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Bonus Poker

Introduction

This page shows my strategy for 8/5 Bonus Poker. With optimal strategy, the expected return of 8/5 Bonus Poker is 99.17%. Often, 8/5 Bonus Poker is the best available video poker game in a given casino, so it is a valuable strategy to know. The following table shows the probability and return for each hand.

"8/5" Bonus Poker — 99.17%

Hand Payoff Combinations Probability Return
Royal flush 800 495443136 0.000025 0.019884
Straight flush 50 2129604264 0.000107 0.005342
4 aces 80 3903775812 0.000196 0.015667
4 2-4 40 10509866328 0.000527 0.021090
4 5-K 25 32688417336 0.001640 0.040997
Full house 8 229516869924 0.011514 0.092114
Flush 5 216873645000 0.010880 0.054400
Straight 4 223676319912 0.011221 0.044885
3 of a kind 3 1484391167856 0.074468 0.223405
Two pair 2 2577523603752 0.129308 0.258616
Jacks or better 1 4290810981444 0.215259 0.215259
Nothing 0 10860710822436 0.544855 0.000000
Total   19933230517200 1.000000 0.991660

Conflict Hands

The following list shows all the difficult hands, and how to correctly play them.

Definitions:
  • High Card = Jack, Queen, King or Ace
  • Straight Flush draw (type 1) = Straight flush draw where high cards minus gaps >= 1 .
  • Straight Flush draw (type 2) = Straight flush draw where high cards minus gaps = 0 .
  • Straight Flush draw (type 3) = Straight flush draw where high cards minus gaps = -1 & all ace-low draws.
  • Straight Flush draw (type 4) = Straight flush draw with two gaps and no high cards & includes 234 suited.
Difficult hands:
  1. K Q J T 9 — Straight flush or 4 to a royal flush: Keep the Straight Flush
  2. A K Q J T — 4 to a royal flush or Straight: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  3. A K J T 9 — 4 to a royal flush or Flush: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  4. A K Q J J — 4 to a royal flush or High pair: Keep 4 to a royal flush
  5. A 2 3 4 5 — Straight or 4 to a straight flush: Keep the straight
  6. A K Q J T — Straight or 3 to a royal flush: Keep the straight
  7. T T T J Q — Three of a kind or 3 to a royal flush: Keep Three of a kind
  8. Q J T 9 Q — 4 to a straight flush or High pair: Keep 4 to a straight flush
  9. 9 T J Q 2 — 4 to a straight flush or 3 to a royal flush: Keep 4 to a straight flush
  10. K K Q Q J — Two pair or 3 to a royal flush: Keep the two pair
  11. A K K Q 3 — High pair or 3 to a royal flush: Keep High pair
  12. 3 7 9 J J — High pair or 4 to a flush: Keep High pair
  13. K Q J T J — High pair or KQJT unsuited: Keep High pair
  14. 2 A Q T 4 — 3 to a royal flush or 4 to a flush: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  15. T J Q K 8 — 3 to a royal flush or 4 to an outside straight: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  16. Q J T T 3 — 3 to a royal flush or Low pair: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  17. A K Q J 9 — 3 to a royal flush or AKQJ unsuited: Keep 3 to a royal flush
  18. 3 7 9 T T — 4 to a flush or Low pair: Keep 4 to a flush
  19. 2 5 6 7 T — 4 to a flush or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep 4 to a flush
  20. K Q J T T — KQJT unsuited or Low pair: Keep KQJT unsuited
  21. K Q J T 8 — KQJT unsuited or 2 suited high cards: Keep KQJT unsuited
  22. K Q J T 2 — KQJT unsuited or JT suited: Keep KQJT unsuited
  23. K Q J T 7 — KQJT unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep KQJT unsuited
  24. 6 7 8 9 9 — Low pair or 4 to an outside straight: Keep Low pair
  25. 9 9 T J 4 — Low pair or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep Low pair
  26. K Q J 9 9 — Low pair or 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards: Keep Low pair
  27. 8 9 T J 3 — 4 to an outside straight or 3 to a straight flush (any type): Keep 4 to an outside straight
  28. A K Q J 5 — AKQJ unsuited or 2 suited high cards: Keep AKQJ unsuited
  29. K J 3 4 5 — 2 suited high cards or 3 to a straight flush (type 2, 3, or 4): Keep 2 suited high cards
  30. K Q J 9 7 — 2 suited high cards or 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards: Keep 2 suited high cards
  31. K Q J 7 5 — 2 suited high cards or Unsuited JQK: Keep 2 suited high cards
  32. 3 4 5 J Q — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) or two unsuited high cards: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  33. 3 4 5 T J — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) or JT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  34. 8 9 J Q K — 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards
  35. 7 8 J Q K — Unsuited JQK or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep Unsuited JQK
  36. A 2 3 J Q — Unsuited JQ or 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep Unsuited JQ
  37. 2 4 T J Q — Unsuited JQ or JT suited: Keep Unsuited JQ
  38. J Q 2 3 4 — Unsuited JQ or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep Unsuited JQ
  39. A 3 5 K Q — 3 to a straight flush (type 3) or KQ, KJ unsuited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  40. A 3 5 J T — 3 to a straight flush (type 3) or JT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  41. K J T 4 7 — KJ unsuited or JT suited: Keep KJ unsuited
  42. A K Q 8 6 — KQ, KJ unsuited or AK, AQ, AJ unsuited: Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  43. K J 2 3 4 — KQ, KJ unsuited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  44. K Q T 7 3 — KQ, KJ unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep KQ, KJ unsuited
  45. J T A 5 7 — JT suited or AK, AQ, AJ unsuited: Keep JT suited
  46. J T 2 3 4 — JT suited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep JT suited
  47. A K 2 3 4 — AK, AQ, AJ unsuited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  48. A Q T 8 4 — AK, AQ, AJ unsuited or KT, QT suited: Keep AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  49. A 2 3 4 9 — Ace or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep Ace
  50. 2 3 4 Q T — 3 to a straight flush (type 4) or KT, QT suited: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  51. 2 3 4 J 7 — 3 to a straight flush (type 4) or Jack, Queen or King: Keep 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  52. K T 2 4 6 — KT, QT suited or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep KT, QT suited
  53. K 3 5 7 9 — Jack, Queen or King or 3 to a straight flush (type 4): Keep Jack, Queen or King

Traditional Strategy Table

The following list shows the value of each type of hand on the deal, in order from best to worst. To play a difficult hand, look up all viable ways to play it on the list, and play the highest one.
  1. Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush
  2. 4 to a royal flush
  3. Straight, flush, full house
  4. Three of a kind
  5. 4 to a straight flush
  6. Two pair
  7. High pair
  8. 3 to a royal flush
  9. 4 to a flush
  10. KQJT unsuited
  11. Low pair
  12. 4 to an outside straight
  13. 3 to a straight flush (type 1)
  14. AKQJ unsuited
  15. 2 suited high cards
  16. 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
  17. 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards
  18. Unsuited JQK
  19. Unsuited JQ
  20. 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
  21. KQ, KJ unsuited
  22. JT suited
  23. AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
  24. Ace
  25. KT, QT suited
  26. Jack, Queen or King
  27. 3 to a straight flush (type 4)
  28. Discard everything

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