Your Ultimate Video Poker Strategy Chart (Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild & More)
Unlike the pure chance of slot machines, video poker is a game where your decisions truly matter. It’s a game of skill where applying the right strategy can dramatically lower the house edge and give you some of the best odds in the entire casino. The key to unlocking this potential is the video poker strategy chart—a mathematically perfect tool for making the right decision on every single hand. This guide for 2025 is designed to provide you with clear, easy-to-use strategy charts for the most popular video poker games, turning you from a casual player into a savvy strategist.
Video Poker at a Glance: Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| House Edge | As low as 0.46% (9/6 JoB) with optimal strategy |
| RTP (Return to Player) | Up to 99.54% or even 100%+ on “full-pay” machines |
| Skill Level | Beginner-friendly, but requires strategy to master |
| Min/Max Bet | $0.05 – $500+ (Varies by casino/machine) |
| Key Tip | Always bet 5 coins to unlock the 4,000-coin Royal Flush bonus |
How to Play Video Poker: A 5-Step Beginner’s Guide
- Choose Your Game & Insert Money: Find a video poker machine. For beginners, we highly recommend starting with “Jacks or Better.” Load your credits into the machine.
- Place Your Bet: Select your coin denomination and the number of coins you want to bet per hand. We can’t stress this enough: Always select “Max Bet” (5 coins) to be eligible for the massive bonus payout on a Royal Flush.
- Click “Deal”: The machine will deal you five cards from a standard 52-card deck.
- Hold or Discard: This is where skill comes into play. Based on your initial five cards, you must decide which to “Hold” and which to discard. Use the strategy charts below to make the mathematically correct decision.
- Click “Draw”: The cards you did not hold will be replaced with new cards from the deck. Your final five-card hand is then compared to the pay table, and you are paid for any winning combination.
Understanding the Pay Table: The Key to Winning
The single most important element of any video poker machine is the pay table, which is always displayed on the screen. It tells you how much each winning hand pays out. Your entire goal should be to find machines with the best pay tables. A common example is identifying a “full-pay” machine. For Jacks or Better, this is known as a “9/6” machine because it pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush on a 1-coin bet. A small change in this payout drastically affects your long-term return.
Pay Table Comparison: Full-Pay vs. Short-Pay Jacks or Better
| Hand | 9/6 “Full-Pay” (Payout for 1 Coin) | 8/5 “Short-Pay” (Payout for 1 Coin) | Impact on RTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 (4000 for 5 coins) | 250 (4000 for 5 coins) | Same |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | Same |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | Same |
| Full House | 9 | 8 | -1.1% RTP |
| Flush | 6 | 5 | -1.1% RTP |
| Straight | 4 | 4 | Same |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | Same |
| Two Pair | 2 | 2 | Same |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | Same |
| Overall RTP | 99.54% | 97.30% | Massive Difference! |
The Ultimate Video Poker Strategy Charts
Using a strategy chart is simple. After you are dealt your first five cards, start at the top of the correct chart below and scan down until you find a hand that matches yours. That is the correct set of cards to hold; discard everything else. This guarantees you are making the play with the highest expected value every time.
Video Poker Strategy Chart: Jacks or Better (9/6)
This is the fundamental strategy every video poker player should learn first. The list is in order of priority.
- Held Hand: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4 of a Kind
- 4 Cards to a Royal Flush
- Held Hand: Full House, Flush, Straight, 3 of a Kind
- 4 Cards to a Straight Flush
- Held Hand: Two Pair
- Held Hand: High Pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces)
- 3 Cards to a Royal Flush
- 4 Cards to a Flush
- Held Hand: Low Pair (Tens or lower)
- 4 Cards to an Outside Straight (e.g., 7-8-9-10)
- 3 Cards to a Straight Flush
- 2 Suited High Cards (e.g., King/Queen of hearts)
- 4 Cards to an Inside Straight with 3 High Cards (e.g. J-Q-K-A)
- Discard Everything
Video Poker Strategy Chart: Deuces Wild (NSUD)
Note: This strategy is completely different from Jacks or Better. The number of deuces (wild cards) you are dealt dictates the entire strategy.
- With 4 Deuces: Hold all five cards. This is a guaranteed huge winner.
- With 3 Deuces: Hold only the three deuces, unless you have a pat (made) Royal Flush or Five of a Kind.
- With 2 Deuces: Hold any pat Four of a Kind or better. Otherwise, hold only the two deuces, unless you have four cards to a Royal Flush.
- With 1 Deuce: Hold any pat hand of a Full House or better. Otherwise, keep any four cards to a Royal Flush or Straight Flush. If you have none of those, hold only the deuce.
