Jacks or Better: Intermediate Strategy

Last Update: Nov 06, 2008

The following strategy is my "intermediate strategy" for jacks or better video poker. Using the strategy on a fullpay machine will result in an expected return of 99.52%.Compared to the optimal strategy return of 99.54%, mistakes in the simple strategy will cost 0.03%, or one total bet every 3805 hands.

The following strategy is not expressed in the usual order of value. Instead, this is a list of all the common conflict hands. I think the kind of list below is better suited to the way people actually think about video poker. The list is in the order of the hand strength of the better play.

1. 9 T J Q K — Pat straight flush or 4 to a royal: Keep the straight flush.
2. 2 T J Q A — Pat flush or 4 to a royal: Go for the royal.
3. T J Q K A — Pat straight or 4 to a royal: Go for the royal.
4. T J Q Q K — High pair or 4 to a royal: Go for the royal.
5. J Q Q Q K — 3 of a kind or 3 to a royal: Keep the 3 of a kind.
6. 2 6 J Q K — Pat flush or 3 to a royal: Keep the flush
7. 3 4 6 7 Q Pat flush or 4 to a straight flush: Keep the flush
8. T J Q K A — Pat straight or 3 to a royal: Keep the straight
9. 4 5 6 7 8 — Pat straight or 4 to a straight flush: Keep the straight
10. T T Q A A — 2 pair or 3 to a royal: Keep the 2 pair.
11. 7 8 9 J J — 4 to a straight flush vs. any pair: Go for straight flush
12. 2 5 7 J J — High pair vs. 4 to a flush: Keep high pair
13. 8 9 T J J — High pair vs. 4 to a straight: Keep high pair
14. 3 T J Q Q — High pair vs. 3 to a royal flush: Keep high pair
15. 3 9 J Q Q — High pair vs. 3 to a straight flush: Keep high pair
16. 4 T T Q A — 3 to a royal vs. Low pair: Go for the royal.
17. 2 5 T Q A — 3 to a royal vs. 4 to a flush: Go for the royal
18. 2 T J Q K — 3 to a royal vs. 4 to a straight: Go for the royal
19. 3 3 5 7 9 — 4 to a flush vs low pair: Go for the flush
20. 4 5 6 7 Q — 4 to a flush vs. 4 to a straight: Go for the flush
21. 2 6 7 8 K — 4 to a flush vs. 3 to a straight flush: Go for the flush
22. 2 7 8 Q K — 4 to a flush vs. 2 to a royal flush: Go for the flush
23. 5 6 7 7 8 — Low pair vs. 4 to a straight: Keep the low pair
24. 7 8 8 9 K — Low pair vs. 3 to a straight flush: Keep the low pair
25. 3 6 6 J Q — Low pair vs. 2 to a royal: — Keep the low pair
26. 2789T — 4 to an outside straight vs. 3 to a straight flush: Go for the straight
27. 29TJQ — 4 to an outside straight vs. 2 to a royal flush: Go for the straight
28. 4 5 6 J Q — 3 to a straight flush (type 1) vs. 2 to a royal flush: Go for the straight flush
29. 2 9 J Q K — 3 to a straight flush (type 1) vs. 4 to an inside straight with 3-4 high cards: Go for the straight flush
30. 2 T J Q A — 2 to a royal flush (both high) vs. 4 to an inside straight with 3-4 high cards: Go for the royal
31. 2 4 J Q K — 2 to a royal flush (both high) vs. any 3 unsuited high cards: Go for the royal
32. 5 6 8 K A — 2 to a royal flush (both high) vs. 3 to a straight flush (type 2): Go for the royal
33. 7 T J K A — 4 to an inside straight with 3-4 high cards vs. 3 to a straight flush (type 2): Go for the straight
34. 7T J K A — 4 to an inside straight with 3-4 high cards vs. 2 to a royal (ten low): Go for the straight
35. 2 4 7 T J — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) vs. 2 to a royal flush (10 low): Go for the straight flush
36. 7 8 T J A — 3 to a straight flush (type 2) vs. 1-3 high cards: Go for the straight flush
37. 2 5 J Q K — KQJ vs. QJ: Play KQJ
38. 4 6 T J Q — QJ vs 2 to a royal flush (ten low): Keep QJ
39. 2 4 6 J Q — QJ vs 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep QJ
40. 3 5 J Q A — QJ vs 3 high cards A high: Keep QJ
41. 2 3 T J A — JT suited vs 2-3 unsuited high cards K or A high: Keep JT
42. 2 4 6 T J — JT suited vs 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep JT
43. 2 4 T J K — KJ vs JT suited: Keep KJ
44. 2 4 6 J K — KQ or KJ vs. 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep KQ or KJ
45. 3 4 5 T K — KT suited vs. K: Play KT suited
46. 246TK — KT suited vs. 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep KT suited
47. 3 5 7 8 J — Single high card vs. 3 to a straight flush (type 3): Keep high card only

If you prefer to learn the usual way, here is a list of possible plays according to the strength of the hand. To use the strategy look up all viable ways to play an initial hand on the following list and elect that which is highest on the list. A "high card" means a jack or higher.

