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 NOT a slot machine. A slot machine is a game of pure, unadulterated luck where you have absolutely zero control over the outcome.

Prepare to stop guessing and start playing the math.

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

The casino secretly alters their House Edge by changing the payouts on only two specific hands: the Full House and the Flush.

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

This means the casino’s House Edge is a microscopic 0.46%, making it vastly superior to almost any slot machine or table game in the building.

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

Why You Must Always Play 5 Coins

This is a catastrophic mathematical error that actively destroys your Expected Value (EV).

However, the payout for the Royal Flush is severely distorted.

If betting 5 coins on a $1 machine ($5 a hand) is too expensive for your bankroll, do not drop down to betting 1 coin.

Playing less than maximum coins instantly turns a beatable game into a terrible mathematical trap.

How to Play Perfect Jacks or Better Strategy

The golden rule is: always play the hand that has the highest Expected Value, even if it means throwing away a guaranteed winning hand to chase a bigger one.

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.

The payout for a standard Flush (30 coins) is not large enough to justify throwing away the guaranteed payout and the chance to draw Three of a Kind or Four of a Kind.

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).

The Simplified Jacks or Better Strategy Hierarchy

• 1. Dealt Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind: Stop thinking. Hold all five cards and press draw to collect your massive payout.
• Chasing the Dream: This is the highest Expected Value draw in the entire game.
• Solid Winners: Take the guaranteed money. The math says these payouts are too valuable to risk for a massive gamble.
• 4. 4 Cards to a Straight Flush: Hold these. The payout for a Straight Flush (250 coins) justifies the risk.
• The Workhorse: Two Pair pays 10 coins. It keeps your bankroll afloat while you wait for the massive hands.
• The Baseline Winner: This simply returns your original bet (a “Push”). It is the most frequent winning hand in the game.
• The Standard Flush Draw: You have 9 “outs” in the remaining deck to hit your suit. The math is highly favorable.
• 8. Low Pair (2s through 10s): Hold the pair. Throw away everything else (including a single High Card). Do NOT hold a kicker.
• 9. 4 Cards to an Outside Straight: Hold the four sequential cards (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8). Do NOT hold an “Inside” Straight (e.g., 5, 6, 8, 9).
• 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

Video Poker is the thinking person’s slot machine. It rewards discipline, mathematical rigor, and an absolute refusal to rely on “luck.”

If you master the math, Video Poker will provide you with thousands of hours of high-EV entertainment.