Video Poker table

A low pair of twos (EV about 0.82) beats holding a lone ace (about 0.48), so hold the pair of 2s and draw three.

A low pair (EV about 0.82) beats a two-card royal draw with A-T suited (about 0.59 or less), so I hold the pair of eights and draw three.

There is no made hand, four-card flush or open-ended straight draw. Keeping the suited Kc and Jc ranks highest under optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, giving a royal draw plus two chances at a high pair.

Two suited high cards (KcQc) rank above the four-card inside straight 9-J-Q-K and above unsuited KQJ in 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy. KQ suited is worth about 0.60 per credit versus roughly 0.53 for the inside straight.

With no pay pair or draw, two suited high cards (As Js) is the strongest hold. It keeps the royal flush and flush chances along with high-pair outs.

There are no high cards, no pair, no four-card straight or flush draw, and no meaningful suited combination. Under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, discarding all five cards is the best play here.

Two suited high cards (Kc Ac) outrank an unsuited A-K-Q in optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, because the suited pair keeps royal and flush chances alive.

A high pair of jacks (about 1.54 EV per credit) beats any draw on the 8h-9h or other cards, so hold the jacks and draw three.

There are no high cards or pairs, and the only draws are inside straights (5-6-8-9 or 4-5-6-8) worth about 0.34 per credit. Drawing five new cards averages about 0.36, helped by all 16 high cards still being live, so I discard everything.

In 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a suited Q-T (a two-card royal draw) ranks above an unsuited A-Q or a lone ace. So I keep Th and Qh and discard the rest.

Holding the pair of jacks is optimal. The hand has no three- or four-card royal or flush draw that would beat a high pair, which has an expected value of about 1.54 per credit.

A low pair (sixes) is the best hold here; it beats any three-card or inside-straight draw in 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy.

A low pair (EV about 0.82) beats any high-card or broken-straight alternative here, so I keep the pair of fives and draw three.

A low pair (tens) is worth about 0.82 per credit, which beats holding Ad plus the tens or a lone ace. So I hold the two tens and draw three.

Two suited high cards (Ah Jh) is the strongest holding in this hand under optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy. It outranks the three-card heart flush draw and holding a single high card.

A low pair (8h, 8d) is worth about 0.82 per credit, which beats the three-card diamond flush draw and keeping the lone ace. So I hold the pair and draw three cards.

The best play is to hold the lone queen. A three-card flush with only one high card (Qc 7c 8c) is weaker than a single high card in 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy.

A low pair of 8s (EV about 0.82) beats holding the jack alone or a three-card spade flush draw (J-8-3 of spades). The optimal strategy keeps the pair.

The pair of tens is the strongest hold here. It returns about 0.82 per credit, which beats holding high cards like KJ or the suited JT, and there is no four-card draw.

This hand has no high cards, no pair, no four-card straight or flush draw and no useful three-card draw. Under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, discarding all five cards gives the highest expected value.

Four to a flush (9d 8d Ad 5d) is worth about 1.21 per credit, which beats the low pair of eights at about 0.82. So I keep the diamonds and discard the 8c.

A low pair of 2s (EV about 0.82 per credit) beats holding a lone king. It also beats the king plus the pair, since a kicker kept with a low pair lowers EV. The strategy is to hold the pair and draw three.

Holding 8-9-T-J gives an open-ended straight draw (8 outs) plus a chance to pair the jack, worth about 0.74 per credit. That beats keeping the three-card spade straight-flush draw.

There are no pairs, no four-card draws, and no two suited high cards. Optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy ranks two unsuited high cards (A-K) above a three-card flush draw or A-T suited, so I keep A-K.

A four-card flush (7h Jh 5h Qh) has an expected value of about 1.28 per credit. That is well above holding suited QJ, and drawing a jack or queen can still pay.

Four to a flush (2c 9c 4c Jc) is worth about 1.21 per credit, well above the roughly 0.47 from holding the unsuited A-J. Keeping the jack also adds three outs to pair it.

A low pair (the two 6s) has a higher expected value than holding the lone jack or drawing to the gutted 6-7-8-J. There is no real straight draw here.

There is no pair, flush draw or usable straight draw, so standard 9/6 strategy keeps the two unsuited high cards, AJ, for the best expected value.

Three of a kind (eights) is a paying hand; holding the trips and drawing two cards gives the highest expected value, with chances at a full house or quads.

There is no pair, flush draw or four-card straight draw here. Holding the lone ace beats both discarding everything and keeping the three-card 6-7-8 straight draw.

Two pair (sixes and tens) is already a paying hand, and keeping both pairs while drawing one card is the optimal play, with an EV of about 2.6 per credit.

Under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a low pair (tens) is worth more than a three-card flush draw. So I keep both tens and discard the other three cards.

A low pair (tens) is worth more than the 4-card open straight draw 7-9-T-T (no 8 for open-ended; actually 7-9-T is gutshot-ish) and beats any other option, so hold the pair of tens.

In 9/6 Jacks or Better, a low pair (about 0.82 EV) outranks suited AK or a three-card flush draw. So I keep the pair of 4s and draw three.

A pair of queens is a high pair, and holding it while drawing three cards is the optimal play here, with an EV of about 1.54 per credit. Nothing else in the hand comes close.

A low pair (6-6) is worth more than holding three diamonds or the lone ace in 9/6 Jacks or Better, so I keep the sixes and draw three.

A high pair of jacks (EV about 1.54 per credit) beats drawing to the suited QJ royal draw, so I hold the two jacks and draw three.

Under 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy, a low pair (about 0.82 expected return) beats two suited high cards like KQc (about 0.6). So I hold the pair of fives.

Four to a flush (Qd 7d 5d Kd) has a higher expected value than a low pair of sevens under 9/6 optimal strategy. Drawing to it also keeps two high cards that can pair for a payout.

There is no pair, no draw of four cards to a flush or straight, and no worthwhile suited high cards. Keeping the lone king and drawing four gives the best expected return here.