Video Poker Strategy

General Strategies

• Never keep a kicker with any pair. Holding a kicker to any pair reduces your return by 5%.
• Never draw four cards if you can draw three to a royal flush.
• Always keep five-card winning pat hands with on exception: if you can, draw one card to a royal.
• Don't break a flush even if you can draw one to a straight flush, but always break a flush to draw to a royal.
• Never break a straight to draw to a straight flush.
• Never draw five if you have a jack or better.
• Don't keep a ten for a four card draw.

Deuces Wild Strategies

• It should go without saying you should always hold any 5 of a kind or royal flush.
• If you are dealt four 2's: hold them.
• If you've got three 2's keep them.
• If you are dealt two 2's ...
• hold any made straight, five of a kind or royal flush.
• hold any 4 of a kind.
• hold any 4 of a royal flush.
• otherwise, keep the 2's and discard the rest.
• If you've only been dealt a single 2, keep any made hand as follows ...
• hold four card royal flushes over made straights, flushes and straight flushes.
• keep four card straight flushes of all types.
• hold three card royal flushes .
• pairs: with two pair, keep one, but not both.
• hold four card flushes.
• hold four card straights.
• hold three card straight flushes, including gaps.
• hold four card inside straights.
• hang on to two card Q or J high straight flushes.
• discard two card royal flushes.

Jacks or Better Strategies

Hold all initially dealt hands that pay - potential exemptions may include...

• Hold four card royal flushes to make straights or flushes.
• Four card straight flushes, inside or outside.
• High card pairs rank here.
• Three card royal flushes.
• Four card flushes.
• Low pairs, trying to build three of a kind.
• Four card flushes.
• Four card straights. Hold inside straights only if you've got three or more high cards.

If you were not dealt a paying hand here's a general strategy ...

• Keep any two suited high cards. Discard unsuited high cards.
• Four mixed-suit high cards - keep any three suited, toss the unsuited - otherwise, keep them all.
• Three unsuited high cards - keep all three of K-Q-J - with A-K-J or A-Q-J, discard the A.
• Keep any two unsuited high cards.
• Keep any single high card.