On this page I’ve devised what I believe to be the perfect strategy for playing Jacks or Better video poker. By using the charts on this page you can achieve a payout percentage of 99.54% at full pay video poker, which is the highest mathematical return I’ve been able to achieve. Please keep in mind that this strategy was created for full pay Jacks or Better games. Here is an example of a full pay Jacks or Better pay table:
Hand: Payout:
Royal Flush 800
Straight Flush 50
Four of a Kind 25
Full House 9
Flush 6
Straight 4
Three of a Kind 3
Two Pair 2
Pair (Jacks or Better) 1
The pay table above assumes you’re betting five coins per hand. If you bet less than five coins per hand the royal flush will pay out less, and your return will go down. Also, if you’re playing one of the other Jacks or Better pay tables this strategy will still be good, but not perfect.
Beginner Jacks or Better Strategy
If you want to play with decent strategy and increase your odds without following the full chart below, you should follow the rules listed here. We’ve identified the most troublesome hands for new players, and advised the correct move for each hand. To use this strategy, play your normal game and make the easy decisions, and if you come upon a tough decision refer to the rules below.
Here is how you should use the chart below:
Find your trouble hand on the chart.
Follow the chart’s recommendation.
Example: Imagine you have Kc-Qc-Jc-Tc-9c. In this case you have a straight flush, but you also have a royal flush draw. By looking at the chart below, you’ll see that a straight flush is better than a royal flush draw, so make sure to keep the straight flush and take your payout.
Royal Flush Draw vs. Pat Straight Flush » Keep the Straight Flush
Royal Flush Draw vs. Pat Flush » Keep the Royal Flush Draw
Pat Straight vs. Four to a Straight Flush » Keep the Straight
Open Four to a Straight Flush vs. Two Pair » Keep the Four to a Straight Flush
Inside Four to a Straight Flush vs. Two Pair » Keep the Two Pair
Four to a Straight Flush vs. High Pair » Keep the Four to a Straight Flush
High Pair (Jacks or Better) vs. Four to a Flush » Keep the High Pair
Four to a Flush vs. Four to a Straight » Keep the Four to a Flush
High Pair (Jacks or Better) vs. Open Four to Straight » Keep the High Pair
Low Pair (Twos – Tens) vs. Open Four to a Straight » Keep the Low Pair
Inside Straight Draw vs. Discard All » Keep the Straight Draw
Expert Jacks or Better Strategy
Here is how you should use the chart below:
Start at the top of the chart and work down.
When you see a hand that matches up with yours, follow that strategy.
Example: Imagine you have Qs-Js-Ts-3s-Jh. In this case, you’d match up with a few rows on the table below. Your hand would qualify for a high pair of Jacks, a Q-J-T suited with one penalty (the other Jack is a penalty card), and four to a flush. However, on the table you’ll notice that Q-J-T suited with one penalty is higher than a four flush or a pair, so you should keep the Q-J-T suited and ditch the four flush and pair.
Jacks or Better Full Strategy Chart
Here are the ranks for every possible Jacks or Better hand you can hold before the draw. Remember, find the highest match on the list for your hand and hold those cards. The middle column shows the expected return for the specific hand. In the example column, h = Hearts, s = Spades, c = Clubs, d = Diamonds, T = Ten, s = Suited.
