VIDEO POKER STRATEGY GUIDE

Jacks or Better Strategy — The Foundation

Jacks or Better is the most common and most important video poker game to master. Once you learn correct strategy here, you can adapt it to almost every other variant. The full-pay (9/6) version returns 99.54% with perfect play, making it one of the best bets available.

Core Strategy Rules (Priority Order)

1. Always hold a winning hand — If you are dealt a pat hand that pays (pair of Jacks or better through Royal Flush), hold it unless a better draw opportunity exists higher on this list.
2. Hold 4 to a Royal Flush over anything except a made Royal Flush or Straight Flush. Four to a Royal is the strongest draw in the game and should almost never be broken.
3. Hold 4 to a Flush over a low pair. The Flush draw (4 suited cards) has higher expected value than keeping a small pair (2s through 10s).
4. Hold a low pair over 4 to a Straight. A pair of 2s through 10s is worth more than an open-ended or inside straight draw because the pair can improve to trips, full houses, and quads.
5. Hold 3 to a Royal Flush over a high pair. Three suited Royal cards (e.g., J-Q-K suited) have higher expected value than a lone pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. This is one of the most commonly misplayed hands.
6. Hold high cards (Jacks or better). When you have no pair or draw, hold any combination of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. Prefer two high cards of the same suit over two off-suit.

Key Decision Table — Common Hands

Jacks or Better Strategy in 30 Seconds

If you only have a moment to memorize the strategy for video poker, this quick-reference list captures 95% of optimal play. Read top-down — hold the highest applicable line:

1. Pat Royal Flush, Straight Flush, or Four of a Kind — hold all 5.
2. 4 to a Royal Flush — break a Flush or Straight to chase it.
3. Pat Full House, Flush, Straight, or Three of a Kind — hold as dealt.
4. 4 to a Straight Flush — hold over Two Pair.
5. Two Pair — hold both, draw 1.
6. High Pair (JJ-AA) — hold the pair, discard the kicker.
7. 3 to a Royal Flush — prefer over a high pair only when no high pair exists.
8. 4 to a Flush > Low Pair > 4 to an open Straight > 2 suited high cards > 2 unsuited high cards > 1 high card > redraw 5.

This is the same priority order used by every full Jacks or Better strategy chart. If you are new to strategies for video poker, master this single ladder before learning Bonus or Wild variants.

Bonus Poker Strategy Adjustments

Bonus Poker variants add premium payouts for certain four-of-a-kind hands. This changes the optimal strategy because some quads are now worth significantly more. The core Jacks or Better strategy still applies, but several key adjustments are needed to maximize your return.

How Bonus Games Change Strategy

• Four Aces pay a premium — In most Bonus Poker games, Four Aces pay 80 coins (vs. 25 in Jacks or Better). This means you should hold three Aces more aggressively, even breaking a made straight or flush to do so.
• Four 2s, 3s, and 4s also carry enhanced payouts (typically 40 coins). Hold three low cards of the same rank when you have them, even over a high pair.
• Hold three to Four Aces over other hands — If you are dealt three Aces, always keep them and draw two. The premium payout makes this the correct play even over a made flush or straight.
• In Double Bonus, the Four Aces payout jumps to 160 coins. This dramatically increases the value of Ace-heavy draws. Break a flush or straight to hold three Aces.
• In Double Double Bonus, look for kickers (a specific fifth card paired with four of a kind). Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker pays 400 coins at max bet. This is the highest-impact adjustment in the entire variant family.

Bonus Poker Decision Priority Adjustments

Double Double Bonus Strategy — Kicker Rules Decoded

Double Double Bonus (DDB) is one of the highest-variance video poker variants because of its kicker payouts. The 9/6 pay table returns 98.98% with perfect play, but only if you correctly handle the strategy for video poker hands that involve Aces and low-card kickers. Get the kicker rules wrong and the return drops by more than a full percent.

The Three Kicker Payouts You Must Know

• Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 2,000 coins at max bet (400-for-1). This is the single highest non-Royal payout in DDB.
• Four 2s, 3s, or 4s with an Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker: 800 coins at max bet (160-for-1).
• Four Aces (no kicker): 800 coins. Four 2-4 (no kicker): 400 coins.

The kicker is the discarded fifth card. Because the kicker matters, certain DDB strategies for video poker differ sharply from Jacks or Better.

