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17/7/5 Joker Poker 10-play Ultimate X Strategy
Introduction
This page shows my strategy for the 10-hand version of 17/7/5 Ultimate X Joker Poker (Kings or Better). With perfect play, which requires knowing more than one correct play for many hands based on the average multiplier, the expected return of this game is 99.04%. If you use the following single strategy at all times, the expected return is 99.015%. So you are giving up 0.025% in long-term return in exchange for a single, simple strategy.
Please note this strategy is not appropriate for the single-line Ultimate X game.
Basic Strategy - No Joker Dealt
- Full house or better
- 4 to a royal flush
- Flush
- Straight
- 3 of a kind
- 4 to a straight flush
- 2 pair
- 1 pair, Kings or Aces
- 4 to a flush
- 3 to a royal flush
- 1 pair, Queens or lower
- 3 to a straight flush — A23/A24/A25; 345; 456; 567; 678; 789; 89T; 9TJ; 9QK
- 4 to a straight — 2345; 3456; 4567; 5678; 6789; 789T; 89TJ; 9TJQ; TJQK
- 2 to a royal flush — KA
- 3 to a straight flush — A34/A35/A45; 234/235/245; 346/356; 457/467; 568/578; 679/689; 78T/79T; 89J/8TJ; 9TQ/9JQ; 9TK/9JK
- 4 to a straight — TJKA/TQKA/JQKA
- 2 to a straight — KA
- 2 to a royal flush — TK/JK/QK
- a King or Ace
- 3 to a straight flush — 236/246/256; 347/357/367; 458/468/478; 569/579/589; 67T/68T/69T; 78J/79J/7TJ; 89Q/8TQ/8JQ
- 2 to a royal flush — TJ
- Discard everything
Basic Strategy - Joker Dealt
- Full house or better
- 4 to a wild royal flush — WTJQ; WTJK/WTQK/WJQK
- Flush
- 4 to a wild royal flush — WTJA/WTQA/WJQA; WTKA/WJKA/WQKA
- 4 to a straight flush — WA23/WA24/WA25/WA34/WA35/WA45; W234/W235/W245; W345; W346/W356; W456; W457/W467; W567; W568/W578; W678; W679/W689; W789; W78T/W79T; W89T; W89J/W8TJ; W9TJ; W9TQ/W9JQ; W9TK/W9JK/W9QK
- 3 of a kind
- Straight
- 4 to a straight flush — W236/W246/W256; W347/W357/W367; W458/W468/W478; W569/W579/W589; W67T/W68T/W69T; W78J/W79J/W7TJ; W89Q/W8TQ/W8JQ
- 4 to a flush — W23K to W8QK; W26A to W9KA
- 3 to a wild royal flush — WTJ; WTK/WJK/WQK; WTA/WJA/WQA/WKA
- 4 to a straight — WTJK/WTQK/WJQK
- 3 to a straight flush — WA5; W9K
- 3 to a straight flush — W89
- 3 to a straight flush — WA4/W45
- 3 to a straight flush — W78
- 3 to a straight flush — WA3
- 3 to a straight flush — W56; W67
- 3 to a straight flush — WA2
- 3 to a straight flush — W9T
- 1 pair — Joker + Ace
- 3 to a wild royal flush — WTQ/WJQ
- 1 pair — Joker + King
- 4 to a straight — W456; W567; W678; W789; W89T
- 3 to a straight flush — W46; W57; W68; W79; W8T; W9J
- 3 to a straight flush — W34/W35
- 4 to a straight — W345; W9TJ
- 4 to a flush — W237 to W69Q
- 3 to a straight flush — W36; W47; W58; W69; W7T; W8J
- 3 to a straight flush — W23; W24; W25; W9Q
- 4 to a straight — WTJQ
- 1 pair — Joker + 8
- 1 pair — Joker + 7
- 1 pair — Joker + 6
- 1 pair — Joker + 9
- 1 pair — Joker + 10
- 1 pair — Joker + 5
- Joker only
Exceptions
There are too many exceptions to list for this game, and they are collectively worth less than 0.03%, so I will only list one exception. The following type of hand is the only one in the entire game which has three correct plays:
Joker + 2T of one suit + Jack of a second suit + Queen of a third suit. For example, 
2♦ 10♦ J♣ Q♥.
The three correct plays for this hand are:
- With an average multiplier of 1.0 to 1.8, hold the and TJQ
- With an average multiplier of 1.9 to 2.8, hold the only
- With an average multiplier of 2.9 or more, hold the and the 10