9 6 Jacks Or Better Strategy
Full Pay (9/6) Jacks or Better - 99.54%. Full pay Jacks or Better is the best pay table you can find, and it pays out a maximum of 99.54% if you are using perfect strategy and making the right moves every time. Let’s look at a sample of a video poker strategy chart. Here is a partial view of a strategy chart for a full pay (9/6) Jacks or Better game. VIDEO POKER STRATEGY CHARTS #1: As you can see, there are many different combinations of cards that can be held. Depending on the type of video poker game, there can be as many as 60 or 70 lines of. This is called 9 / 6 Jacks or Better, because a full house pays 9 coins and a flush offers 6 coins. But even with full pay Jacks or Better available, you’ll commonly find other versions in land based casinos that pay less for a full house and flush.
- 9 6 Jacks Or Better Strategy
- Jacks Or Better Optimal Strategy
- 9 6 Jacks Or Better
- Jacks Or Better Strategy Card
Play this realistic Jacks or Better game at Bovada Casino. Bovada Casino offers Jacks or Better for single hand play as well as three hand, ten hand, and fifty-two hand play. One of my favorite parts about Bovada Casino is that you don't have to download the casino to play - you can practice right in your web browser. Also, Bovada Casino is open to all USA players. Join Bovada Casino now! |
Jacks or Better is the oldest video poker game out there, and really is the game that started it all. Jacks or Better started out with almost exclusively full pay 9/6 pay tables, but now casinos have gotten a little greedier and are for the most part only offering low pay games. This article analyzes quite a few Jacks or Better pay tables, and determines the maximum payout percentage for each table (if you're using expert Jacks or Better strategy).
We'll start by providing an overview of each major Jacks or Better pay table, and show you the payout percentages for each game assuming you're playing five coins and using perfect strategy. Here they are:
Pay Table | Payout Percentage |
Full Pay (9/6) Jacks or Better | 99.54% |
9/5 Jacks or Better | 98.45% |
8/6 Jacks or Better | 98.39% |
8/5 Jacks or Better | 97.30% |
7/5 Jacks or Better | 96.15% |
6/5 Jacks or Better | 95.00% |
Full Pay (9/6) Jacks or Better - 99.54%
Full pay Jacks or Better is the best pay table you can find, and it pays out a maximum of 99.54% if you are using perfect strategy and making the right moves every time. Please remember that in the long run you're at a statistical disadvantage no mater how well you play. Here's the full pay Jacks or Better pay table:
Hand | Payout |
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 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
9/5 Jacks or Better - 98.45%
9/5 Jacks or Better is the next best Jacks or Better game after full pay Jacks or Better. The Flush payout is reduced from 6x to 5x, and since Flushes are fairly common hands in Jacks or Better that shaves over 1% off of the long run payout percentage.
Hand | Payout |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 9 |
Flush | 5 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
8/6 Jacks or Better - 98.39%
8/6 Jacks or Better is extremely close to 9/5 Jacks or Better as far as payout percentages goes. In 8/6 Jacks or Better, Full Houses pay 8x and Flushes pay 6x. Here is the full 8/6 Jacks or Better pay table:
Hand | Payout |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 8 |
Flush | 6 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
8/5 Jacks or Better - 97.30%
8/5 Jacks or Better is a very common variation of Jacks or Better that reduces the payout percentage to 97.30% - 2.24% worse than a full pay machine. Payouts for Full Houses and Flushes are reduced to 8x and 5x. Here's he 8/5 Jacks or Better pay table:
Hand | Payout |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 8 |
Flush | 5 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
7/5 Jacks or Better - 96.15%
7/5 Jacks or Better is another common Jacks or Better pay table, and it really reduces the payout percentage because the Full House payout is cut even more. We don't suggest playing this game, because you can usually find at least 8/5 Jacks or Better online or at a casino.
Hand | Payout |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 7 |
Flush | 5 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
6/5 Jacks or Better - 95.00%
6/5 Jacks or Better is one of the worst Jacks or Better games out there. Full House payouts are cut even further, and since a full house is a semi-common hand in Jacks or Better it really hurts the overall pay percentage for the machine. Here's the 6/5 Jacks or Better pay table:
Hand | Payout |
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 6 |
Flush | 5 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Pair (Jacks or Better) | 1 |
Please note that the above pay table is for players betting five coins, and thus receiving the bonus for making a royal flush.
