Video Poker table

Hold the Ace (jacks or better qualifier). Discard 6s, Td, 2d, 2s to maximize EV. While the pair of 2s is low, the Ace alone offers better expected value through potential straights (A-2-3-4-5 possible with four draws) and other premium hands than holding the low pair.

Hold the pair of 8s (8h and 8c) for a guaranteed 5-credit payout. The Ace offers a small chance of improvement to a pair of aces, but holding both 8s and Ace reduces flexibility. Discarding the three remaining cards (10s, 4d, Ts) maximizes the probability of improving the 8s to trips, a boat, or quads while maintaining the locked pair value.

Keep the two high cards (King and Jack) to maximize opportunities for a paying hand like a pair of jacks or better, or a high-card draw. Discarding the low cards (6, 8, 9) gives the best chance to improve.

Holding K-J-Q (three Broadway cards) gives a strong chance to complete a straight or hit a high pair. Discarding 9h and 7s removes low cards that don't contribute to premium hands. This maximizes the probability of achieving jacks or better while keeping upside potential for straights.

Hold the Ace and Jack to maximize expected value. These are high cards that can form a pair of jacks or better, or combine with draws to make straights or flushes. Discarding the low cards (6, 3, 10) gives the best chance at a winning hand.

No pair or promising cards (T, 3, 8, 5, 7). Discarding all five gives the best expected value by allowing a complete redraw from the deck rather than holding weak unpaired cards with minimal draw potential.

Hold Q-K-A for a shot at high cards or broadway straight. The 8 and 2 are weak kickers that reduce expected value. This keep-three pattern gives the best probability of completing a paying hand (royal, straight, three-of-a-kind with court cards, or pair of jacks+).

Hold the pair of jacks for a guaranteed 5-credit payout. Discarding the 8h, 9h, and 3c gives the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or a full house while securing the base payoff.

The dealt hand (5♣ 4♦ 8♦ 9♣ 6♥) contains no pairs, no flush draws, and no straight possibilities. Discarding all five cards maximizes expected value by allowing the draw to create higher-value combinations (pairs of jacks or better, straights, flushes, or better) rather than retaining weak cards that cannot improve meaningfully.

Hold the ace and queen (broadway cards). Discarding the ten, three, and seven gives the best chance to improve to a high pair, straight, or flush. The ace-queen combination has decent potential for pairing jacks-or-better or making straights/flushes on the draw.

Hold Q♠ J♣ K♠ (three cards to royal flush). Discarding 6♠ and J♦ gives the best expected value by pursuing the high-probability royal or straight flush while maintaining the pair of jacks as a fallback.

Hold the pair of 6s. This guarantees a win of 5 credits on the pair. Discarding the 9, 2, and 3 gives reasonable chances to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind, which offer 15, 45, and 125 credits respectively. This is the optimal hold pattern for this hand.

Hold the pair of fives and the ace. Discarding the ten and king gives the best chance to improve: drawing three cards can produce three of a kind, a full house, or two pair. This hold pattern maximizes expected value with a guaranteed minimum payout (pair of fives is dead money here, but the ace provides backup value and draw potential).

Holding Ad, Th, Td gives a pair of tens (guaranteed 5 credits). Discarding 2s and 6s leaves two cards to draw, which offers a chance to improve to three of a kind (15 credits), full house (45 credits), or even four of a kind (125 credits) while keeping the pair's floor value. This balances safety with upside potential.

Hold Ah-Jh-2h for a four-flush with two high cards (ace and jack). This gives strong potential for a flush (pays 30) or a pair of jacks or better (pays 5), with a reasonable draw to improve the hand value.

Hold the pair of 8s (8h and 8d). This gives a guaranteed 15 credits (three of a kind baseline). Discarding 6d, 4d, and As leaves 3 chances to improve to a full house, four of a kind, or higher. The flush draw is weak (only 2 diamonds kept) and not worth pursuing over the concrete value of the pair.

Hold Qc and 7c to pursue a flush draw (three clubs with two high cards). Discarding 2h, 8c, and 4s gives the best expected value by targeting the flush (30 credits) while maintaining the pair of clubs and keeping the queen as a backup for a potential pair of jacks or better on the redraw.

Hold J♠-8♠-3♠ for the flush draw (9 outs) and inside straight draw to 5-high (4 outs), which gives strong EV. Discarding 4♣ and 8♦ maximizes the probability of hitting a paying hand.

Hold Td and Jd for a paying pair (jacks or better). Discarding Tc, 7c, and Ks maximizes EV by giving three draws for improvement to two pair, trips, straight, or flush while keeping the guaranteed 5-credit payout.

With 9-T-6-2-3 (no pairs, no straight draws, no flush draws), holding any combination yields negative expected value. Discarding all five cards gives the best expected return by allowing five fresh cards from the remaining deck.