Hand Expected Return Example
Pat Royal Flush 800.0000 Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-Ah
Pat Straight Flush 50.0000 6h-7h-8h-9h-Th
Pat Four of a Kind 25.0000 6c-6s-6d-6h-9s
Royal Flush Draw 18.4255 Th-Jh-Qh-Kh-4h
Pat Full House 9.0000 Ac-Ad-As-Js-Jc
Pat Flush 6.0000 Ac-Jc-6c-5c-4c
Three of a Kind 4.3080 8c-8s-8d-9h-3d
Pat Straight 4.0000 4c-5s-6h-7h-8h
Open Straight Flush Draw 3.4809 4c-5c-6c-7c-Th
Two Pair 2.5957 3c-3s-4d-4h-Ac
Inside Straight Flush Draw 2.2766 Qs-Js-9s-8s-4c
High Pair (Jacks or Better) 1.5405 Ac-Ad-Js-8c-5h
K-Q-J suited (w/ no penalty*) 1.5328 Kh-Qh-Jh-4c-3c
Q-J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) 1.5291 Qh-Jh-Th-4d-3d
Q-J-T suited (w/ one Straight penalty*) 1.5116 Qh-Jh-Th-Kc-2c
K-Q-J suited (w/ one Straight penalty*) 1.5032 Kh-Qh-Jh-Tc-4c
K-Q-J suited (w/ one Flush penalty*) 1.4829 Kh-Qh-Jh-Js-3s
Q-J-T suited (w/ one Flush penalty*) 1.4792 Qh-Jh-Th-Jc-4s
Q-J-T suited (w/ any two penalties*) 1.4496 Qs-Js-Ts-Kh-Jc
K-Q-J suited (w/ any two penalties*) 1.4385 Kh-Qh-Jh-Jc-Ts
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ no penalty*) 1.4366 Ac-Kc-Jc-2h-3h
K-Q-T suited, K-J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) 1.4329 Kh-Qh-Th-4c-3c
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ one Straight penalty*) 1.4191 Ac-Kc-Qc-Jh-2h
K-Q-Ts, K-J-Ts (w/ one Straight penalty*) 1.4154 Kh-Qh-Th-Jc-2c
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ one Flush penalty*) 1.3867 Ac-Kc-Qc-5c-4s
K-Q-Ts, K-J-Ts (w/ one Flush penalty*) 1.3830 Kc-Qc-Tc-4c-2h
A-K-Qs, A-K-Js, A-Q-Js (w/ two penalties*) 1.3691 Ac-Kc-Qc-Ts-4c
K-Q-T suited, K-J-T suited (w/ two penalties*) 1.3654 Kh-Qh-Th-Jc-Qc
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts (w/ no penalty*) 1.3367 Ac-Kc-Tc-6h-2h
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts (w/ one St. penalty*) 1.3080 Ac-Kc-Tc-Jh-2s
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts (w/ one Flush penalty*) 1.2868 Ac-Kc-Tc-4c-2s
Four to a Flush, Two High Cards 1.2766 Ac-Jc-4c-3c-2h
A-K-Ts, A-Q-Ts, A-J-Ts (w/ two penalties*) 1.2692 Ac-Kc-Tc-Jh-2c
Four to a Flush, One High Card 1.2127 Jc-7c-4c-2c-8s
Four to a Flush, No High Cards 1.1489 9c-7c-4c-2c-8s
Open Four to a Straight (Three High Cards) 0.8723 Kc-Qh-Js-Ts-3h
Pair of Twos through Tens 0.8237 5c-5h-Js-8d-2h
Open Four to a Straight (Two High Cards) 0.7979 Qh-Js-Ts-9c-3h
Open Four to a Straight (One High Card) 0.7447 Js-Ts-9c-8h-3h
Q-J-9 suited 0.7280 Qc-Jc-9c-4h-3h
J-T-9 suited 0.7216 Jc-Tc-9c-4h-3h
Open Four to a Straight (No High Cards) 0.6809 Ts-9c-8h-7c-3h
Q-J-8 suited 0.6348 Qc-Jc-8c-6h-4h
Three to a Straight Flush, Open, No High Cards 0.6300 4c-5c-6c-Th-9h
K-Q-9 suited, K-J-9 suited 0.6253 Kc-Qc-9c-4h-2h
Q-J suited (w/ no penalty*) 0.6245 Qc-Jc-4h-8s-2h
Q-T-9 suited, J-T-8 suited, J-9-8 suited 0.6189 Jc-9c-8c-4h-3h
Q-J suited (w/ one penalty*) 0.6079 Qc-Jc-4c-8s-2h
K-Q suited, K-J suited (w/ no penalty*) 0.6063 Kc-Qc-8s-4h-2s
Q-J suited (w/ two penalties*) 0.6000 Qs-Js-Th-6c-4s
A-K-Q-J 0.5938 Ac-Ks-Jh-Ts-3s
Q-J suited (w/ three penalties*) 0.5902 Qs-Js-Tc-8c-2s
