Video Poker table

Holding the King (4th card) preserves a high card with drawing potential for a pair of jacks or better. Discarding 6d, 3d, 6h, 4d gives three draws to improve, with best case a full house (6-6-K pair develops) or a high pair (K-pair). This maximizes expected value compared to holding both 6s (which only makes two pair or trips) or discarding all cards.

Holding Q-A gives us a draw to a royal flush (need K-J of hearts) plus an ace-high straight draw and potential pair of aces. Discarding 4-T-5 (weak cards with no straight potential together) maximizes EV. The Q-A combination offers better expected value than any other hold pattern.

Hold the pair of fives. This guarantees at least 5 credits for a pair and offers potential for three of a kind or full house with the draw. Discarding all other cards maximizes expected value given the weak kicker situation.

Hold Ah-Qs-Kd (high cards and diamonds). Discarding 9d and 6d gives best EV by drawing two cards to improve toward a flush (4 diamonds toward royal), or maintain high card pair value (A-K-Q). This pattern captures multiple winning paths with the discards of low kickers.

Hold the three 5s (pair of 5s already made). Discarding 9h and 3d gives the best expected value by maximizing chances to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Holding the pair of tens (Tc, Th) gives a guaranteed 5 credits and keeps the possibility of improving to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. The other cards (8h, 2c, 7c) do not form a flush draw or straight possibility worth pursuing over the certain value of the pair.

Hold the King (high card with pay potential). Discarding 2-8-5-2 gives the best chance to complete a paying hand, particularly aiming for a pair of jacks or better, or a straight/flush draw.

Hold K and A for high-card kicker flexibility. KA is a strong premium pair that has better expected value than breaking to pursue the weak 4-card straight or drawing to three cards with 6-7-T; keeping the jack or better pair maximizes payout probability.

Hold the pair of Kings (Ks, Kh) for a guaranteed 5-credit payout (jacks or better). Discarding 5s, Ts, and 8h gives the best expected value, as we have three cards to improve to trips, a full house, or better while keeping the sure pair.

Holding the Queen high (Qh) gives the best expected value. The pair of deuces doesn't qualify for payment. Discarding four cards to draw toward a high card or straight/flush with the Queen is the optimal play in Jacks or Better.

Holding the pair of Queens (Qs and Qc) gives an immediate payout of 5 credits (jacks or better). Discarding 9h, 2s, and 7h maximizes the chance of drawing to a full house, three of a kind, or two pair while securing the baseline payout.

Hold the pair of 9s (9d, 9c). This guarantees a payout of 5 credits for a pair of jacks or better. Discarding 5d, 6c, 2d gives the best chance to improve to three-of-a-kind, full house, or four-of-a-kind while keeping the guaranteed payout.

Hold 7c, 6c, 4c for the three-flush draw. This gives 15 remaining cards that complete a flush (9 clubs plus 6 other cards in straights), offering better EV than breaking for the ace or holding just the high cards. Discarding Ah and 3d maximizes drawing potential.

Hold Jh and Qs for a high-card pair of jacks or better, which guarantees a 5-credit win. Discarding 8d, 2s, Ts leaves room for a straight, flush, or three-of-a-kind draw, but the guaranteed jacks-or-better payout is the highest-EV play here.

Hold Qs-4s-5s for the four-card flush (three spades with two more spades in deck improving significantly). Discard Ad and 6s. The flush draw (six outs minimum) has strong expected value; keeping only the queen pair (jacks or better) is suboptimal given the deck composition and payout structure.

Holding both jacks (Js and Jh) guarantees a minimum payout of 5 credits for a pair of jacks or better. This is the strongest guaranteed value from the current hand. Discarding 5d, 7d, and 7h gives the best chance to improve to a higher-paying hand like three of a kind, full house, or trips while maintaining the pair insurance.

Hold the pair of tens (Th, Td) for a guaranteed 5-credit payout. Discarding the ace, 5, and 6 gives the best chance to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. The ace alone doesn't justify holding over the strong pair.

Keep K♦ and A♠ (both face cards worth holding; A can make straights/wheels and contributes to jacks-or-better). Discard 4♥, 8♣, 3♣ as unpaired low cards. This maximizes expected value by retaining premium cards and drawing three fresh cards for a chance at high-value hands.

Hold the Jack and Ten for a chance to make a paying pair (jacks or better). Discarding 4, 2, and 8 gives three draws to improve. A pair of jacks or better pays 5 credits; this is the highest expected value play from these five cards.

Hold Q♥ and A♦ to pursue high-card draws toward a pair of jacks or better or higher combinations. This maximizes expected value by targeting premium hands while discarding the weak 3♣, 2♠, and 5♥.