Hold 9d, Ad, and 5d to pursue a diamond flush (4 to a flush). This gives four cards to the flush with reasonable draws. Discarding 8d and 8c removes the low pair that doesn't qualify for payout, maximizing expected value by targeting the 30-credit flush payout or better.

Hold the King of spades and the pair of twos. The pair of twos is currently worthless (below jacks), but discarding the 8s, 7c, and 2c gives the best chance to improve. Keeping Ks gives a small chance at a high pair. This hold pattern maximizes expected value by focusing on the best drawing chances.

Holding Js-8s-Ts gives four cards to a flush (spades) with three to a straight (8-9-T). The flush draw is strong with 9 outs (any spade) paying 30 credits, and we retain Jack-high as a consolation. Discarding 6c and 9c maximizes expected value.

Hold Ad and Ks (pair of high cards) to keep the guaranteed 5-credit payout for jacks or better while drawing three new cards for potential flush, straight, or three-of-a-kind improvements. Discarding Td, 7h, 8d maximizes EV by pursuing premium hands without breaking up the high pair.

Hold the Jack and Queen (both jacks-or-better cards). Discarding 7h, 5h, and 2d gives the best chance to improve to a flush or two pair while retaining a guaranteed payout if no improvements hit.

Hold Ad (ace) and Jc (jack). The ace is always valuable in Jacks or Better, and holding the jack with the ace and three clubs keeps options open for a high pair or flush draw. Discarding 2c, 9c, and 4c gives the best expected value by targeting either a pair of aces/jacks or a flush completion.

Hold the jack of hearts only. The pair of sixes doesn't qualify for payment, so we're starting fresh. Discarding all four non-jack cards gives us the best chance to draw into a high-value hand—potentially a paying pair (jacks or better), three of a kind, straight, flush, or even a straight flush.

Keep Ac and Jd (pair of jacks or better for a guaranteed 5-credit payout). Discarding 9h, 8s, and 6c gives the best expected value by drawing three cards that could improve to a straight, flush, three of a kind, two pair, or full house.

Three eights is a strong hand worth 15 credits. Holding the three eights (8s, 8h, 8c) and discarding 4c and Ac gives the best expected value—we keep our guaranteed three-of-a-kind and have two chances to improve to four-of-a-kind (125 credits) or full house (45 credits). Discarding the Ac keeps the draw focused on high cards that could make a boat or quads.

Holding only the Ace gives the best expected value. With four cards to draw, there's a reasonable chance of hitting a pair of aces (jacks or better, 5 credits), and a small but valuable chance of completing straights or flushes. Discarding 8-7-2-6 eliminates weak kickers that cannot improve the hand's rank.

Hold the pair of tens (Ts, Td) for a guaranteed 5-credit payout (jacks or better). Discarding 6h, 3c, and 6s gives the best expected value by keeping a made hand while drawing three cards for potential improvement to three of a kind, full house, or better.

Holding T-T-7 keeps the pair of tens (jacks or better, 5 credits guaranteed) while discarding 3d and 4h for two chances to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. This maximizes expected value over drawing three new cards.

Holding the pair of tens (Th, Td) gives the best expected value. This is a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout (5 credits). Discarding 9s, 3h, and 7s maximizes the chance of improving to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind while keeping the pair secure.

Hold the K♣ and A♣ (high cards with flush potential) and discard 9♠, 4♣, 4♠. This maximizes EV by keeping the best two cards and aiming for high-card combinations (ace-king kicker, pair of aces, or a flush draw with the suited ace-king combination).

Dealt a pair of queens. Holding both queens maximizes expected value by securing at least 5 credits (jacks or better pay) while retaining the best chance to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. Discarding the low cards (6, 4, 2) gives three draws to improve the hand.

Hold the pair of 6s. A pair of sixes loses this hand, but keeping them gives a chance to draw into three of a kind (pays 15), full house (pays 45), or four of a kind (pays 125). Discarding all three other cards offers better expected value than any alternative hold pattern with this unpromising hand.

Pair of Jacks is a paying hand worth 5 credits. Queen kicker is also high enough to secure Jacks or Better. Holding Q-J-J and discarding 6-7 gives the best chance to improve to three-of-a-kind, full house, or potentially a second high pair, while guaranteeing at minimum a payout on the pair of Jacks.

Hold the pair of fives and the Queen. Discarding 4h and Kc gives the best expected value by keeping the low pair and the high card (Queen is a kicker that could help improve to two pair or trips), while removing the weak 4 and adapting the hand toward three of a kind or full house outcomes.

Hold Qd-7d-Kd to pursue a flush (4 diamonds with 7d) while keeping high cards (Qd, Kd) for jacks-or-better. Discard 7c and 5d. With one card to draw, hitting another diamond makes a flush (30 credits), and the hand is guaranteed at least a pair of jacks or better (5 credits) if no flush completes.

Hold only the King (jacks or better). The remaining cards offer minimal potential for improvement (no straight draws, no flush draws), and discarding the low cards maximizes the chance of drawing to a paying hand.