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:

1. Because of this, the variance is low and the jacks or better strategy is not very complex. This makes Jacks or Better a perfect game for a novice player or for someone with a somewhat limited bankroll. Its low variance also makes it a great game for players who do not want to endure huge bankroll swings for either financial or emotional reasons.
2. Jacks or Better Strategy Understand all combinations and see how close your hand is to winning them. If you require more than 2 cards to achieve the combination, it is better to try for other options. When you have a pair of cards, calculate the odds and decide to hold or break them.

Jacks or Better remained in gambling circles throughout the years and was introduced as a video poker variant in the late 1970s. Video poker was a failure when it was first introduced to casinos in 1970, namely because it was nothing more than a television monitor attached to a central processing unit.

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:

Jacks Or Better Strategy

1. Find your trouble hand on the chart.
2. 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.

Jacks Or Better Strategy Simulator

• 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

Jacks Or Better Strategy Calculator

Expert Jacks or Better Strategy

Here is how you should use the chart below:

1. Start at the top of the chart and work down.
2. 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.

*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).