Jacks or Better Strategy

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).