Video Poker table

With no flush or straight draw, the best play is to keep the low pair of 2s and draw three cards, maximizing chances to improve to two pair, trips, or a full house.

Holding the pair of eights maximizes expected value; the suited ace-ten is only a two-card royal draw, which ranks below a low pair in 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Holding the two suited high cards (Kc and Jc) maximizes expected value, offering chances at high pairs, two pair, straights, flushes, and royal flush possibilities, while discarding the unconnected low cards.

Holding the suited Ace-Jack gives a two-card royal flush draw and the best expected value versus alternatives like Jack-Ten or single high cards.

No paying pair, high cards, or useful flush/straight draw are present, so discarding all five cards gives the best chance at a fresh paying hand.

Holding the suited Ace-King (Ac, Kc) maximizes expected value by keeping the only two-card royal flush draw and flush potential, which outweighs holding three unsuited high cards.

Holding the pair of Jacks guarantees a paying hand and maximizes the chance to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind; the other cards offer only low-probability draws.

No high cards, pairs, or flush draw are present; the 4-card inside straight (5-6-8-9) has lower expected value (~1.70 credits) than discarding all five (~1.80 credits), so the optimal play is to discard everything.

Holding Q♥ and T♥ (two to a royal flush) gives the highest expected value, with chances for a flush, straight, and royal flush, outperforming alternatives like holding the lone ace or three to a straight.

Holding the pair of Jacks guarantees a paying hand and gives the best chance to improve to three of a kind, a full house, or four of a kind by drawing three cards. Discarding the unpaired high cards is optimal since kickers reduce improvement odds.

Holding the pair of sixes is the best available draw: it can improve to three of a kind, two pair, or a full house, while no other hold offers a stronger straight, flush, or high-pair draw.

Holding the pair of 5s maximizes expected value; drawing three cards gives the best chance to improve to two pair, trips, or better, while holding high cards is inferior.

Holding the pair of Tens (low pair) maximizes expected value; it can improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind, while holding the Ace or other combinations yields lower EV.

Holding the pair of eights gives the best expected value; it can improve to two pair, trips, full house, or quads, while the Ace singleton and three-card flush draws are weaker.

Holding the low pair of eights gives the best expected value here; the three spades are not connected enough to justify chasing a flush, and the lone jack is weaker than the pair.

Holding the pair of tens is the optimal low-pair play; it maximizes expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, trips, full house, or quads, and it beats holding the unsuited high cards or straight-draw fragments.

No high cards, no pair, and no 3-card straight or flush draw; discarding all five gives the highest expected value.

Holding the four diamonds gives a 9/47 chance at a flush plus a 3/47 chance at a paying pair of aces, for an EV of about 6.06 credits, clearly better than the low pair or other draws.

With only a low pair and no high pair or strong draw, holding the pair of 2s maximizes expected value; discarding the rest gives the best chance to improve to two pair, trips, or better.

Holding J-10-9-8 gives an open-ended straight draw with eight outs (four 7s and four Qs) plus three jacks for a paying pair, yielding the highest expected value among the 32 hold patterns.

Holding the Ace and King maximizes expected value by preserving two high cards for a likely Jacks or Better pair or two pair, outperforming the 3-card flush draw.

Hold the four hearts to maximize the flush draw; this also preserves J/Q high-card pair chances, and four-to-a-flush is stronger than holding only the high cards.

Holding the four clubs gives a flush draw with 9 outs, which has much higher expected value than holding any single high card or other partial hand.

Holding the low pair of sixes maximizes expected value; the other cards offer no 4-card straight, flush, or higher-paying draw.

With no pair, flush draw, or straight draw, holding the lone Jack maximizes expected value because it preserves four draw slots for straight and flush potential while still offering a high pair payout, outperforming holding Ace-Jack or Ace alone.

Holding the three 8s maximizes expected value: drawing two cards gives chances at four of a kind and full house while preserving the guaranteed three-of-a-kind payout, outperforming holding a kicker.

Dealt two pair (6s and Ts). Holding both pairs gives 4 outs to a full house and otherwise keeps the paying two-pair hand, maximizing expected value.

Holding the pair of tens maximizes expected value; the three-card flush draw is much less likely to improve than the low pair's draw to trips, two pair, or a full house.

Holding the pair of tens is the optimal play: no flush or straight draws are available, and the low pair offers the best chance to improve to trips, two pair, a full house, or four of a kind.

Holding the pair of 4s gives the highest exact expected value; drawing three cards maximizes chances to improve to three of a kind, two pair, or a full house, outperforming holds built around the suited A-K or any kicker.

Holding the pair of queens keeps a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout and gives chances to improve to two pair, trips, or better; the other cards offer no stronger draw.

Holding the pair of Jacks secures a paying jacks-or-better hand and gives the best expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, trips, or better.

Holding the low pair of 5s maximizes expected value; it has a higher EV than holding the suited K-Q or any other combination.

Holding the four diamonds gives a 9/47 chance at a flush plus extra pair outs with Q/K, yielding higher EV than the low pair or high-card holds.

With no pair, no 4-card flush or straight draw, and only one high card (K), the optimal Jacks or Better play is to hold the lone king and draw four new cards.