Double Double Bonus Strategy in 30 Seconds

1. Three Aces: always hold — even break a made Flush or Straight. Four Aces with a kicker is a 2,000-coin hand.
2. Two Aces: hold over 4 to a Flush, but keep 4 to a Royal/Straight Flush ahead of the pair.
3. Three 2s, 3s, or 4s: hold over a high pair (the kicker quad pays 160-for-1).
4. Pat Two Pair with Aces: hold both pairs — do not break to chase a third Ace.
5. Never hold a kicker by choice on the deal — only the natural fifth card after the redraw qualifies.
6. Royal Flush draw priority is unchanged from standard Jacks or Better strategy.

Deuces Wild Strategy — A Different Game Entirely

Deuces Wild uses a completely different strategy from Jacks or Better and Bonus Poker. All four 2s are wild cards, which fundamentally changes hand rankings and optimal play. The minimum paying hand is Three of a Kind (since pairs are too easy with wild cards), and the full-pay version returns an exceptional 100.76% with perfect play — making it a positive-expectation game.

Strategy by Number of Deuces

Four Deuces (1 in 4,900 hands)

• Always hold all four deuces. Four Deuces pays 200 coins (1000 at max bet). There is no draw that can improve this hand. Hold and collect.

Three Deuces (1 in 47 hands)

• Hold all three deuces unless you have a made Royal Flush. A pat Wild Royal (three 2s plus two suited Royal cards) should be held. Otherwise, discard the two non-deuce cards and draw.
• Never break three deuces to draw to a non-Royal hand.

Two Deuces (1 in 8 hands)

• Hold four to a Royal Flush — If you have two deuces plus two suited Royal cards (10, J, Q, K, A), hold all four and draw one.
• Hold any made paying hand (Four of a Kind or better). Do not break quads to draw to a Wild Royal.
• Otherwise, hold just the two deuces and draw three cards. The two deuces alone give you a guaranteed Three of a Kind or better on the redraw.

One Deuce (1 in 3 hands)

• Hold any paying hand (Three of a Kind or better), except break a made Flush or Straight to draw to a Royal Flush.
• Hold four to a Royal Flush.
• Hold four to a Straight Flush.
• Hold any Three of a Kind or better made hand.
• Hold three to a Royal Flush.
• Hold four to a Flush.
• Hold four to an open-ended Straight.
• If none of the above apply, hold just the deuce and draw four.

No Deuces (1 in 2 hands)

• Play similarly to standard strategy, but with critical differences:
• Do not hold single high cards. Without a deuce, a single Jack, Queen, King, or Ace has no special value because the minimum hand is Three of a Kind.
• Hold four to a Royal Flush, Straight Flush, or Flush.
• Hold made paying hands (Two Pair or better).
• Hold three to a Royal Flush.
• Hold pairs (to draw for trips).
• Hold four to an open-ended Straight.
• Hold three to a Straight Flush.
• If nothing applies, draw all five cards.

Deuces Wild Strategy in 30 Seconds

A condensed cheat sheet for poker video strategy when deuces are wild — one or two lines per deuce count:

• 4 deuces: hold all four. Period.
• 3 deuces: hold the three deuces unless dealt a pat Wild Royal.
• 2 deuces: hold 4 to a Royal > pat Four of a Kind+ > just the two deuces.
• 1 deuce: hold 4 to a Royal > pat Three of a Kind+ > 4 to a Straight Flush > 3 to a Royal > 4 to a Flush > just the deuce.
• 0 deuces: ignore single high cards; hold 4 to a Royal/SF/Flush, pairs, 3 to a Royal, 4 to an open Straight, then redraw 5.

Memorize these five lines and you have already covered the bulk of optimal Deuces Wild play. Refer to the full breakdown above when an edge case appears.

Bankroll Management for Video Poker

Proper bankroll management is essential for surviving the natural variance in video poker. Even with perfect strategy, you will experience extended losing sessions. The recommended bankroll depends on the game variant, its variance profile, and how long you plan to play.

Recommended Bankroll by Game Type

Variance by Category

• Classic games = Low variance. Jacks or Better and similar games pay frequently with small wins. Pairs of Jacks or better hit roughly 21% of the time. Your bankroll fluctuates less, making these ideal for beginners.
• Bonus games = Medium to High variance. The premium quad payouts mean bigger wins but less frequent payoffs. You will go through longer dry spells waiting for those Aces or low quads to hit.
• Wild Card games = High variance. Deuces Wild and other wild-card games concentrate the return into rare, high-paying hands. The minimum qualifying hand (Three of a Kind) means fewer small wins. Prepare for larger bankroll swings.

