pair: W7 | Wild Only | |
| 1 Pair: W9 | Wild Only | |
| 1 Pair: W8 | Wild Only | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 789 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 89T | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 9TJ | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 567 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 3 to a Straight Flush: 678 | Garbage: Discard everything | |
| 3 to a Natural Royal Flush: TJQ | Garbage: Discard everything | |