Here is what is considered Basic Strategy for video poker. It is legal and perfectly acceptable to use this chart whilst playing.
To use it simply look at your original cards and see what you have been dealt. Then check on this list for the strategy that will give you the best chance of improving your hand.
It tells you how many cards to hold and how many to discard. Working out which to hold and which to discard should be common sense.
Basic Poker Strategy Card:
| Initial hand | Strategy |
| 4 of a kind | Keep all |
| 4 card royal (ie cards of same suit, in sequence) | Hold 4, discard 1 |
| Full house | Keep all |
| Flush | Keep all |
| 3 of a kind | Hold 3, discard 2 |
| 4 card straight* flush | Hold 4, discard 1 |
| Straight* | Keep all |
| Two pair | Hold 4, discard 1 |
| High pair (jacks or better) | Hold 2, discard 3 |
| 3 card royal | Hold 3, discard 2 |
| 4 card flush | Hold 4, discard 1 |
| Low pair (10 or less) | Hold 2, discard 3 |
| 4 card straight* (1 high card) | Hold 4, discard 1 |
| 3 card straight* flush | Hold 3, discard 2 |
| 2 card royal (ace, no 10) | Hold 2, discard 3 |
| 3 high cards (J, Q, K, no ace) | Hold 3, discard 2 |
| 2 high cards | Hold 2, discard 3 |
| 2 card royal (10, no ace) | Hold 2, discard 3 |
| 1 high card (J, Q, K or ace) | Hold 1, discard 4 |
| Mixed low cards (10 or less) | Discard all |
*you may know a ‘straight’ as a run or running hand.
Poker Conclusion
There you go, a simple strategy card for any novice poker player wanting to learn how to play poker.