Wonky video poker schedual

Hello everyone.

The casino in my town offers a video poker game with a proggressive jackpot (and hence a chance to play with the best of it) bu thas a wonky pay schedual. I would like to play the game, but I need to know the optimal strategy, as well as minimum jackpot for profitability.

I am more than willing to invest in some literature on the subject, but I do not wish to order a book without being absolutely certain that it describes the game in contention. There is no other video poker in town with a proggressive bonus, so a book without specific data as to how to play my local machines will not be usefull to me. I would like to list the pay schedual here, and hope that somebody can either provide me with the strategic information I need, or refer me to a book (or other source) that can tell me the scoop.

Incidentally, the game is Jacks or better, and boasts a 95.7% maximum payout (not counting the jackpot). The payout is listed in coins, and is based on playing five coins a spin. Note that hitting Jacks or better or two pair only breaks even. Each cion is worth $0.25, so each spin costa $0.75 (for the purpose of calculating the minimal profitable jackpot).

Royal Flush ------------------------------------- Bonus
Staright flush ---------------------------------- 250
quad Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 --------------------- 2000
quad 2s, 3s, or 4s, with an a, 2, 3, or 4 ------- 800
quad Aces --------------------------------------- 800
quad 2s, 3s, or 4s ------------------------------ 400
quad 5s through Ks ------------------------------ 250
full house -------------------------------------- 30
flush ------------------------------------------- 25
straight ---------------------------------------- 20
trips ------------------------------------------- 15
two pair ---------------------------------------- 5
Jacks or better --------------------------------- 5

Thanks for any help.
-Luke

[D. Andrew]

13,000 coins($3250) for 100.087% return. The optimal strategy follows and uses 13,000 coins as the Jackpot amount.


