Video Poker table

Three of a kind (nines) is held and the other two cards are drawn, which is the optimal play with an EV of about 4.3 per credit. That beats every other hold, including keeping the kicker.

There is no pair, no four-card draw, and no straight-flush draw, so the strongest hold is the lone high card, the As. Standard 9/6 strategy keeps the ace alone rather than a three-card flush draw.

There is no paying hand or strong draw, so I keep the lone ace. Holding just the ace returns about 0.47 per credit, more than the inside straight draws, which return about 0.34 to 0.40.

Holding the lone jack is worth roughly 0.47 per credit. The inside straight draw (J-9-8-7, needing a 10) is worth only about 0.40, so the full-pay strategy keeps just the jack.

Three of a kind (sixes) is already a paying hand; holding the three sixes and drawing two gives the best expected value, with chances at a full house or quads.

A pair of kings is a guaranteed paying hand, and holding it (EV about 1.54) beats drawing to the three-card diamond flush. Keep both kings and discard the other three cards.

There is no pair, draw, or two-card high combination here, so the best hold should be the lone queen. Under standard 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a suited Q9 is not worth keeping over the single high card.

Holding the pair of 9s (expected value about 0.82 per credit) beats the double-gapped three-card straight flush 3-4-7 of clubs, which has no high cards.

There is no pair, no suited high cards, and no flush or straight draw worth more. Holding unsuited KQJ keeps three high cards toward a high pair and an open-ended straight; it is the optimal 9/6 strategy play here.

There is no made hand. Standard 9/6 strategy keeps two unsuited high cards (AJ) over the 4-card inside straight with one high card or the three-to-a-straight-flush draw, which have lower expected value.

5-6-7-8 is an open-ended straight draw with 8 outs, worth about 0.68 per credit. That beats holding the lone jack.

A low pair (about 0.82 EV) beats the inside straight draw 5-7-8-9, which needs a 6. So I keep the pair of nines and draw three.

Four to a flush (EV about 1.21 per credit) beats holding the low pair of sixes (about 0.82), so I keep the four hearts and discard the 6d.

A low pair of sixes is worth more than any other option here (the 2-5-6 straight cards and the suited 2-6 are much weaker), so keep the 6s and draw three.

Under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a suited KJ (two cards toward a royal) outranks holding three unsuited high cards, so I keep the suited KJ and discard the rest.

A low pair of sixes is worth more than any alternative here, including the 4-card inside straight 2-4-6 with no high cards, so I hold the 6d and 6c and draw three.

Holding 3c-4c-7c, a three-card straight flush draw with two gaps and no high cards. Standard 9/6 strategy ranks it slightly above keeping the lone jack (about 0.48 vs 0.47 expected return per credit).

No pair, flush draw, or useful straight draw here, so the best hold is the two unsuited high cards, King and Queen. Either one can pair up into jacks or better.

There is no four-card straight or flush draw available here. Keeping the low pair of sevens is the standard highest-EV hold.

Holding the four hearts (2h, 9h, 7h, Ah) and drawing one card gives 9 outs to a flush plus a chance at a paying pair of aces. That is worth about 1.21 per credit, more than any other hold.

Four to a flush (7h Kh 3h Qh) has an expected value of about 1.28 per credit. That beats holding KQJ unsuited or the suited KQ.

Under standard 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a suited 10-J (two-card royal) beats holding the lone jack. None of the discards are hearts, so there is no flush penalty.

With no pair, flush draw or straight draw, the strongest option under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy is to hold the two unsuited high cards, QJ. Discard the 4, 2 and 6.

A lone queen (about 0.47 per credit) is worth more than the four-card inside straight 6-7-8-T with no high cards (about 0.34). The strategy chart ranks a single high card above that draw, so I keep only the Qs.

A pair of aces is already a paying hand, and holding it has a higher expected value than the A-2-3 of spades straight-flush draw or keeping the jack as a kicker.

Holding unsuited A-J (about 0.46 EV) beats drawing to the A-2-3-5 inside straight (about 0.40) under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy.

A low pair (3s) beats holding a single high card in 9/6 Jacks or Better, so I keep the pair of 3s and draw three.

Three to a royal flush (Ah Jh Th) outranks the four-card inside straight AKJT in optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy.

Three of a kind (jacks) is already a paying hand; holding the three jacks and drawing two gives the highest expected value, with chances at a full house or four of a kind.

There is no pair, no four-card draw and no strong partial flush. Holding the lone king beats keeping the three-card club flush with one high card or the unsuited K-T under optimal 9/6 strategy.

There is no pair, no draw and no suited high-card combination here, so holding the lone king gives the best expected return. The discarded ten is a different suit, so it does not hurt the king's royal chances.

There is no pair, no suited high cards and no useful draw, so the King is the only card worth keeping. Optimal Jacks or Better strategy holds a lone high card over discarding all five or keeping the offsuit K-T.

A low pair (about 0.82 per credit) beats keeping a lone queen or the pair plus the queen, so hold the two sevens and draw three.

There is no pair, high card, or real straight draw, and the three spades (9-6-2) are not a straight-flush draw. Drawing five new cards has the higher expected value than holding the three-card flush.

Two pair (sevens and sixes) is already a paying hand. Holding it and drawing one card for a possible full house has a higher expected value than breaking it for the 6-7-8 straight draw.

In 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, suited KQ (Kd Qd) ranks above a 4-card inside straight with three high cards (9-J-Q-K) and above unsuited KQJ. So I hold Kd and Qd.

The lone jack has a higher expected value (about 0.47 per credit) than drawing to the 5-6-8-9 inside straight, which has only 4 outs (about 0.34).

A high pair of jacks is the best hold here, worth about 1.54 per credit. Keeping the ace as a kicker lowers the EV, so I hold only the two jacks.

A high pair (kings) is the best hold here, since there's no four to a flush, open straight draw or royal draw. Keeping the two kings and drawing three is the optimal strategy play.

The suited KJ in spades is the strongest holding here, a 3-card royal draw. Standard 9/6 strategy ranks it above holding the unsuited high cards or drawing five new cards.