- With 0 Deuces: This plays more like Jacks or Better. Prioritize holding any made hand (Flush, Straight, etc.), then draws to a Royal/Straight Flush, then a High Pair. Avoid keeping a single high card.
Top 5 Video Poker Strategies & Tips for Beginners
- Always Bet Max Coins: This is non-negotiable. The enhanced 4,000-coin payout for a Royal Flush (instead of just 1,250) accounts for a huge portion of the game’s high RTP. Missing it is a critical error.
- Pick the Right Game: Start with 9/6 Jacks or Better. It has relatively low variance (meaning fewer extreme bankroll swings) and a straightforward strategy that’s easy to learn.
- Always Use the Correct Chart: A Deuces Wild strategy will make you lose money fast on a Jacks or Better machine, and vice-versa. Match your strategy chart to the exact game variation you are playing.
- Join the Player’s Club: In land-based casinos, the comps, free play, and cashback you earn from the player’s club are pure profit. For a 99.54% RTP game, these rewards can effectively push your overall return over 100%.
- Practice for Free: Nearly all reputable online casinos offer free-play or demo versions of their video poker games. Use these to practice with your strategy chart until making the right decision becomes second nature.
Popular Video Poker Game Variations
Jacks or Better
This is the original and most common form of video poker. As the name implies, you need at least a pair of Jacks to have a winning hand. It is the perfect game for beginners due to its low volatility and simple strategy.
Deuces Wild
In this exciting variation, all four 2s in the deck are wild cards and can substitute for any other card to create the best possible hand. This leads to more frequent big hands but requires a completely different strategy.
Bonus Poker / Double Double Bonus
These games are variants of Jacks or Better that offer massive bonus payouts for specific Four of a Kind hands. For example, Double Double Bonus might offer a huge payout for Four Aces with a 2, 3, or 4 as the fifth card. These games are fun but have much higher variance, requiring a larger bankroll.
Best Online Casinos for Video Poker
| Casino Feature | Welcome Bonus | Why It’s Great for Video Poker | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top-Rated Game Selection | Generous Deposit Match | Offers multiple “full-pay” 9/6 Jacks or Better games. | Play Now |
| Excellent Mobile Platform | Free Credits on Sign-Up | Superb mobile interface for playing video poker on the go. | Play Now |
| Variety of Game Types | Tiered Welcome Package | Features a wide variety of games, including Deuces Wild and DDB. | Play Now |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing Without a Chart: Relying on gut feelings or poker “instincts” is a losing strategy. The math has been solved; use the chart.
- Chasing Royals: Never break a made, paying hand like a Flush or a Full House to draw one card to a Royal Flush. The long-term math is overwhelmingly against this play.
- Keeping a “Kicker”: In Jacks or Better, never hold an extra card (a “kicker”) with a pair. For example, if you have A-A-K-7-3, only hold the two Aces.
- Ignoring the Pay Table: Assuming all “Bonus Poker” machines are the same is a costly mistake. Always take 10 seconds to check the Full House and Flush payouts before playing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the most profitable video poker game to play?
Technically, a “full-pay” Not-So-Ugly-Ducks (NSUD) Deuces Wild (100.76% RTP) or 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17% RTP) machine offers a positive expectation to the player. However, these are extremely rare. For most players, the most profitable and widely available game is 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54% RTP).
Can casinos tighten video poker machines?
No, not in the way they can with slots. The odds are fixed by the mathematics of a 52-card deck and the game’s certified Random Number Generator (RNG). A casino “tightens” a machine by ordering it from the manufacturer with a less favorable pay table (e.g., an 8/5 Jacks or Better instead of 9/6). The power is in your hands to check the pay table before you play.
What is 9/6 Jacks or Better in video poker?
It’s a shorthand term that refers to a machine’s pay table. It means a 1-coin bet pays 9 coins for a Full House and 6 coins for a Flush. This specific payout structure identifies the “full-pay” version of the game, which offers the highest standard Return to Player (RTP) of 99.54% with perfect strategy.
What are some common video poker mistakes?
The most common and costly mistakes are not betting the maximum 5 coins, not using a strategy chart, using the wrong chart for the game you’re playing, and breaking a guaranteed winning hand like a Flush or Straight to chase a long-shot draw like a Royal Flush.
To conclude, video poker offers some of the most favorable odds in any casino, but these odds are reserved for the informed player. By understanding how to read a pay table and diligently applying the correct strategy chart for every hand, you can transform your results. Remember to always seek out the best machines, bet the max, and play with perfect strategy.
Responsible Gambling Reminder: Please remember that gambling should be a form of entertainment. Only wager what you can comfortably afford to lose. Set limits for yourself, and never chase your losses. If you feel you may have a gambling problem, please seek help from a professional organization.