DOUBLE DOUBLE BONUS
VPSM Advanced Strategy

13000.0000 Pat Royal
2000.0000 Pat Four Aces w Kicker
1106.3830 Four Aces
800.0000 Pat Four 2,3,4 w Kicker
502.1277 Four 2,3,4
282.8723 4 Royal
250.0000 Pat Straight Flush
250.0000 Pat Four 5's to K's
60.4348 3 Aces
36.0130 3 Twos, Threes or Fours
30.0000 Pat Full House
25.9297 3 Fives to Kings
25.0000 Pat Flush
20.0000 Pat Straight
16.7553 4 STFL, Open
15.6660 KQJs, 0 Pen
15.6522 QJTs, 0 Pen
15.5643 QJTs, 1 St.Pen only
15.5180 KQJs, 1 St.Pen only
15.4718 KQJs, 1 HP Pen only
15.4579 KQJs, 1 Fl.Pen only
15.4440 QJTs, 1 Fl.Pen only
15.4440 QJTs, 1 HP Pen only
15.2960 QJTs, Any 2 Pen
15.2636 KQJs, Any 2 Pen
15.1804 AKQs, AKJs, AQJs, 0 Pen
15.1665 KQTs, KJTs, 0 Pen
15.0925 AKQs,AKJs,AQJs, 1 St.Pen only
15.0786 KQTs, KJTs, 1 St.Pen only
14.9861 AKQs,AKJs,AQJs, 1 HP Pen only
14.9722 AKQs,AKJs,AQJs, 1 Fl.Pen only
14.9584 KQTs, KJTs, 1 Fl.Pen only
14.9584 KQTs, KJTs, 1 HP Pen only
14.8844 AKQs, AKJs, AQJs, Any 2 Pen
14.8705 KQTs, KJTs, Any 2 Pen
14.6809 AKTs, AQTs, AJTs, 0 Pen
14.5652 AKTs,AQTs,AJTs, 1 St.Pen only
14.4727 AKTs,AQTs,AJTs, 1 Fl.Pen only
14.4727 AKTs,AQTs,AJTs, 1 HP Pen only
14.3848 AKTs, AQTs, AJTs, Any 2 Pen
10.6383 4 STFL, Inside
9.2751 Pair Aces
7.1277 Two Pair
7.0826 Pair JJ, QQ, KK
5.1063 4 Flush
4.3617 4 ST, Open, 3 Hi Cards (KQJT)
4.1764 Pair 22, 33, 44
3.9894 4 ST, Open, 2 Hi Cards (QJT9)
3.7234 4 ST, Open, 1 Hi Card (JT98)
3.5134 Pair 55 to TT
3.4073 QJs, 0 Pen
3.4043 4 ST, Open, 0 Hi Cards
3.3441 QJ9s, 0 Pen
3.3164 JT9s, 0 Pen
3.3158 KQs, KJs, 0 Pen
3.3056 QJs, Any 1 Pen only
3.2763 KQs, KJs, 1,2 St.Pen only
3.2701 QJ9s, 1+ Pen
3.2581 AKs, AQs, AJs, 0 Pen
3.2513 QJs, Any 2 Pen
3.2424 JT9s, 1+ Pen
3.2150 AKs, AQs, AJs, 1 St.Pen only
3.2140 KQs, KJs, 1 Fl.Pen only
3.2032 QJs, Any 3 Pen
3.1887 AKs, AQs, AJs, 1 Fl.Pen only
3.1610 KQs, KJs, 1 St.Pen & 1 Fl.Pen
3.1588 KQs, KJs, Any 3 Pen
3.1357 AKs, AQs, AJs, Any 2 Pen
3.0876 AKs, AQs, AJs, Any 3 Pen
2.9691 AKQJ
2.8862 KQ9s, KJ9s, QJ8s
2.8307 3 STFL, Open, 0 Hi Cards
2.7493 JTs, 1,2 St.Pen only
2.7407 JTs, 0 Pen
2.7243 QT9s, JT8s, J98s
2.7194 JTs, 1 St.Pen & 1 Fl.Pen
2.6939 JTs, Any 3 Pen
2.6713 JTs, 1 Fl.Pen only
2.6596 4 ST, Inside, 3 Hi Cards
2.6491 QTs
2.5575 KTs, 0 Fl.Pen
2.5196 ATs, 0 Fl.Pen
2.5119 ATs, 1 Fl.Pen
2.4881 KTs, 1 Fl.Pen
2.4514 KQJ
2.3589 3 STFL, 2 Gaps, 1 Hi, 0 St.Pen
2.3432 Ace, 0 Fl.Pen
2.3404 4 ST, Inside, 2 Hi Cards
2.3265 3 STFL, 1 Gap, 0 Hi, 0 St.Pen
2.3201 Ace, 1+ Fl.Pen
2.3190 QJ
2.2849 3 STFL, 2 Gaps, 1 Hi, 1 St.Pen
2.2710 3 STFL, 1 Gap, 0 Hi, 1 St.Pen
2.2300 KQ, KJ
2.1892 Jack, 0 Fl.Pen
2.1450 Queen
2.1347 King
2.1342 Jack, 1+ Fl.Pen
1.8594 3 STFL, 2 Gaps, 0 Hi Cards
1.7021 4 ST, Inside, 0 Hi Cards
1.6070 Redraw

PAYTABLE
------------------------------
Royal Flush 13000.00
Straight Flush 250.00
Four Aces with 2,3,4 2000.00
Four Aces 800.00
Four 2-4s with A,2,3,4 800.00
Four 2-4s 400.00
Four J-Ks 250.00
Four 5-10s 250.00
Full House 30.00
Flush 25.00
Straight 20.00
Three of Kind 15.00
Two Pair 5.00
Jacks or Better 5.00

Hi.

Thank you very much.

Two questions:

1 - what does pen mean?

2 - What does HP mean?

Thanks again.

-Luke

[D. Andrew]

pen => Penality card
HP => Hi Pair

As a side note. WinPoker by Bob Dancer is a good practice tool and was used to find the min Jackpot amount. It allows you to set the paytable and gives the optimal play as you practice. VP Stategy Master by Tom Ski was used to make the strategy.