Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

How Jacks or Better Strategy is Determined

To figure out the perfect strategy for jacks or better, you have to determined what the optimal decisions are given certain combinations of hands. And to determine that, you have to understand how frequently certain hands will come up, what the payout is when they do come up, and what the return for that particular hands is. You don’t actually have to do those calculations, because they’ve already been done by people smarter than me, but it’s important to understand that those numbers are “behind” the correct strategic decisions.

Frequencies and Paybacks on 9/6 Jacks or Better Hands

The odds are rounded to the nearest whole number, and the 800 payout on the royal flush assumes a max bet. If you don’t make the max bet, you don’t get a payout of 800 on that bet.

Really Simple Jacks or Better Strategy for Beginners and Casual Players

This is a simple strategy that will give you a decent return, but at the same time is easy to learn and play.

Rule #1 – Hold any paying combination unless you have 4 to a royal flush, or unless you have a high pair and 4 to a straight flush. In those cases, draw to the royal or straight flush.

Rule #2 – Start at the top of this list, and stop when you get to a hand you can hold:

• 3 cards to a royal flush

• 4 cards to a straight flush

• low pair (any pair lower than jacks)

• 4 cards to an outside straight draw

• JQKA offsuit

• 2 suited high cards (jacks or better)

• 3 cards to a straight flush

• JQK offsuit

• 2 unsuited high cards

• high card + 10 of the same suit, excluding ace-ten

• any high card

• nothing, draw 5 new cards

The Complete 9/6 Jacks or Better Strategy Table

The way this strategy table works is that you start at the top and go down. Once you find a match, those are the cards you hold.

The combinations that you can hold are listed in order of which ones have the best return.

An inside straight is a straight with a gap in the middle of it, so that only 1 card can complete the straight. For example, 4578 would need a 6 to complete the straight. An outside straight draw would be something like 4567, because any 3 or any 8 would complete the straight, doubling your chances of hitting it.

• Royal flush

• Straight flush

• 4 of a kind

• 4 cards to a royal flush

• Full house

• Flush

• 3 of a kind

• Straight

• 4 cards to a straight flush

• 2 pair

• Pair of jacks or better

• 3 cards to a royal flush

• 4 cards to a flush

• 10JQK, unsuited

• Pair of 10’s or less

• 9-10-J-Q, unsuited

• 8-9-10-J, unsuited

• 9JQ, suited

• 9-10-J, suited

• 9-10-Q, suited

• 4 cards to an outside straight with no high cards

• 3 cards to a straight flush, with 2 gaps and 2 high cards

• 3 cards to a straight flush, with 1 gap and 1 high card

• 3 cards to a straight flush, no high cards

• JQKA, unsuited

• 2 cards to a royal flush, 2 high cards

• 4 cards to a straight with 1 gap and 3 high cards

• 3 cards to a straight flush with 2 gaps and 1 high card

• 3 cards to a straight flush with 1 gap and no high cards

• JQK, unsuited

• 2 high cards, unsuited (don’t keep an ace if you have 3 high cards)

• 2 card royal flush with a 10 and no ace

• 1 high card

• 3 card straight flush with 2 gaps and no high cards

• Nothing – draw 5 new cards