Video Poker table

Keep Ace and Jack for a pair of Jacks (guaranteed 1-credit payout) and a chance at two pair, three of a kind, or a straight draw; discarding the rest maximizes expected value over this weak starting hand.

Holding the pair of 5s gives the highest expected value. Drawing three cards to chase a full house or four of a kind is optimal for a low pair.

Keep the Jack of clubs as the only high card; the remaining cards form no pair, straight, or flush draw, so holding just the J gives the best chance at jacks or better.

Keep the Kh and Jc for a pair of jacks, which guarantees a payout and is the highest-EV hold for this hand. Discarding the other three cards gives the best chance to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

Holding the pair of twos is the optimal play; it maximizes expected value over drawing three cards to improve to three of a kind, two pair, or jacks or better.

Holding Jh, Ts, Qs keeps an open-ended straight draw (9 outs) plus a pair of high cards for a jacks-or-better fallback, giving the highest expected value among the 32 hold patterns.

Keep the pair of nines; drawing three cards to a pair of nines has higher expected value than discarding all five cards.

Holding the 4-3-4-3 (two pair: fours and threes) is the optimal play. Drawing one card gives roughly 16.5 expected credits, far exceeding any alternative hold.

Keep the Ace and Ten for a high-card draw; the other three cards are low and disconnected, so discarding them maximizes the chance of pairing the Ace or completing a straight.

Keep the two jacks for a guaranteed jacks-or-better payout; discarding the rest gives the highest expected value by chasing a better hand while securing the minimum win.

Only the Js is a paying card (jacks or better). Discarding the four low cards gives the highest EV by chasing straights, flushes, or better hands, which is the standard play for a single high card with no draw potential among the discards.

Keep the King and Ace to draw to a straight (need a 6, 7, 8, or 9) and a high pair; discarding all low suited cards maximizes expected value.

The hand contains no pair, no high cards (only Qh), and no flush or straight draw worth pursuing; holding nothing maximizes expected value by drawing five fresh cards.

Holding the pair of tens (Ts, Td) is the optimal play; it maximizes expected value by drawing three cards to chase a three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind, which is superior to chasing a straight or discarding all cards.

Keeping Js, Td, Qd gives a 3-card royal flush draw with a made straight (J-T-Q) as fallback. Discarding 6d and 3d maximizes EV by chasing the royal/straight flush while retaining straight value.

Keeping the Kh and Qd gives a chance at a straight (A-K-Q-J-T) and preserves high cards for jacks-or-better fallback; discarding the rest maximizes expected value over the 47-card draw.

Keep the suited 4d-Td-Jd for a flush draw (12 outs) and a pair of jacks; discard 8c and 3h. This maximizes expected value over chasing the pair alone.

Holding the two high cards (Jh, Kh) gives the highest expected value among all 32 hold patterns for this hand.

Keep the pair of 8s for the chance at three of a kind or better; the jack-queen high cards are not worth holding over the pair.

Keep the pair of kings to maximize expected value; drawing three cards gives the best chance at improving to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

Keep the pair of Queens and the Jack for a three-card Jacks-or-better draw; discarding the 7h and 3h maximizes expected value by chasing a straight, two pair, or trips.

Keep the pair of threes to chase three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind; the other three cards are too weak to keep.

Keep the pair of 7s; drawing three cards gives the highest expected value for a low pair in 9/6 Jacks or Better.

Holding the three 8s gives a guaranteed three of a kind payout (15 credits) with a chance to improve to a full house or four of a kind. The 4s are a pair but only worth keeping if no three of a kind is available; here the three 8s dominate.

Keep the pair of 2s to draw three cards and chase three of a kind or better; discarding the rest maximizes expected value.

Keep the Jack of hearts for a single high pair draw; the two 5s are a low pair worth less than chasing a potential high pair with the J. Discard the 2, 8, and 5 to maximize expected value.

Holding 7d-8d keeps an open-ended straight draw (needs a 6 or 9) with high expected value; discarding the 9c, 3c, and Qs maximizes straight potential.

Keep the 7-8-8-4 double-suited double-paired draw: it has strong potential for two pair, full house, or four of a kind, and the suited 7-8 adds a small flush/straight possibility. Discarding the 4d breaks the duplicate pair and maximizes expected value.

Keeping Jc, Kd, Qs gives a three-card royal flush draw with high cards, which has strong expected value. Discarding 8c and 7d maximizes the chance of hitting the royal or a high-paying straight/flush.

Keep Ace and King for a high pair (Jacks or Better pays 5 credits); discarding the rest maximizes expected value since no straight, flush, or better draw is available.

Keep the Q and J for a high pair (Jacks or Better), which is the correct play over keeping the 7-8 suited connectors; the pair has higher expected value than chasing a flush or straight.

Keep the pair of 5s and discard the other three cards; this is the standard optimal hold for a low pair, maximizing expected value by drawing three cards to improve to two pair, three of a kind, or better.

Keeping the two Jacks and the Ace gives a pair of Jacks with a draw to two pair, three of a kind, or a high pair upgrade; discarding the King and 4s maximizes expected value over the 47 remaining cards.

Holding the pair of nines gives the highest expected value; discarding the other three cards keeps the pair and draws three new cards for a chance at three of a kind or better.

Keeping the pair of queens gives the highest expected value; discarding the other three cards maximizes chances of improving to two pair, three of a kind, full house, or four of a kind.

Holding 8s and 7c keeps an open-ended straight draw (needs a 6 or a 9) with high expected value, better than discarding all for a random draw.

Holding only the Ace keeps an open-ended straight draw (any 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, or 10 completes a straight) plus a pair-of-jacks-or-better fallback, which maximizes expected value for this hand.

Keep the Ace-high heart draw (Ah, 9h) for a flush draw; discarding the rest maximizes expected value over the 47-card draw.

Keep the pair of 4s and the Jd to chase a straight (7-T-J with Q/K needed) or a flush; the pair of 4s guarantees at least three of a kind if one 4 hits, and the Jd gives a chance at jacks or better. Discarding the 7c and 4c maximizes draw potential for higher-paying hands.

No pair, no draw to a straight or flush, and no high cards worth holding. Drawing all five maximizes expected value versus holding any subset.