The pay tables above are the most common tables used for Jacks or Better video poker games. You may find some other obscure variations of Jacks or Better, but they're pretty rare in Vegas or online. The important lesson here is that since you can find full pay Jacks or Better, you never should play anything less than full pay machines.
Also make sure to note that the pay tables used above all assume that you're playing five coins per hand. Every Jacks or Better game provides a Royal Flush bonus for players who are playing five coins, and that is a significant portion of the expected return for the game. If you are playing full pay Jacks or Better but only betting four coins per hand, for example, your payout percentage will fall over 1% as compared to playing five coins per hand!
9 6 Jacks Or Better Strategy
Home > Online Casinos > Casino Games > Video Poker > Strategy
Video poker is one of the few casino games where strategy can drastically influence the outcome. Players can lower the house edge and improve their odds of winning by correctly holding or discarding their initial five cards. In some versions, such as Deuces Wild, players can even gain a slight advantage over the casino.
In order to achieve the maximum return, players should bet the full number of credits each hand. Payout percentages are highest and the house edge is lowest when the maximum credits are wagered. Otherwise, the entire outcome relies on holding and discarding strategy, which must be followed exactly.
There several versions of video poker, each with their own strategy. We start with Deuces Wild, since this version is one of the easiest to gain an advantage over the casino. The appropriate strategy guide is listed, followed by advice on Jacks or Better, the most popular video poker game.
Deuces Wild
One of the highest paying is 'Deuces Wild.' This is played exactly as it sounds: all twos are wild. When the correct strategy is applied, Deuces Wild has a return as high as 100.8%.
The payout schedule for Deuces Wild video poker is very unique due to the frequency of high-ranking hands caused by the introduction of wild cards. In fact, about one-third of all payouts are rewarded for a four of a kind, which occurs approximately every fifteen hands. Below is a typical Deuces Wild payout table found at various casinos and online gambling sites.
Deuces Wild video poker strategy is based on making the right choice of which cards to hold and which to discard. The difference from other forms of video poker is that the strategy is dependent on how many twos you are dealt.
The following recommendations should be followed from top to bottom. Move down the list until you locate your hand and follow the corresponding discard strategy.
Deuces Wild strategy seems tricky at first glance, but the recommendations follow a basic pattern. Never discard a deuce, and never keep two pairs. If you look at the payout table above you will notice that these video poker machines only pay for hands ranked three of a kind or better. Discarding one of the pairs and drawing three cards is mathematically more profitable than keeping both pairs and only drawing one card.
Jacks or Better
The most popular version of video poker is Jacks or Better. This is played the same way as five card draw, but players are only awarded money for a pair or Jacks or higher. The typical version of this video poker variety is 9/6 Jacks or Better, which is named after the payouts for a Full House and a Flush.
The table below represents a standard payout schedule for 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker.
Jacks or Better strategy can be found on our video poker page. There you will find a comprehensive list of which cards to hold and which to discard no matter what hand you are dealt.
Another way to ensure the lowest house edge is to pick the right games. Not all online gambling sites and land-based casinos offer the same payouts for Jacks or Better video poker. Refer to the next section for which games to avoid when gambling.
Avoid Low Pay Variations
Jacks Or Better Optimal Strategy
There are many Jacks or Better variations with altered pay tables that reduce the amount players receive for a win. This raises the house edge and ultimately leads to more income for the casinos. Obviously, these variations are best avoided if you want to achieve the maximum return on your money. Stick with 9/6 Jacks or Better and stay away from the following video poker games.
9/5 Jacks or Better
Flush payout cut from 6 times your bet to 5 times your bet.
8/6 Jacks or Better
Full House payout cut from 9 times your bet to 8 times your bet.
8/5 Jacks or Better
Full House payout cut from 9 times your bet to 8 times your bet.
Flush payout cut from 6 times your bet to 5 times your bet.
7/5 Jacks or Better
Full House payout cut from 9 times your bet to 7 times your bet.
Flush payout cut from 6 times your bet to 5 times your bet.
6/5 Jacks or Better
9 6 Jacks Or Better
Full House payout cut from 9 times your bet to 6 times your bet.
Flush payout cut from 6 times your bet to 5 times your bet.
The general concept behind video poker strategy is fairly simple. You want to find the highest paying machines and follow the recommendations for holding and discarding your cards. The goal is to get at least the minimum required poker hand to win your money back and score the occasional big win. Play at the right online casino sites and use the advice above, but always remember to gamble responsibly.