Video Poker table

With a low pair of twos and no better draw, the optimal play is to hold the pair and discard the other three cards.

The hand has a low pair of 8s, an ace and other unconnected cards. Holding the pair of 8s is the standard best play, with an EV of about 0.82 per credit compared with about 0.47 for keeping a single ace.}

No made hand and no four-card draw, so I keep the suited king and jack of clubs (KcJc), the strongest two-card high-card draw here and better than the 8-9 suited connectors or a single high card.

Holding K-Q-J (three high cards, no pair) has a higher expected value than holding suited K-Q alone or discarding the whole hand. It also keeps pair and straight draws alive.

No made hand or flush/straight draw is available, so I hold the two unsuited high cards, Ace and Jack. That has a higher expected value than the unsuited J-T straight draw or any single high card.

There is no pair, no flush draw, no four-card straight draw and no high card, so I judged that none of the weak three-card straight draws beats a fresh five-card draw. This is based on the standard 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, not an exact calculation, so it is a judgment call.

There is no pair and no flush or straight draw. With three unsuited high cards (A, K, Q), the standard strategy is to keep the two lowest, K and Q, and discard the ace.

A pair of jacks (EV about 1.54 per credit) beats the 8-9 suited connector draw or any other hold, so keep Jc and Jd and discard the rest.

The hand has no paying pair, so I hold 5-6-8-9, which completes a straight on any of the four sevens (4/47 chance of a 20-credit payout). That is worth about 1.7 credits, more than any other hold, and 4-5-6-8 is worth the same.

There is no pair, flush draw or straight draw, so the best hold is the suited Th-Qh two-card royal draw. From memory of standard 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy tables (not computed here), it has a higher expected value than the unsuited A-Q high cards.

Holding the pair of jacks (Jc, Jd) has the highest expected value here; the other options, such as the unsuited Q-K-J, are worth less.

A low pair of sixes is the best hold here; keeping the pair beats chasing the 2-3 straight draw or any other partial draw.

Holding the low pair of fives (5d, 5s) is the standard play; a low pair is worth about 0.82 per credit, more than keeping the A/K high cards or the pair plus kickers, since drawing three cards gives chances at trips, two pair, full house or quads.

A low pair of tens (Th, Td) is the best hold here, since it is worth more than holding the ace alone or any draw in this hand. Keep both tens and discard Ad, 2s and 6s.

Holding the suited Ah and Jh (two high cards, royal flush potential) has higher expected value than a single ace or a weak three-card heart flush draw.

Holding the pair of 8s has the highest expected value here. The alternatives are a three-card flush draw or a lone ace, and both are worth less.

There is no pair, no four-card draw, and no real straight-flush draw, so I keep the lone queen as the best high card and draw four. Holding Q-7-8 suited for a three-card flush draw has a lower expected value, from memory of standard strategy rather than a full calculation.

A low pair of eights (8d, 8s) has a higher expected value than keeping the lone jack or chasing any draw, so I hold the pair and discard the other three cards.

A pair of tens (about 0.82 credits EV per credit bet) beats any high-card or suited draw in this hand, so I keep the two tens and discard the rest.

The hand has no pair, no flush draw and no high cards, so no useful hold exists. Discarding all five cards has the highest expected value.

Holding the four diamonds (9d 8d Ad 5d) and discarding the 8c gives about 1.2 credits per credit bet. That is higher than the roughly 0.82 for keeping the low pair of eights. The estimate counts 9 flush outs paying 6 and 3 non-diamond aces paying 1.

A low pair of deuces is the best hold here; its EV of about 0.82 per credit beats holding the king alone or any other draw. Keep the 2c and 2h and discard the rest.

J-T-9-8 is an open-ended straight draw: any of 8 cards (four 7s, four Qs) completes it, and a drawn Jack still pays a pair. That beats every other hold, so I discard the 6.

There is no pair or four-card draw, so I keep the two unsuited high cards, Ace and King. That has a higher expected value than holding Ace-Ten suited or a lone Ace.

Four hearts to a flush (9 outs paying 6) plus 6 outs to a jacks-or-better pair gives about 1.28 expected credits per credit bet, beating any other hold such as JQ suited.

Four to a flush (2c, 9c, 4c, Jc) is worth about 1.21 credits per credit bet, which beats any other hold, such as the unsuited Ad and Jc high-card pair draw at around 0.6, so I discard the Ad.

Holding the pair of sixes (about 0.82 EV) beats the single jack, the 6-7-8 three-card straight draw, and the other hold patterns.

There is no pair, flush draw or four-card straight draw, so the best hold is the two unsuited high cards, Ace and Jack. That gives the best chance to make a paying jacks-or-better pair, which beats holding Jack alone or an inside straight draw.

Three eights is trips, so hold all three and discard the 4 and the ace to draw for four of a kind or a full house; keeping the ace kicker lowers the chance of improving.

There is no made hand and no flush or open-ended straight draw, so I hold the lone ace: it can pair for a jacks-or-better payout, and I judge that to be worth more than a 6-7-8 inside straight draw or discarding everything.

Two pair (6s and Ts) is already a paying hand worth 2 per credit. Holding all four paired cards and drawing one card has a 9/47 chance of a full house, which beats breaking up the pairs.

A low pair of tens (Th, Ts) is the best hold; keeping the pair and drawing three cards has a higher expected payout than any other pattern such as a 3-card flush draw.

Holding the low pair of tens (Th, Td) and discarding the 9, 3 and 7 is the standard optimal play, since a pair of tens is worth more than any draw from this hand.

A low pair of 4s (about 0.82 credits per credit bet) is worth more than the suited K-A or any other holding in this hand.

Holding the pair of queens (Qs, Qd) is the optimal play; a high pair has far greater expected value than any draw from 6c 4d 2c.

A low pair of sixes (EV about 0.82 per credit) beats any draw from this hand, such as the ace alone or the 3-card flush-less options, so I hold the pair and discard the rest.

Holding the pair of jacks (Jh, Js) is the best play here. A made high pair has a higher expected value than any draw, such as the suited Qh-Jh.

A low pair of 5s has a higher expected value than the suited king-queen high-card draw or any other hold, so I keep the pair and discard the other three cards.

Holding the four diamonds (Qd, 7d, 5d, Kd) gives 9 flush outs worth 6 each plus 6 outs that pair a Q or K for 1, about 1.28 per credit. That beats holding the pair of 7s, which is worth roughly 0.82.

There is no pair, flush draw, or good straight draw, so I keep the lone king, the highest card, and draw four. That is slightly better than keeping the suited K-9 or the low straight draw.