Jacks or Better video poker strategy: which cards to hold

Jacks or Better is video poker in its classic form. You get five cards, choose which to hold, and draw new cards for the rest. Unlike a slot, your choices change the result. Hold the right cards and your coins last longer.

How it works

1. Choose your bet (1 to 5 coins).
2. Deal five cards.
3. Tap the cards you want to hold.
4. Draw. The cards you did not hold are replaced.
5. A pair of Jacks or better, or any higher hand, pays.

What each hand pays

Returns for each coin bet, your bet included:

Which cards to hold: a simple order

Go down this list and stop at the first one that matches your hand:

1. A straight or better (straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal): hold all five. Exception: with four cards to a royal, break a straight or flush and go for the royal.
2. Four cards to a royal flush: hold them and draw one.
3. Three of a kind: hold the three.
4. Two pair: hold both pairs.
5. Four cards to a straight flush.
6. A high pair (Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces).
7. Three cards to a royal flush.
8. Four cards to a flush.
9. A low pair (2s to 10s).
10. Four cards in a row (an open-ended straight draw).
11. Two high cards of the same suit.
12. Two or more high cards (hold the two lowest if you have three).
13. One high card.
14. Nothing useful: draw five new cards.

Common mistakes

• Throwing away a low pair to chase a flush or straight with three cards. Keep the pair.
• Holding a "kicker" (an extra high card) with a pair. It lowers your chances of three of a kind.
• Keeping a single high card with a pair of 2s. Just hold the pair.
• Breaking a high pair to chase a straight.

Why bet five coins?

A royal flush pays 250 for 1 on bets of one to four coins, but 800 for 1 on five coins. Royals are rare, but when one lands, the five-coin bet pays more than three times as much for each coin. If you are playing a longer session, pick a smaller coin size and bet five.

Practise free

Jacks or Better on All In uses a fresh shuffled deck every hand, decided on our server. Coins are virtual and have no cash value, so it is a good place to learn the strategy.