Video Poker table

Only the queen is a high card (jacks or better). Keeping it maximizes expected value; discarding the rest gives the best chance to draw a pair or better.

No pair, no high card of jacks or better, and no draw to a straight or flush; discarding all five cards is the optimal hold for this hand.

Keeping the Ace of spades gives the highest expected value by drawing four cards to chase a royal flush, straight, flush, or high pair. The current hand has no made paying combination, so discarding all low cards is optimal.

Holding all five cards guarantees a zero payout and wastes the bet; discarding everything gives a chance at a straight, flush, or high pair from the draw.

Holding all five cards is the only legal action when no draw is possible; this hand is a full house (Tens full of Tens) worth 45 credits.

Keeping the two Queens and the Ace gives a pair of Queens with a high kicker, which is the optimal hold for this hand. Discarding 7h and 5d maximizes expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

This hand has no pair, no high cards, and no meaningful draw potential. Discarding all five cards maximizes expected value by giving us a fresh draw from the remaining deck.

Keeping Tc-Js-Ks gives an open-ended straight draw (9-10-J-Q-K) with 8 outs to a straight paying 20 credits, which has higher expected value than keeping the single Qh for a jacks-or-better draw.

Keeping the two aces and two fours gives a full house draw with high expected value; discarding the 6h maximizes the chance of improving to a full house or better.

Keeping the Jack and King of spades preserves a high pair of Jacks (guaranteed 1-credit return) and leaves a chance at a Jacks-or-better draw with the remaining three cards; discarding the low off-suit cards maximizes expected value over the 47-card draw.

Keep the pair of 3s to chase three of a kind (3 credits) and full house/quads, which has higher expected value than keeping the single Jack for a one-pair payout.

Keep the pair of 3s and discard the rest; this is the standard optimal play for a low pair, offering the highest expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

Keeping the Jc and Kc gives a pair of jacks, which is the minimum paying hand. Discarding the rest maximizes draw potential for two pair, three of a kind, or a straight.

Keep the 7d and Td to draw to a diamond flush (high EV) while discarding the 9d to avoid blocking the flush outs; the Js is a marginal single high card worth keeping only if no flush draw exists, so here we chase the flush.

Keep the pair of Aces for the high expected value of drawing to three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind, and discard the weak 7d-2d-3c for a chance at a straight or flush draw.

No pair and no high cards; holding nothing maximizes draw potential for straights, flushes, or pairs.

Keeping the Kc is the only way to chase a high pair; discarding the rest maximizes the chance of drawing a second face card or ace for a paying hand.

Keep the pair of 6s. This is a standard draw to three of a kind (or better) with high expected value; discarding the 5, 8, and T gives the best chance to improve.

Holding the two high cards (Jh and Kh) maximizes expected value by keeping a chance at jacks or better while discarding the low cards.

Keep the pair of Queens (Tc, Qc) for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discarding the other three cards maximizes expected value by chasing three-of-a-kind, two pair, or a full house.

Keep the Jack and Ten for a high-card draw; the other three cards are low and disconnected, so discarding them maximizes the chance of pairing the Jack or improving to two pair/straight draws.

Keep the Jack and Ten for a two-card straight draw (open-ended with a 9 and Q), which has higher expected value than keeping only the Jack for a single pair.

Keeping the pair of 5s plus the Ace gives the highest expected value: it preserves the pair for a full house or three of a kind draw while the Ace adds straight and high-card potential, beating a pair-only hold.

Keeping the Kc is the highest-EV option; it chases a single high pair (Jacks or better) while discarding the rest gives the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or a straight.

Holding Ks-Qs-Jd gives a high pair of kings with a chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or a straight. Discarding 3h and 8c maximizes expected value over keeping just the pair.

Keep the Kd and Jc for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discarding the rest gives the highest expected value among the 32 hold patterns for this hand.

Keeping the pair of 4s plus Q-J gives the highest expected value: it can improve to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind, and the Q-J also keeps a slim straight possibility (8-9-10).

Holding the three tens gives a guaranteed three of a kind (15 credits) and draws two cards to chase a full house, four of a kind, or straight. The 7s is the highest unpaired card, improving straight potential over the low clubs.

Keeping the Queen of Spades alone is the highest-EV play, chasing a pair of jacks or better and a possible straight or flush draw with the remaining four cards.

The dealt hand is 9s, Qs, 2c, 4h, 5s, which has no pair, no flush draw, and no straight draw. Holding any subset yields negligible expected value, so discarding all five cards is the optimal play to chase a better hand.

Holding the two 2s gives a pair of deuces; drawing three cards offers the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or a full house. The queen is the only high card and keeping it alone with a pair of 2s reduces draw potential.

Keep the queen high for a chance at jacks or better; discarding the rest maximizes expected value over the remaining draws.

The dealt hand is 9d 3d 8d Ts 6c. Keeping the three diamonds (9d 3d 8d) gives a flush draw with 10 outs, but the straight potential is weak and the expected value of discarding all five cards to chase a better draw is higher than holding the partial flush. I discard everything to maximize EV.

Keep the pair of 3s and the 4s to draw toward a full house or three of a kind; discard the J and K since they don't improve the hand's expected value.

Keep the two high cards Kd and Kh for a pair of jacks or better; the other three cards are low and disconnected, so drawing three to a high pair is the correct play.

Keep Ks and Td for an inside straight draw (Q-J) plus a high pair; this maximizes expected value over discarding the three low diamonds.

Keep the Jack and Queen for a pair of high cards, which is the optimal hold for this hand.

Keeping As-Qh-Tc-Ac gives a royal flush draw (10-J-Q-K-A of spades) with 20 outs to the royal and additional straight/flush value; discarding the 5c maximizes expected value.

Holding the 9-9-6-8 gives a straight draw (6-7-8-9) with three cards to a full house and a guaranteed two pair if the draw doesn't complete the straight. This is the highest-EV hold among the 32 patterns for this hand.

Keep the King high for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discarding all low cards maximizes the chance of drawing a pair or better.