Pickem Poker is an unusual video poker game for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the payout percentage for pickem poker is very high, 99.95% if you have the right pay table. The other is that this game is not based on 5 card draw like Jacks or Better or Deuces Wild. I think the strategy for the game is correspondingly easier as a result.

In Pickem Poker, you receive 8 cards, not 5. The cards are arranged in 4 virtual "stacks". In the first 2 stacks (the ones on the left) there is only 1 card in each stack. In the 2nd 2 stacks, there are 3 cards in each stack. The top card of each stack is exposed.

You're always keeping the first 2 cards on the left, and the only decision you make is which of the 2 stacks on the right that you're going to take. The 2 cards under the faceup card are turned over to create your hand.

The appropriate strategy is to go down this list and stop when you get to a hand which applies to yours:

Three of a kind
Any three cards to a royal flush, EXCLUDING an ace
Any pair of nines or better
Any three cards to a royal flush, even if it has an ace
Any three cards to a straight flush
Any pair of two's through eight's
Any three cards to a flush
Any three cards to a straight
Any cards nine or higher