Video Poker table

Holding only the Ace gives the best expected value. The Ace is the only card with potential to make a high pair (jacks or better), and discarding all others maximizes the chance of drawing to a paying hand like a pair of aces, broadway cards for straights, or suited cards for flushes.

Hold the pair of fives. While it's below the jacks-or-better threshold, discarding three cards gives a reasonable chance at trips or better, and keeping the pair preserves a floor value. Discarding both and hoping for high-card combinations is inferior in expected value.

Hold the Queen high. The current hand has a pair of sevens (non-paying) and an ace-low four-card straight draw (9-T-7 not helpful). Keeping the Qh preserves a potential high-card payout on the redraw and has better EV than the weak pair or drawing to incomplete straights. Jacks or better is a baseline target.

Hold the three high cards (Js, Kd, Qd) to pursue a straight, flush, or high pair. Discarding 6h and 3s gives the best expected value with four remaining cards to draw from a 47-card deck.

Hold the pair of fives. While the hand currently pays nothing, keeping the pair gives multiple paths to improvement: hitting trips (15 credits), a full house (45 credits), or four of a kind (125 credits). Discarding all non-pair cards maximizes expected value.

Hold the pair of eights and the jack. Discarding 6s, 9h, 8s gives three chances to improve to three of a kind (pays 15), full house (45), or four of a kind (125), while keeping the guaranteed jacks-or-better payout (5) if the draw fails.

Hold the three of a kind (2s, 2c, 2h). This guarantees a payout of 15 credits. Discarding the 5s and 7c gives the best chance to improve to a full house (45 credits) or four of a kind (125 credits) while keeping the guaranteed three of a kind.

Keep Jh and Ks (pair of honors). Discarding 4s, 3s, 2h gives three draws to improve to two pair, trips, or a straight. This balanced approach outweighs chasing the four-flush (4s-3s) or drawing to multiple weak cards.

Hold the pair of eights (8h, 8s) and the queen (Qc) to aim for three of a kind or a full house. Discard the 3d and Td as they offer no immediate value and don't contribute to strong draws. This maximizes expected payout by pursuing the most likely high-value outcome from the remaining deck.

Hold the pair of aces (Ac, Ad). This gives a guaranteed payout of 5 credits (jacks or better). Discarding 4s, Ts, 6d offers the best chance to improve to a higher-paying hand (three of a kind, full house, or better) while protecting the sure winner.

Hold Ac and Qd (both high cards). Discarding 5h, 2h, 9s gives the best expected value. The pair of high cards (ace and queen) offers potential for a pair of aces or jacks-or-better, while discarding three low cards maximizes draw opportunities for a flush, straight, or better pair.

Hold Ah, Kd, Qs to pursue a royal flush draw (any T spade completes it) or a high pair. Discard 9h and 2d to maximize expected value with three high cards.

All five cards are low (7, 4, 9, 2, 8) with no pair, no straight possibility, and no flush draw. Discarding all five cards maximizes expected value by drawing five fresh cards from the remaining deck, which offers the best chance to hit a paying hand (pair of jacks or better, three of a kind, straight, flush, or better).

Hold the jack only. This is a single high card (jacks or better). Discarding the low cards and the other jack maximizes the chance of pairing the jack or making a straight/flush that pays better than the guaranteed 5 credits from keeping just the jack.

Hold Qc and Jc (both broadway cards with high kicker Ad). This offers the best expected value by pursuing a high pair, broadway straight (K-high), or if lucky, a flush draw completion. Discarding 3c, Th keeps four premium cards live for multiple winning combinations.

The dealt hand is 4s As Tc 6c 7h with no made hand. The Ace is the only high card (plays as a strong kicker). Holding only the Ace gives the best expected value by maximizing chances to draw to a paying hand (pair of jacks or better, straight, or flush), compared to other low-value hold patterns.

Hold the Ace and Jack (positions 4 and 5). This gives us a pair of jacks or better as a floor (pays 5 credits), and maximizes potential to draw to higher hands like straights, flushes, or trips. Discarding the 9, 6, and 5 opens the best drawing chances.

Hold the Queen (jacks or better pays 1x). Discarding 9, 6, T, 3 gives the best expected value by maximizing the probability of pairing the Queen or drawing to a straight/flush, while avoiding the low-value draw of all five cards.

Holding only the Ace (jacks or better). This hand has no pairs, no flush possibility, and no straight prospects. The Ace gives at least 5 credits on completion. Discarding 2h, 5h, 7c, 4h maximizes the chance of pairing the Ace or hitting a premium hand with four fresh cards.

Dealt 2d 5s 8c 6c Td with no pairs or high cards. The 6c and 8c offer a gutshot straight draw (need a 7). Holding only the 6c gives a one-card draw to a straight (7) with EV slightly better than discarding all five cards. This is the optimal play for this weak holding.