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ one Flush penalty*) 0.5896 Ks-Qs-8s-6h-2h
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ one or two Straight penalties*) 0.5888 Ks-Qs-Jc-9c-2h
A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js (w/ no penalty*) 0.5880 Ac-Kc-6s-9d-2h
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ 1 St. penalty + 1 Flush penalty*) 0.5847 Ks-Qs-Tc-6s-4d
A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js (w/ one Straight penalty*) 0.5794 As-Ks-Tc-2h-6h
K-Qs, K-Js (w/ three penalties*) 0.5721 Ks-Qs-Th-Td-2s
A-Ks, A-Qs, A-Js (w/ one or two penalties*) 0.5714 Ac-Kc-5c-2h-3h
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 1 High Card 0.5375 8h-Th-Qh-9c-2s
Four to a Straight, Inside, Three High Cards 0.5319 Qc-Js-Ts-8d-2h
3 to a St. Flush, 1 Gap, 0 Hi Cards 0.5301 4h-5h-7h-9c-Tc
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, 1 Hi Card, 1 St. Penalty* 0.5227 Jc-9c-7c-8s-2s
J-T suited (w/ no penalty*) 0.5153 Jc-Tc-6s-4d-2d
K-Q-J 0.5153 Kh-Qs-Jc-4c-2h
Q-J 0.5038 Qc-Jh-7d-5c-2h
J-T suited (w/ one Flush penalty*) 0.4987 Js-Ts-6s-4c-2h
K-Q, K-J (w/ no Straight penalty*) 0.4940 Ks-Qc-8h-5h-3d
J-T suited (w/ one or two Straight penalties*) 0.4929 Js-Ts-8c-7c-2h
K-Q, K-J (w/ one or more Straight penalties*) 0.4901 Kc-Qs-9d-5h-2c
Q-T suited (w/ no Flush penalties*) 0.4873 Qc-Tc-7s-5h-2s
J-Ts (w/ 1 Straight penalty + 1 Flush penalty*) 0.4841 Js-Ts-8c-2s-5h
J-T suited (w/ three penalties*) 0.4790 Js-Ts-7c-Ad-2s
AK, AQ, AJ 0.4783 Ac-Ks-8s-7c-2h
Jack (w/ no flush penalty*) 0.4769 Jd-9s-7c-4h-2h
K-T suited (w/ no flush penalty*) 0.4715 Kc-Tc-7s-5d-2d
Q-T suited (w/ one flush penalty*) 0.4698 Qc-Tc-7c-5h-2h
Queen 0.4680 Qc-9d-7d-4s-2s
King (w/ no flush penalty*) 0.4663 Kc-9h-8d-4s-2s
Jack (w/ one or more Flush penalties*) 0.4650 Jd-8d-5d-3s-2s
Ace (w/ no flush penalty*) 0.4635 Ad-Tc-7s-4s-2h
K-Ts (w/ one Flush penalty*) 0.4622 Kc-Tc-8c-5h-2s
King (w/ one or more Flush penalties*) 0.4619 Kh-Ts-8d-5h-2c
Ace (w/ one or more flush penalties*) 0.4579 Ah-Th-7s-5c-2d
3 to a St. Flush, 2 Gaps, No Hi Cards 0.4376 5h-7h-9h-2d-3d
Everything Else » Draw Five New Cards 0.3598 10s-8c-6d-4s-2h
*Penalty cards are any cards which you plan to discard that hurt your chances of completing a draw. For example, if you have 7c-9c-Jc-8s-5h and plan to keep the 7c-9c-Jc, the 8s that you’re discarding actually hurts you because there is one less card in the deck that completes your straight. However, it still makes sense to discard the 8s because you have better expected return going for the straight flush than to draw to the inside straight.
Straight (St.) penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand’s possibility of making a straight. Flush penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand’s possibility of making a flush. High Pair (HP) penalty cards mean cards that interfere w/ a hand’s possibility of making a high pair (a pair Jacks or better).Best Casinos to Play Video Poker
Best Casinos to Play Video Poker
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