Video Poker Calculation Question.

We know that the return for 9/6 Jacks or Better is 99.54%. I would like to calculate the return for a very specific version of Deuces Wild Pick-em. I have written a computer program that allows the user to play the specific version of the game (because I can find no strategy chart for the specific payoffs) and learn the ultimate computer strategy, BUT... I do not know how to generate the actual return for the specific game.

I am NOT asking for someone to do it, but just explain the "essentials" of how it is calculated. i.e. (I am NOT saying this is the way) something like... calculate the win result for every hand and add them up, compare that total to max. coins times total number of hands to the amount won in all winning hands. Does this sound close?

Thanks for any help.

I don't know the details of your game. but you in VP you cycle through all 5 cards (modulo card order and maybe suit) as the initial deal. For each initial deal you determine the EV of all 32 hold patterns, and pick the one with highest EV (this part will depend on the game rules). Then add up all the EVs for each of the initial deals to get the house edge.