Video Poker table

Hold Q-K for a strong pair draw with royal flush potential. The Q♣-K♠ combination offers the best expected value: we keep two high cards that can contribute to a royal flush (both suited with the remaining spades for K), a high pair (pays 5 credits), or connect to straights. Discarding the disconnected low cards (6♠, 9♦, 5♠) maximizes win probability.

Holding the pair of 6s (6d and 6c) gives a guaranteed payout of 5 credits. Discarding the 4d, 5d, and Ts offers chances to improve to three of a kind, full house, or two pair, while the 6s provide a solid floor value. This maximizes expected value by balancing the sure payout against high-upside draw possibilities.

Hold the pair of fours. This is a mid-pair with decent potential to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. Discarding 3, 2, and 9 gives us three fresh cards to draw, maximizing the probability of improving the hand while keeping our existing value.

Holding the three 9s (9d, 9c, 9s) gives a guaranteed three-of-a-kind worth 15 credits. Discarding the 6s and 5c offers a chance to draw to four of a kind (125 credits) or a full house (45 credits), both valuable outcomes. This maximizes expected value on a strong made hand.

Hold K and Q (both high cards that can contribute to jacks-or-better or better hands). Discard 3, 2, and 5 (low cards with minimal value). This gives the best chance to draw into a paying hand while keeping two high-value cards that guarantee at least a jacks-or-better payout if no better combination materializes.

Dealt 8d-9s-6d-6c-2c. The only currently winning hand is a pair of 6s (jacks or better). Holding the pair of 6s gives a baseline win of 5 credits. Discarding the other three cards maximizes the chance of improving to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind. This is the standard optimal play for a low pair in Jacks or Better video poker.

Hold the pair of fives and the 4-6 connectors (5d, 6c, 5c). This preserves the pair which guarantees a push (5 credits return), and keeps live draws to a straight with 4-6-5, maximizing expected value over discarding to chase high cards or holding weak kicker combinations.

Hold Jack-Clubs and Ace-Spades to pursue a royal flush or high-pair payoff. Discarding 8-hearts, 10-diamonds, and 5-diamonds (three unmatched low cards) maximizes expected value given no current made hand and strong draw potential with two high cards.

Holding 8h-7h-6h gives three to a flush with two high cards in the straight draw (8-7-6), maximizing the potential for a flush or straight. The pair of 8s is weak (below jacks) and should be discarded to pursue the stronger draw.

Hold the pair of 6s (6c), which guarantees a payout of 5 credits and has the highest expected value. Discarding the 7c, 9s, and Qh gives the best chance to improve to a better hand (full house, three of a kind) or maintain the pair.

Hold Jh and As. The Jack gives immediate value (jacks or better pays 1 credit). The Ace is a high kicker and can participate in straights (A-2-3-4-5 or 10-J-Q-K-A) or pairs (pair of aces). Discarding 6c, 7c, and 3d maximizes draw potential for straights, flushes, or premium hands while retaining the guaranteed payout.

Hold the two diamonds (6d, 7d) to draw three cards for a potential flush or straight. This gives the best expected value compared to holding the ace alone or discarding all five cards.

Hold the pair of jacks plus king for potential improvement to three of a kind, full house, or other high-value hand. Discard the 4c and 2d as low cards with no drawing potential.

The hand contains three hearts (7h, 5h, 6h) with potential for a flush draw. Holding 5h and 6h keeps the two lowest hearts while discarding 9c, 7h, and 3d to draw three cards, maximizing the probability of completing a flush (which pays 30 credits) or hitting a straight. This offers better expected value than holding nothing or other patterns.

Holding the pair of 7s (7c and 7s) gives a guaranteed 5-credit payout for jacks or better, with potential to improve to three of a kind, full house, or better on the draw. Discarding Ts, 9c, and Ah maximizes the chance of hitting a third 7 or pairing the board for a full house, which is the highest expected value strategy here.

Holding the Js and 9c (three of a kind already made) gives a guaranteed 15 credits payout. Discarding 2h, 9s, and 6c maximizes the potential for improving to a full house or four of a kind while preserving the current made hand.

Hold J♥ and Q♦ (the two high cards). Both are jacks-or-better and offer the best chance to improve to a pair, two pair, straight, or flush on the draw. Discarding 8♦, 4♣, and 2♥ maximizes expected value by pursuing high-paying hands.

Dealt Th-6c-5d-2s-9d with no pairs or high cards. Holding any single card (like the 9) offers minimal EV. Drawing all five fresh cards maximizes the probability of hitting a paying hand (pair of jacks or better, straight, flush, etc.) versus keeping a weak card that constrains the draw. Fold all and redraw.

The hand 9♥ 7♦ 5♦ 9♣ Q♠ contains only a pair of nines (below jacks), which pays nothing. Holding the pair would guarantee nothing. Discarding all five cards gives the best expected value by allowing up to five new cards to form a paying hand from the remaining 47 cards, maximizing the chance of hitting jacks or better, two pair, or stronger combinations.