1. Four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush
2. 4 to a royal flush
3. Three of a kind, straight, flush, full house
4. 4 to a straight flush
5. Two pair
6. High pair
7. 3 to a royal flush
8. 4 to a flush
9. Low pair
10. 4 to an outside straight
11. 3 to a straight flush (type 1)
12. AKQJ unsuited
13. 2 suited high cards
14. 4 to an inside straight with 3 high cards
15. 3 to a straight flush (type 2)
16. KQJ unsuited
17. QJ unsuited
18. JT suited
19. KQ, KJ unsuited
20. QT suited
21. AK, AQ, AJ unsuited
22. KT suited
23. One high card
24. 3 to a straight flush (type 3)
25. Discard everything

Terms:

High card: A jack, queen, king, or ace. These cards are retained more often because if paired up they return the original bet.

Outside straight: An open ended straight that can be completed at either end, such as the cards 7,8,9,10.

Inside straight: A straight with a missing inside card, such as the cards 6,7,9,10. In addition A,2,3,4 and J,Q,K,A also count as inside straights because they are at an extreme end.

High Card:J to A

Straight Flush draw (type 1): Straight flush draw in which the number of high cards equals or exceeds number of gaps.

Straight Flush draw (type 2): Straight flush draw in which the number of gaps, less the number of high cards, equals 1. Also, any Ace-low straight flush draw or 2-3-4 suited.

Straight Flush draw (type 3): Straight flush draw with two gaps and no high cards.

Example: Suppose you have the following hand.

The top two plays are (1) keep the three to a straight flush and (2) keep two to a royal flush. The number of gaps to the straight flush is 2 and the number of high cards is also 2, so it is a type 1 straight flush draw. The table shows that 3 to a straight flush (type 1), beats two suited high cards, so keep the 3 cards to the straight flush.

Comparison to Optimal Strategy

The following table compares the probability and return of each hand under both the simple strategy and the optimal strategy.

The next table is a frequency distribution of the error,or difference in expected return, between the simple strategy and the optimal strategy.

My Video Poker Offerings

Basic Video Poker Info My main Video Poker page Return tables: (select a game) 4-5 Bonus Poker Ace and Deuce Bonus Poker Ace Invaders Ace on the Deal Aces and Eights Aces and Faces ACE$ Bonus Poker Acey Deucey Poker All American Anything's Wild Big Split Poker Big Times Draw Poker Black Jack Bonus Poker Bonus Deuces Wild Bonus Poker Bonus Poker Deluxe Bonus Poker Plus Bonus Video Poker Chase the Royal Deuce on the Deal Deuces and Joker Wild Deuces Wild Double Aces and Faces Double Bonus Double Bonus Deuces Wild Double Deuces Wild Double Double Aces and Faces Double Double Bonus Double Double Bonus Poker Plus Double Double Jackpot Double Draw Double Draw Aces Double Joker Double Pay Double Super Times Pay Draw 6 Poker Dream Card Faces 'n Deuces Five Aces Poker Full House Bonus Poker Going for Fours Good Times Pay Guaranteed Play Jacks or Better Joker Poker Loose Deuces Lucky Suit Poker Max Out Poker Multi-Strike Nevada Bonus One Eyed Jacks Pay the Aces Pick 'em Poker Quick Quads Royal Aces Bonus Poker Royal Draw Second Chance Royal Sequential Royal Sevens and Joker Wild Sevens Wild Shockwave Spin Poker Super Aces Bonus Poker Super Bonus Deuces Wild Super Double Bonus Super Double Double Bonus Super Draw Poker Super Times Pay Super Triple Bonus Tens or Better Three Card Draw Poker Three Way Action Trade Up Poker Triple Bonus Triple Deuces Wild Triple Double Bonus Triple Trouble Turbo Video Poker Two Ways Royal Ultimate 4 of a Kind Bonus Ultimate X Ultra Bonus Poker Video Hold 'em Wheel Poker Wheel Poker Deluxe White Hot Aces World Series of Poker Final Table Bonus Probability of Ruin for single-play video poker Random simulations of multi-play video poker The standard deviation of n-play video poker Practice / Play Video Poker for Free Play my free video poker game/trainer Video Poker Calculator Analyze the return for almost any video poker paytable Other Stuff Jacks or Better quiz Probability distribution for each hand by number of cards held in Full-Pay Deuces Wild Video poker programming tips San Diego County video poker survey

Strategies Full-Pay Jacks or Better: Simple Strategy (return of 99.46%) Intermediate Strategy (return of 99.52%) Optimal Strategy (return of 99.54%) Full-Pay Deuces Wild: Simple Strategy (return of 100.71%) Optimal Strategy (return of 100.76%) 3 to a wild royal (ace-high) vs. Deuce only 2 to a royal (king-high) with a straight penalty 2 to a royal (king-high) with no penalty Quick Quads: 9/6 Jacks or Better 8/5 Bonus Poker 9/7 Double Bonus 9/6 Double Double Bonus 8/5 Triple Bonus Other Strategies: "Not So Ugly Ducks" 8/5 Bonus Poker 10/7 Double Bonus 9/6 Double Double Bonus