Common Video Poker Strategy Mistakes

Even experienced players leak return through avoidable strategy errors. Correcting the eight most common mistakes below can significantly improve your expected return across every video poker variant — classic, bonus, and wild card alike.

1. Not betting maximum coins. The Royal Flush pays a disproportionately large bonus at max bet (800-for-1 instead of 250-for-1). Playing fewer than 5 coins reduces your overall return by more than 1%. If the max bet denomination is too high, move to a lower denomination machine and always bet 5 coins.
2. Holding a kicker with a pair. Many players keep an Ace alongside a pair of Kings (K-K-A), hoping to hit a Full House. This actually reduces your expected value because it limits the number of cards you can draw. Always discard the kicker and draw three cards to maximize your chance of trips, quads, or a full house.
3. Breaking a winning hand for a long-shot draw. Never break a paying Flush to draw to a Straight Flush (unless it is a Royal Flush draw). The math rarely supports chasing the bigger hand when you already have a guaranteed payout in hand.
4. Keeping three to a Straight over a low pair. A low pair (2s through 10s) has higher expected value than three to an open-ended straight. The pair gives you drawing chances to trips, full houses, and quads, while the straight draw can only improve to a straight.
5. Playing unfavorable pay tables. Not all machines with the same name have the same pay table. A 9/6 Jacks or Better (Full House pays 9, Flush pays 6) returns 99.54%, while an 6/5 version returns only 95.00%. Always check the pay table before you play — the difference can be several percentage points.
6. Misplaying 3 to a Royal vs. a high pair. Three suited Royal cards (e.g., J-Q-K of hearts) outvalue a lone pair of Jacks or higher. Many casual players default to keeping the pair and lose meaningful EV. The strategy for video poker here is non-intuitive but well established — trust the math.
7. Holding a single 10 with a face card. An off-suit 10 has no kicker value alongside a Queen, King, or Ace. Discard the 10 and keep only the high card unless they are suited and form part of a Royal draw. Suited 10-J, 10-Q, 10-K, or 10-A absolutely should be held as 2 to a Royal.
8. Mixing strategies between variants. The Jacks or Better priority ladder does not directly map to Deuces Wild or Double Double Bonus. Holding single high cards in Deuces Wild, or ignoring kicker rules in DDB, are both costly. Use the dedicated chart for the variant in front of you — not the one you memorized first.

Expected Return Table — Popular Video Poker Games

The theoretical return-to-player (RTP) represents the percentage of wagered money a game returns to players over millions of hands, assuming perfect strategy. Games above 100% are mathematically favorable to the player with perfect play. Choosing the right pay table is just as important as the strategy video poker chart you follow at the table.

Video Poker Strategy — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most common questions about strategies for video poker. Use these alongside the charts above when an unusual hand comes up.

What is the best video poker strategy for beginners?

Start with full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better. Memorize the priority ladder: pat winning hands > 4 to a Royal > made Flush/Straight/Three of a Kind > Two Pair > High Pair > drawing hands. This single chart covers 95% of decisions and forms the base for almost every other variant.

How much does using a strategy chart improve my odds?

On 9/6 Jacks or Better, perfect play returns 99.54%. Casual play without a chart typically returns 97–98%. Following a strategy chart adds roughly 1.5–2.5% RTP, which compounds dramatically over hundreds of hands. See the full odds and probabilities table for hand frequencies.

Do I need a different strategy for Deuces Wild?

Yes. With four wild deuces, the minimum paying hand is Three of a Kind, single high cards have no value, and you should never hold a kicker. The decision tree branches by deuce count (0 through 4), making it functionally a different game from Jacks or Better.

What is the kicker rule in Double Double Bonus?

The kicker is the fifth card alongside Four of a Kind. Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 kicker pays 2,000 coins at max bet. Four 2s/3s/4s with an Ace, 2, 3, or 4 kicker pays 800 coins. You cannot hold a kicker by choice — it must arrive naturally on the redraw.

Why must I always bet maximum coins?

The Royal Flush pays 800-for-1 only at max bet (5 coins). Betting fewer coins drops the Royal payout to 250-for-1, reducing overall return by more than 1%. If max bet is unaffordable at your denomination, drop to a lower-denomination machine and always bet 5 coins.

Related Pages & Resources

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