Hold the Ace and 8 of hearts for a flush draw (4 to a flush) plus an overcard. Discarding 5d, 7h, 4s gives the best expected value by chasing the flush while maintaining the ace as a high card.

Hold Q♠ and A♣ for potential Broadway straight/royal or high pair. Discard 6♦, 2♠, 2♥ as the pair of deuces is worthless, and this configuration maximizes EV by keeping two high cards with straight possibilities.

Three kings is a strong hand paying 15 credits. Holding all three kings while discarding the 4c and 7c gives the best chance to improve to four of a kind (125 credits) or a full house (45 credits), far outweighing the guaranteed three-of-a-kind payout.

Hold the Queen and Ace. Both are high cards that could lead to a pair of jacks or better. Discarding the 8, 7, and 10 gives the best chance to improve the hand through the draw, aiming for a paying combination.

7-high trash hand with no pairs, no draws to straights or flushes. Discarding all five cards gives the best expected value by allowing for any paying hand from the redraw.

Hold the 9h to pursue a flush draw (three hearts already: 8h, 6h, 9h). Discarding 8h, Ts, 6h, Jc gives nine outs (remaining hearts) for a flush (30 credits) with solid expected value.

Hold the two high cards (King and Queen). Discarding 3h, 6s, 9s gives three chances to hit a pair of jacks or better, a straight, or a flush. This maximizes expected value given the dealt hand.

Holding only the King maximizes expected value. This hand has no pairs, straights, or flushes, so the best strategy is to hold the highest card (King) and draw four new cards, giving the best chance to make a paying hand like a pair of jacks or better, three of a kind, or higher.

Holding the three aces (Ad, Ac, As) gives a strong three-of-a-kind hand worth 15 credits. Discarding 9d and 8c maximizes the chance of improving to a full house or four of a kind, both of which pay significantly more. Drawing two cards to three aces is the optimal play here.

Holding only the King (Kd) gives the best expected value. The hand has no made hand currently, and with four different ranks and one unpaired honor, keeping the King offers the highest probability of drawing into jacks-or-better or better, compared to breaking up any potential draw or holding multiple disconnected cards.

Hold 6h-8h-7s to pursue a straight draw (need 5 or 9). This offers better expected value than holding the Ace alone or playing for a flush draw, given the realistic probability of hitting within the remaining deck.

Hold As and Kc (pair of aces, jacks or better). Discarding 6s, 2s, 8c gives the best expected value by keeping a guaranteed payout while drawing to improve to a flush, straight, or higher pair.

Hold the pair of queens (Js, Qs). This maximizes expected value by securing a guaranteed winner (jacks or better pays 5 credits) while drawing three cards hoping to improve to three of a kind, a full house, or better. Discarding 7c, 6c, Qh gives the best EV among all 32 possible hold patterns.

Hold the two jacks (Jd and Jc) for a guaranteed pair of jacks or better (5 credits). Discarding 5d, 9d, and 7d maximizes the probability of improving to three of a kind, full house, or better on the draw, since we retain premium cards and have three draw chances.

Hold the K♣ and Q♠ for a potential pair of jacks or better, or draw to improve toward a straight or flush. Discarding the low cards (2♦, 7♦, 2♣) gives the best chance for a paying hand with the strongest starting cards.

Hold the King high. With no pairs, no straight possibilities (T-K-9-8-7 is gapped), and no flush draw, the best strategy is to keep the high card (K) and draw 4 new cards, hoping to make a pair of jacks or better, or draw to a paying hand.

Hold only the King. This hand has no current pairs or high cards (Ace or face cards except K). Discarding T, 8, 6, 3 gives the best chance to draw toward a paying hand (pair of Jacks or better, straight, flush, or better). Keeping the King preserves at least a potential pair of Kings on the draw.

Hold the Jack of spades as the only card with immediate pair potential for Jacks or Better (guaranteed 5 credits). Discarding the other four cards gives the best expected value by allowing up to four new cards to potentially form a paying hand (straight, flush, three of a kind, or improve to a pair of Jacks).

Hold the pair of kings (Kh and Kc) for guaranteed one credit, which optimizes expected value. Discarding the Q, 7, and 3 maximizes chances of improving to a higher-paying hand (three of a kind, full house, or better) while retaining the certain jacks-or-better payout.

Hold the two clubs (6c, 4c) to pursue a flush draw. With 47 cards remaining and 9 clubs left in the deck, drawing three cards gives a reasonable chance of making a flush (6 credits) or better. This is the highest expected value play from the weak starting hand.