The Best Strategies for Video Poker (Jacks or Better)

If you walk through a casino and observe the video poker machines, you will likely see dozens of players mindlessly slapping the “Draw” button as fast as they can.

Video poker is a game of intense, calculable skill. Because the machine uses a standard, simulated 52-card deck, the mathematics of the game are completely transparent and solvable.

In this article, we are going to break down the absolute perfect mathematical strategy for the most popular and foundational version of the game: Jacks or Better.

The Payout Table: Why You Must Hunt for the 9/6

Before you even touch a button or insert a dollar, your absolute first task is to read the payout table printed directly on the glass of the machine.

This means the machine pays exactly 9 coins for a Full House (per 1 coin bet) and 6 coins for a Flush.

An 8/5 machine (paying 8 for a Full House and 5 for a Flush) drops the RTP down to 97.3%, massively increasing the casino‘s profit margin purely because you didn’t read the glass.

If the casino does not offer 9/6 Jacks or Better, the correct strategy is to turn around and walk out the door.

Step 2: The Mandatory “Max Bet” Rule

Many casual players, trying to conserve their bankroll, will only bet 1 or 2 coins per hand.

If you bet 1 coin, a Royal Flush pays 250 coins. But if you bet the maximum 5 coins, the Royal Flush payout jumps massively to 4,000 coins (instead of the mathematically linear 1,250).

If you hit a Royal Flush while only betting 1 coin, you have essentially robbed yourself of thousands of dollars purely because you were trying to save 4 quarters.

You must always activate that massive 4,000-coin bonus, regardless of the denomination you are playing.

The Cheat Sheet: What to Hold and What to Fold

You must memorize this hierarchy or bring a printed strategy card with you to the casino (which is completely legal).

Perfect mathematical strategy dictates you MUST throw away the guaranteed winning Jack to draw for the Royal Flush, because the massive 4,000-coin payout makes the gamble mathematically correct over the long run.

You must hold the High Pair and throw away the 4-card Flush draw.

Holding the Ace reduces the number of cards you draw from three to two, drastically reducing your chances of hitting Three of a Kind (which pays 15 coins).

What to Hold (Read from Top to Bottom)

• The Monsters: Never break these hands under any circumstances. You have already won the lottery.
• The Holy Grail Draw: The 4,000-coin payout is so massive that the math demands you chase it every single time.
• Solid Winners: Take the guaranteed money. The math says these payouts are too valuable to risk for a massive gamble.
• Chasing the Mini-Monster: Always draw to the open-ended Straight Flush.
• The Workhorse: Two Pair pays 10 coins. It keeps your bankroll afloat while you wait for the massive hands.
• 6. High Pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces): Hold the pair. Throw away everything else (including an open-ended straight draw).
• Color Hunting: A solid, reliable draw that pays 30 coins.
• The Foundation: A Low Pair pays nothing, but you hold it because it provides the best foundation to draw into Three of a Kind.
• Never Chase the Gutshot: Drawing to an inside straight is one of the most expensive amateur mistakes in the game.
• The Complete Redraw: Do not hold a random 10 because it “feels lucky.” Let the machine give you five brand new cards.

Why the Payouts Matter

You are essentially reducing the casino’s massive, imposing fortress to a tiny 0.46% mathematical sliver.

Take your time, check your strategy card, and ensure every single decision you make is backed by Expected Value.