Jacks or Better – Video Poker Strategy

2007 December 26, Charlie Black

Jacks or Better Video Poker is an extremely popular online casino game. It is similar to a Slot game in some ways but Video Poker is played with cards and poker hand rankings. There is a great deal of strategy which makes it very different from any Slot game, as there is no optimal strategy for playing Slots.

When playing perfect strategy on Jacks or Better Video Poker, you can play with almost no house advantage. The house advantage when playing perfect strategy Jacks or Better can be under half a percent.

Computer experts have run simulations to enable players to play perfect strategy on Jacks or Better, but with 134,459 individual poker hands and potential decisions to be made, it would be impossible to memorize every single individual decision – so experts have created lists of rules which allow you to play optimal strategy with relative ease.

Firstly, you should always play a 9/6 machine on Jacks or Better. This means the payout table should pay 9 units for a Full House and 6 units for a Flush. Some machines pay less than these and you should avoid any machine that does not pay 9/6.

The Wizard of Odds rules for Jacks or Better are widely considered to be the authority on optimal strategy. Below are the extended rules you should follow to ensure you have the best chance of winning (the higher the ranking, the better the play):

• 1. Pat royal flush
• 2. Pat straight flush
• 3. Pat four of a kind
• 4. 4 to a royal flush
• 5. Pat full house
• 6. Pat flush
• 7. 3 of a kind
• 8. Pat straight
• 9. 4 to a straight flush
• 10. Two pair
• 11. High pair
• 12. 3 to a royal flush
• 13. 4 to a flush
• 14. Unsuited TJQK
• 15. Low pair
• 16. 4 to an outside straight with 0-2 high cards
• 17. 3 to a straight flush, spread 5, 2 high cards
• 18. 3 to a straight flush, spread 4, 1+ high card
• 19. 3 to a straight flush, spread 3, 0+ high cards
• 20. Suited QJ
• 21. 4 to an inside straight, 4 high cards
• 22. Suited KQ or KJ
• 23. Suited AK, AQ, or AJ
• 24. 4 to an inside straight, 3 high cards
• 25. 3 to a straight flush, spread 5, 1 high card
• 26. 3 to a straight flush, spread 4, 0 high cards
• 27. Unsuited JQK
• 28. Unsuited JQ
• 29. Suited TJ
• 30. 2 unsuited high cards king highest
• 31. Suited TQ
• 32. 2 unsuited high cards ace highest
• 33. J only
• 34. Suited TK
• 35. Q only
• 36. K only
• 37. A only
• 38. 3 to a straight flush, spread 5, 0 high cards
• 39. Garbage, discard everything

If you play using the above rules, you will be playing almost perfect strategy. There are some very rare execptions which the Wizard of Odds discusses on his website.

Ed note: You can play Jacks or Better Video Poker with a 9/6 paytable at Casino Tropez.