Holding the T♥-K♥-6♥ (three hearts with two high cards) gives strong potential for a flush while keeping the K for a potential pair of Jacks or better. Discarding the 9♦ and 2♠ maximizes draw equity compared to holding the low pair or drawing five fresh cards.

Hold Ah and Kc for a potential pair of jacks or better. Discarding 3c, 9c, and 5d maximizes the chance of improving to at least a pair of aces or kings, which pays 5 credits. This is the optimal strategy for this weak hand with no current made pairs or draws.

Hold Ac and Js. The Ac gives two-card royal draw (any K completes it), and Js is already a paying hand (jacks or better = 5 credits). Discarding 3h, 6s, 2c to pursue the royal while keeping the guaranteed payout is the highest EV play.

Hold Tc-Ad-Td-Qd (discard 5s). This keeps a pair of tens (jacks or better paying 5 credits) while maintaining four cards to a flush (four diamonds: Ad, Td, Qd plus one draw card) and four cards to a straight. The pair of tens is guaranteed; the draw gives a chance at flush (30), straight (20), or improvement to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Three aces is a strong hand paying 15 credits. Holding all three aces (As, Ac, Ad) while discarding the 7d and 2h gives the best expected value. The two replacement cards could complete a full house or four of a kind, both of which pay significantly more than the current three of a kind.

Hold the Ace. Three spades offer flush draw potential, but the Ace is the only high card that guarantees at least a pair (jacks or better). Drawing three cards to make a flush (4 spades to 5) has lower EV than keeping the high card and drawing four fresh cards.

Hold the pair of aces and king for potential full house or three of a kind. Discarding the 4s and 8c gives the best expected value by keeping premium cards (aces and king) that can improve to paying hands.

Holding K-Q offsuit gives a chance at a straight (A-2-3-4-5 or 9-T-J-Q-K) or pairing kings/queens for a paying hand. Discarding 4-T-5 maximizes expected value by pursuing higher-value combinations rather than the unlikely two-pair or trips from keeping multiple low cards.

Holding the pair of 6s gives an expected value of about 1.48 credits. Holding the Ace alone or drawing to straights/flushes yields lower expected returns. The pair of sixes (below jacks) doesn't pay on the draw but provides the best chance to improve to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Hold only the King (high card). Discarding 8d, 3d, 2s, 4s gives the best chance to draw a pair of jacks or better, or a straight/flush, maximizing expected value on the remaining draw.

Hold the Jack; it guarantees a 5-credit win (jacks or better). Discarding the 8c, Qc, 3s, 4s gives the best chance of improving to a higher-paying hand while securing the jack-pair value.

Hold the pair of fours. While the hand currently pays nothing, holding the pair gives a chance to improve to three of a kind (15 credits), full house (45 credits), or four of a kind (125 credits). Discarding both fours and chasing other patterns (like a straight with T-8 or the Jack kicker) has lower expected value than protecting the made pair.

Current hand is two pair (Queens and Nines), which pays 10 credits. Holding the two high pairs (Qd, Kc, Qh) gives strong potential: any King or Queen draw completes a full house (45 credits), while discarding the 9s preserves flexibility. Removing the low pair (9h, 9c) increases expected value by maximizing upgrade opportunities on the draw.

Hold the Ace (high card). The only paying hand currently is a pair of 7s (not jacks or better), so we discard both 7s and the low cards (4h, 7h, Qd), keeping the Ah for best kicker value in case we draw high cards that form premium hands. This maximizes EV for the draw phase.

Holding only the Ace gives the best expected value. The ace is the only paying card; discarding all others maximizes the probability of drawing to a pair of aces, three of a kind, or better combinations. Holding multiple low cards has poor EV.

Hold the two pair (9s and 5s) for 10 credits (2 per credit), discarding the 5c and 5h. This guarantees a payout and is the standard optimal play for two pair in 9/6 Jacks or Better, avoiding the risk of breaking the pair for lower probability high-card combinations.

Dealt Ac-Ts-9h-Kh-Jh. Hold the broadway cards (Ac, Kh, Jh) plus Ts for a four-card broadway draw to a royal flush. Discarding 9h gives the best expected value, as three broadway cards plus ace-ten to a royal offer superior odds compared to discarding broadway cards or chasing a flush or straight.

Holding the pair of 3s and pair of 5s gives the best chance to improve to two pair or full house. Discarding the 10 and 5 (keeping low cards with the pairs) maximizes expected value for this draw.

Hold Js (jacks or better made hand guarantees 5 credits) and the three hearts (9h, Kh, 8h) to draw two cards for a flush or straight flush. This maximizes expected value by pursuing the high-paying flush (30 credits) while keeping the guaranteed pair of jacks.

Hold the two pairs (Jh-Jd and Qs-Qh) for a guaranteed 10-credit payout. Discarding the Kd gives the best expected value by keeping all four cards that form the two-pair hand and maximizing draw opportunities for a full house or better.