Three of a Kind in Video Poker: Should You Keep a Kicker?
Dealt: 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ K♠ 2♣
Best play: Hold 7♣ 7♦ 7♥.
No. Drawing two cards to trips gives you two chances at four of a kind and more ways to make a full house. A kicker pays nothing extra in Jacks or Better.
Every hold that matters, exactly
Expected return per coin bet on 9/6 Jacks or Better, averaged over every possible draw. A return of 1.000 gets your bet back on average.
| Hold | Return | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ | 4.3025 | best |
| 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ K♠ | 3.8511 | 0.4514 |
| 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ 2♣ | 3.8511 | 0.4514 |
| 7♣ 7♦ 7♥ K♠ 2♣ | 3.0000 | 1.3025 |
| 7♣ 7♦ | 0.5819 | 3.7206 |
| 7♣ 7♥ | 0.5819 | 3.7206 |
Getting this hand wrong costs 0.4514 coins per coin bet, or 45.1% of your wager on this hand. Over thousands of hands, mistakes like this are what separate a 99.5% game from a 97% one.
Practise the hands that trip people up
Casino Trainer deals you real video poker hands, solves every one of the 32 possible holds, and shows exactly what each mistake cost. It's the same calculation as on this page.
More hands: Every Jacks or Better hold decision · Video poker strategy · The 9/6 paytable
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