Jacks or Better
The classic video poker game: five cards, one draw, and a payout for any pair of jacks or higher.
The trainer needs JavaScript.
What Each Hand Pays
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | Pays per coin |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Jacks or better | 1 |
The lowest paying hand is a pair of jacks. A pair of tens or lower pays nothing.
Bet five coins: a royal flush then pays 800 per coin instead of 250.
The Four Pay Tables and Their Returns
| Game and pay table | Full house | Flush | Return, perfect play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deuces Wild (full pay) | 3 | 2 | 100.76% |
| Double Double Bonus 10/6 | 10 | 6 | 100.07% |
| Jacks or Better 9/6 | 9 | 6 | 99.54% |
| Bonus Poker 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 99.17% |
| Double Double Bonus 9/6 | 9 | 6 | 98.98% |
| Deuces Wild (NSUD) | 4 | 3 | 99.73% |
| Jacks or Better 8/5 | 8 | 5 | 97.30% |
| Jacks or Better 7/5 | 7 | 5 | 96.15% |
| Jacks or Better 6/5 | 6 | 5 | 95.00% |
Exact return over all 2,598,960 deals with the best hold every time, max-coin bet.
The name shows what a full house and a flush pay per coin. Everything else on the table stays the same.
- 9/6 – returns 99.54%
- 8/5 – returns 97.30%
- 7/5 – returns 96.15%
- 6/5 – returns 95.00%
All four stay below full return, so the house edge wins over time. Compare more games on video poker pay tables.
How to Play Jacks or Better
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| J♠ J♥ | 1.537 | best |
| J♠ Q♠ K♠ | 1.488 | 4.8% |
| J♠ Q♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
| J♠ K♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
| J♠ J♥ 4♦ | 1.416 | 12.0% |
- Choose how many coins to bet.
- Press Deal to get five cards.
- Click the cards you want to hold.
- Press Draw – new cards replace the rest.
- Your final hand is paid by the pay table.
Here the pair of jacks is kept over three to a royal flush. Step-by-step details: how to play video poker.
Break a Paying Pair for Four to a Royal
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠ | 18.532 | best |
| J♠ J♥ | 1.537 | 1699.5% |
| J♠ Q♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 1711.6% |
| J♠ K♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 1711.6% |
| J♠ A♠ J♥ | 1.416 | 1711.6% |
You hold a paying pair of jacks, but four to a royal flush returns much more on average. Hold J-Q-K-A of spades and throw the jack of hearts.
Four to a Flush Beats a Low Pair
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| 4♠ 7♠ 9♠ K♠ | 1.213 | best |
| 9♠ 9♥ | 0.824 | 38.9% |
| 4♠ 9♠ 9♥ | 0.675 | 53.7% |
| 7♠ 9♠ 9♥ | 0.675 | 53.7% |
| 9♠ K♠ 9♥ | 0.675 | 53.7% |
A pair of nines pays nothing on its own. Holding the four spades gives a better average return than holding the low pair.
A Low Pair Beats Four to an Open Straight
| Hold | Average return | Cost vs best |
|---|---|---|
| 8♠ 8♥ | 0.824 | best |
| 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♠ | 0.681 | 14.3% |
| 5♥ 6♦ 7♣ 8♥ | 0.681 | 14.3% |
| 5♥ 8♠ 8♥ | 0.675 | 14.8% |
| 6♦ 8♠ 8♥ | 0.675 | 14.8% |
Keep the pair of eights and drop the straight draw. Test any hand in the video poker calculator or see the full strategy chart.
Questions
What is the best Jacks or Better pay table?
The 9/6 table is the best common version, returning 99.54% with perfect play. The 6/5 table returns only 95.00%.
Should you break a pair of jacks to go for a royal flush?
Yes, when you hold four cards to a royal flush. The average return of the royal draw is much higher than keeping the pair.
Do you hold a low pair or four to a flush in Jacks or Better?
Hold the four to a flush. It returns more on average than a pair of tens or lower, which pays nothing on its own.
Can you beat Jacks or Better video poker?
No. Even the 9/6 table with perfect strategy keeps a house edge of 0.46%, so over time the machine wins.
Can I play Jacks or Better online free?
Yes, the trainer on this page plays Jacks or Better with play chips only, and shows which cards return the most.