Video Poker Strategy Quiz

3 December 2022

By Jerry Stickman

This article contains a video poker strategy quiz. The game is full-pay (9/6 – 9-for-1 full house, 6-for-1 flush) jacks or better.

The quiz assumes the maximum five credits is played. The maximum bet produces the highest long-term return because the royal flush pays 800-for-1 (4,000-for-5) rather than 250-for-1 when less than the maximum is bet.

Look at the dealt hand below and decide which card or cards you would hold. Then read on to see if you are right.

These quizzes will be posted periodically and will feature hands that have holds that produce very close results.

Here is today’s dealt hand: 5d, 2d, Qs, Tc, Jc
• 5 of diamonds – (5d)
• 2 of diamonds – (2d)
• Queen of spades – (Qs)
• 10 of clubs – (Tc)
• Jack of clubs – (Jc)

The three apparent best choices of cards to hold are:
1. Tc, Jc – (Two-card royal flush – one high card)
2. Qs, Jc – (Two high cards)
3. Qs, Tc, Jc – (Three-card open straight – 2 high cards)

Choice 1 (Tc, Jc) two suited high cards can produce a royal flush, straight flush and many others.

Choice 2 (Qs, Jc) two unsuited high cards.

Choice 3 (Qs, Tc, Jc) three cards of an open straight with two high cards.

Let’s look at the returns from each of these holds along with an explanation of which winning hands play a part in the respective return.

1. Tc, Jc: Long-term return – 2.4841 for five credits bet.
• 16,215 possible final hands.
• 2,847 high pairs paying 1-for-1.
• 711 two-pair hands paying 2-for-1.
• 281 three-of-a-kind hands paying 3-for-1.
• 204 straights paying 4-for-1.
• 161 flushes paying 6-for-1.
• 18 full houses paying 9-for-1.
• Two four-of-a-kind hands paying 125-for-1.
• Three straight flushes paying 250-for-1.
• One royal flush paying 800-for-1.

2. Qs, Jc: Long term return – 2.4900 for five credits bet.
• 16,215 possible final hands.
• 5,022 high pairs paying 1-for-1.
• 711 two-pair hands paying 2-for-1.
• 281 three-of-a-kind hands paying 3-for-1.
• 144 straights paying 4-for-1.
• 18 full houses paying 9-for-1.
• Two four-of-a-kind hands paying 125-for-1.

3. Qs, Tc, Jc: Long term return – 2.3728 for five credits bet.
• 1,081 possible final hands.
• 240 high pairs paying 1-for-1.
• 27 two-pair hands paying 2-for-1.
• 9 three-of-a-kind hands paying 3-for-1.
• 48 straights paying 4-for-1.

Explanations

Hold 1 (Tc, Jc) can produce every one of the paying hands on the pay schedule – including a royal flush.

Hold 2 (Qs, Jc) cannot produce a flush, straight flush, or a royal flush. It does, however, produce almost twice as many high pairs as hold 1. This is enough to overcome all the other winning combinations, bumping the return to just slightly more than hold 1.

Hold 3 (Qs, Tc, Jc) cannot produce any winning hand higher than a straight – giving this hand the lowest return of the three.

Hold 2 (Qs, Jc) is the proper hold – by a slight margin.

Did you play this hand correctly?

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines. He authored the video poker section of "Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!" You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com