Video Poker table

Keeping Qh and Ks gives the best expected value: a pair of high cards with a potential straight draw (Q-K with 8-9-2). Discarding the 8, 2, and 9 maximizes chances for a high pair, two pair, or straight.

Keeping the three hearts (Qh, 9h, Kh, 3h) gives a flush draw with 10 outs, which is the highest EV play; discarding the 9d breaks the pair to chase the flush.

Holding the two Tens and the Jack gives a pair plus a kicker, which is the highest-EV play here; drawing three cards to improve to two pair, trips, or a high pair is better than keeping any single-card or no-pair options.

Holding the 7-7-8 suited gives a draw to a straight flush, flush, straight, or trips, which has higher expected value than keeping just the pair of 7s.

Holding the two 7s keeps a pair for a guaranteed 5-credit return if no improvement occurs, and the three discards give many outs to two pair, three of a kind, or full house; the other cards do not form a straight or flush draw worth keeping.

Keep the pair of 2s and the Jack for a chance at two pair, three of a kind, or jacks or better; discarding the three low unrelated cards maximizes expected value.

Holding the three aces (Ac, Ah, Ad) gives the highest expected value by drawing two cards to chase four of a kind or a full house.

Keeping the two kings and the ace gives a pair of kings with a draw to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or straight. Discarding the 2 and 3 is clearly correct; the 2s is a dead low card and the 3d does not improve the straight draw enough to justify keeping it over the ace.

Holding Ad, 5c, 5d keeps a pair of fives and both suited hearts/diamonds for a flush draw; this is the highest-EV play over the 47-card draw.

Holding the pair of Kings is the optimal play, as it maximizes expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Keep Q-J-T-K for a 4-card straight (Q-J-T-K) with two high cards; this is the optimal hold versus keeping only the J-K pair.

Keep the Ace of clubs as a high kicker; the remaining four cards are low and disconnected, so drawing four gives the best chance at a straight, flush, or jacks-or-better.

Keeping the King and Queen gives a high probability of pairing one of them for a paying Jacks or Better hand, which is the optimal play for this high-card draw.

Keep the King for a jacks-or-better payout; the other four cards are low and disconnected, so drawing four to a single high card is the highest-EV option.

Holding the two 4s and the Ace gives a full house draw (three 4s or two pair with Ace) plus straight and straight flush possibilities; this is the highest EV among the 32 hold patterns for this hand.

The hand contains no pair and no draw to a straight or flush, so the optimal play is to discard all five cards and draw a fresh hand.

Holding the pair of twos keeps a pair and gives a chance at three of a kind, two pair, or full house. The Jack is a high card but keeping it with a pair does not improve the hand enough to justify discarding the pair.

Keep the pair of Queens for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discard the King and the three low cards to maximize the chance of improving to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Keeping the Th and Qs preserves a high two-card draw with strong potential for a straight, flush, or at least jacks or better, which maximizes expected value compared to discarding all or keeping only one card.

Keep the pair of 9s and the J for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout and a chance at two pair, three of a kind, or full house; discard the 6 and 3 as they add no value.

Keep the pair of 5s and the three-card straight draw (5-6-T) to maximize expected value; discarding the Qh gives the best chance at a straight, three of a kind, or two pair.

Keeping the two high cards (Ks and As) gives the best chance at a high pair or better; discarding the three low hearts avoids chasing a flush with poor odds.

Holding nothing keeps the open-ended straight draw (3-5-A-6-K) with all five cards, maximizing expected value over discarding any made pair or low cards. This draw has multiple straight completions and is the highest-EV option among the 32 hold patterns for this hand.

Holding only the Ten gives the highest expected value by drawing four cards to a single high card; the other cards form no drawable straight, flush, or pair.

Holding Jh-Ks-Ts keeps an open-ended straight draw (J-T high) with 8 outs to a straight, which has higher expected value than keeping only the single high pair or discarding everything.

Keeping the three high cards (Th, Ks, Js) gives a strong chance at jacks or better and a straight draw, which has higher expected value than keeping the suited 9s and Js for a flush draw.

This hand contains no pair, no high card worth keeping (only Kd), and no draw to a straight or flush. Holding nothing maximizes expected value by drawing five fresh cards rather than chasing low disconnected cards.

Keeping Kc, Tc, Qd gives a two-card royal draw (K-Q suited in clubs) plus a potential straight draw; discarding the 2d and 7c maximizes expected value over the 47-card draw.

Keeping Ts-Js-Kh gives a two-card royal draw plus a pair of jacks; discarding the deuces maximizes EV by chasing the royal flush and straight flush while retaining the jacks-or-better fallback.

Keep the Qh and Qc for a pair of queens, which pays jacks or better; discarding the other three cards maximizes the chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

Keep the pair of tens and discard the rest. A pair of tens is the minimum holding hand; drawing three cards gives the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or a full house, which has higher expected value than discarding everything.

The hand is an open-ended straight (5-6-7-8-9) with no gaps, so holding all five cards guarantees a straight payout of 20 credits. Drawing any card would risk breaking the straight for a lower expected value.

Keep Q♠ K♦ T♣ for a two-card KQ high straight draw (open-ended with J and A) plus a pair of face cards; discarding the 7 and 6 maximizes expected value over chasing a flush or low straight.

Keep the Ace-high suited (As, 8s, Kh, 6h) to chase a royal flush, straight flush, or flush; discarding the 7h preserves the suited connectors and the Ace, maximizing draw potential for the top-paying hands.

Keeping the pair of threes maximizes expected value by drawing three cards to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Keep Qh, Js, Kh for a high pair (Jacks or better) and a potential flush draw; discarding 9h and 3s maximizes expected value by chasing the flush and higher pairs.

Keeping the pair of 5s is the optimal hold; it maximizes expected value over all possible draws.

Keep the high pair of jacks and king for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discarding the rest maximizes expected value by chasing three-of-a-kind, two pair, or a higher straight.

The hand contains a 9-8-J-6-5 with no pair, no straight draw, and no flush draw. Holding any subset yields negligible expected value, so discarding all five cards is the optimal play to maximize the chance of drawing a paying hand.

Keeping Jc and Tc gives an open-ended straight draw (needing a Q or 9) with high expected value; discarding the low unpaired cards maximizes the chance of completing a straight or higher hand.