Keep the Queen and Ace (both face cards that can form jacks-or-better) and discard 6h, 7c, 4s. This maximizes expected value by holding quality high cards for potential pair, while discarding low cards. The Queen-Ace combination has the best draw prospects for a winning hand.

Hold only the Jack of clubs. This is a single high card (jacks or better pays), and discarding the four low cards (8h, 4c, 7s, 5c) maximizes expected value by giving the best chance to draw into a paying hand like a pair of jacks, trips, or better combinations.

Pair of fours is the only paying hand currently. Discarding the 5, 7, 6, and 4s gives the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better while keeping the sure winner.

Hold the 7h to keep the pair of sevens, which guarantees a 5-credit payout (jacks or better minimum). Discarding 9s, 7s, Qd, 2c gives the best shot at improving to trips, full house, or better while maintaining the pair value.

Hold the King and Queen. This gives two ways to hit: completing a high pair (already guaranteed a payout), or drawing a flush on the three hearts (3h, 9h, Qh). Discarding three cards to four hearts is slightly EV-negative, so keeping the pair of high cards is the optimal play.

Hold Ah-Jd for a one-card draw to a royal flush (hitting K, Q, 10, or J of hearts/diamonds gives strong hands or a pair of jacks). The two 9s are weak; breaking them up to pursue premium outcomes is optimal in Jacks or Better 9/6.

Hold the K-J-K (Kd, Jd, Kh) to pursue a full house or three of a kind. Discarding 5d and 6s gives two chances to improve. The pair of kings is guaranteed value, and the jack provides straight/flush potential with the Kd.

Hold K-Q for high-card draw with two overcards and potential to make a pair of jacks or better, straight, or high-card winner. Discarding the pair of 8s and 2 gives better expected value than holding the low pair which cannot improve significantly.

Hold Js and Kc (two high cards). Discarding 4d, Tc, 7s gives four chances to improve to a pair of jacks or better, or draw to a straight/flush. This maximizes expected value against holding lower-probability patterns.

King high with no pairs, straights, or flush possibilities. Holding only the King gives the best expected value by maximizing chances to draw into a paying hand (pair of jacks or better, straight, or flush). Discarding all four low cards optimizes draw opportunities.

Jack of clubs is the only high card (jacks or better pays). Discarding the 4, 8, 10d, and 9d gives the best chance to improve or keep the guaranteed 5-credit payout from the Jack.

Hold K-A-T of hearts for the four-flush with high cards (K, A, T). This gives multiple winning possibilities: completing a flush (pays 30), hitting a straight (pays 20), or pairing K/A/T for jacks or better (pays 5). Discarding 2 and 4 removes the weakest cards and maximizes expected value.

Dealt Q♦-T♠-4♥-Q♣-T♦, holding the pair of queens and pair of tens gives two pair (pays 10 credits), which is stronger than discarding one pair to draw for three of a kind or a full house. This conservative play locks in a guaranteed win.

Hold the King high only. The hand has no pairs, no flush draw, and no straight draw. Keeping the King gives a chance to pair it (Jacks or Better pays 5 credits); discarding the other four cards maximizes expected value.

Hold the pair of 8s and the three spades (Q, 4) for a strong flush draw while keeping the pocket pair. This gives multiple paths to winning hands: completing the flush (30 credits), improving to three of a kind or better with the 8s, or hitting another spade for a straight flush. Discarding the 5 maximizes EV by pursuing the high-value flush while maintaining the pair backup.

Holding the pair of 7s and the Queen gives the best expected value. The pair of 7s is already guaranteed to pay nothing (below jacks), so we need to improve. Keeping Q and 7-7 allows draws that could make a full house (39% chance), three of a kind, or even four of a kind, while discarding the 6, 7c, and J maximizes replacement opportunities.

Hold the Jack of spades for a Jacks or Better draw. The Jack is a paying card, and the remaining four cards (3s, 9c, 5h, 7d) offer no immediate value and poor draw prospects for straights or flushes. This maximizes expected value by securing a minimum 5-credit payout while drawing four fresh cards.

Hold the Jack and Queen (paying cards). The pair of 4s is weak; breaking it to draw three cards gives the best expected value, with chances to make a straight, flush, or improve high cards. Discarding the 4c, 6s, and 4d maximizes potential.

Current hand is three queens (trips), which pays 15 credits. Holding all three queens plus the two other cards gives the best expected value. Discarding the 4d (lowest kicker) maximizes the chance of improving to a full house or four of a kind on the draw.

With 5s-Tc-9d-8s-Qh, there are no made hands and no strong draws (no four-card straight, flush, or high pairs). Discarding all five cards gives the best expected value by maximizing the probability of hitting a paying hand from the fresh draw.

Hold the Ace of diamonds as a high card. The other cards (3d, 6d, Kh, 2h) do not form a strong combination. Discarding four cards gives the best chance to draw into a paying hand (pair of jacks or better, straight, flush, or better). This is the final hand of the session.