Optimum strategy for Jacks or Better

Below there is an optimum strategy for Jacks or Better. Similarly to counting cards in Black Jack if you play in the casino occasionally, use a simplified strategy only. However, if you play video poker every day, you should learn an optimum strategy.

1. Royal Flush (800.0000)
2. Straight Flush (50.0000)
3. Four of a Kind (25.0000)
4. Four cards for Royal Flush (18.3617)
5. Full House (9.0000)
6. Flash (6.0000)
7. Three of a Kind (4.3025)
8. Straight (4.0000)
9. Four cards for Straight Flush (3.5319)
10. Two Pair (2.59574)
11. Court Pair (1.5365)
12. Three cards for Royal Flush (1.2868)
13. Four cards for Flash (1.2766)
14. Four cards for outer Straight with three courts (0.8723)
15. Low pair (not courts) (0.8237)
16. Four cards for outer Straight with two or less courts (0.6809)
17. Three cards for Straight Flush, 5 spread, two courts (0.6429)
18. Three cards for Straight Flush, 4 spread, one or more courts(0.6392)
19. Three cards for Straight Flush, 3 spread (0.6207)
20. J and Q  of one colour. (0.6004) 
21. Four courts, cards for outer Straight (0.5957)
22. Two courts of different colours (except for an Ace) (0.5821)
23. Two courts of different colours(0.5678)
24. Four cards for inner Straight, three courts (0.5319)
25. Three cards for Straight Flush, 5 spread, one court (0.5227) 
26. Three cards for Straight Flush, 4 spread, no courts (0.5097)
27. J,Q,K of different colours (0.5005)
28. J,Q  of different colours(0.4980)
29. 10,J of the same colour(0.4968) 
30. Two courts of different colours (except an Ace) (0.4862)
31. 10,Q  of the same colour(0.4825) 
32. Two courts of different colours (0.4743)
33. J (0.4713)
34. 10,K of the same colour(0.4682) 
35. Q (0.4681)
36. K (0.4649)
37. A (0.4640)
38. Three cards for Straight Flush, 5 spread, no courts (0.4431)
39. Throw all the cards (0.3597)

Dictionary:

• J- Jack
• Q- Queen
• K- King
• A- Ace
• Court- J,Q,K,A
• Four cards for outer Srtaight- here you can use two different cards to complete that Straight, i.e. 5-6-7-8 is an outer Straight, 4-5-7-8 is an inner Straight. Notice that A-2-3-4 and J-Q-K-A are inner Straights.
• Spread- the difference in the cards value in Straight or Straight Flush, i.e.. 3-card inner Straight 6,7,10 has the spread of 5;  6,7,9 has the spread of 4.

The pay chart for so called full pay Jacks or Better differ because the machine pays 6 for Flush and 9 for Full House. That is why the players often call these machines 6-9 Video Poker. These machines pay more money than 5-8 video poker machines, as a result the player has higher chances of winning by using the right strategy.

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