Guide
Video Poker Guide: Jacks or Better, Pay Tables and Odds
Updated 2026-10-19
Short answer
How video poker works: Jacks or Better rules, how to read a pay table, why 9/6 beats 8/5, basic strategy and where to try video poker for free.
What's video poker?
This video poker guide covers Jacks or Better, the game most other versions are built on. Video poker is five-card draw played alone against a pay table. You're dealt five cards from a single 52-card deck, choose which cards to hold, and draw replacements for the rest. The final hand is paid according to the table on the screen. There's no dealer hand to beat and no other players, so your decisions decide how much of your stake the game returns over time.
A random number generator shuffles the deck for every hand. At a casino licensed by the UK Gambling Commission that generator must be independently tested, so each card has the same chance as a card from a freshly shuffled deck.
How does Jacks or Better work?
Jacks or Better is the classic game and the one most variants are built on.
- Choose your stake. Most machines pay a bonus on a royal flush only when you play the maximum number of coins, often five.
- Press deal. Five cards appear.
- Tap the cards you want to keep. They're marked as held.
- Press draw. The other cards are replaced.
- The game pays any hand of a pair of jacks or better.
You can try the rules risk-free in our Jacks or Better Double Up demo. The double-up feature lets you gamble a win on a higher-card guess; it's optional and it adds variance, not value.
How do you read a video poker pay table?
The pay table lists what each hand pays per coin. The full house and flush lines tell you most of what you need. A "9/6" game pays 9 for a full house and 6 for a flush; an "8/5" game pays 8 and 5. Those two small numbers move the long-run return a lot:
| Jacks or Better pay table | Full house | Flush | Return with perfect play |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/6 (full pay) | 9 | 6 | about 99.5% |
| 8/5 | 8 | 5 | about 97.3% |
| 7/5 | 7 | 5 | about 96.2% |
The return assumes the maximum coins and perfect strategy. Real players make mistakes, so the actual return is lower. Always check the pay table before you play; two games with the same name can pay very differently.
What's basic Jacks or Better strategy?
You don't need to memorise a full chart to avoid the costly errors.
- Always keep a made royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind or full house.
- Hold four cards to a royal flush, even if that means breaking a flush, a straight or a high pair.
- Keep any paying pair, and keep two pair, rather than chasing a straight or a flush draw.
- With no pair, hold high cards of the same suit before mixed high cards.
- Don't hold a kicker, an extra high card, next to a pair. It lowers your chance of improving the hand.
- Low pairs, such as two fives, are still worth holding over a single high card.
Free training modes and strategy trainers show the correct hold for every hand. Practise there before you play for money.
Which video poker variants exist?
Deuces Wild treats every two as a wild card, so the pay table starts at three of a kind. Bonus Poker and Double Bonus pay more for four of a kind and less for two pair. Joker Poker adds a joker to the deck. Each variant needs its own strategy, and the best pay table for one isn't comparable to another, so read the help screen of each game.
Is video poker the same as casino poker?
No. Video poker is a single-player draw game against a pay table. Table games such as Casino Hold'em pit your hand against the dealer's, and you can try one in our Casino Hold'em Poker demo. Poker rooms are different again: you play against other people, and the site takes a small cut of each pot. Our online poker sites guide explains how those work.
Is video poker a good game for my money?
On a full-pay table with careful play, video poker returns more than most slots, which is why it attracts patient players. It's still a negative-expectation game on most tables, and the big payouts depend on a royal flush that arrives about once every 40,000 hands. Treat it as entertainment with a budget, not as a way to earn.
Our guide to RTP and volatility explains why a high return doesn't protect you from a long losing run.
Where can I play video poker in the UK?
Video poker isn't in every casino lobby, so search the lobby before you deposit. Look under table games or specialty games; video poker rarely sits with the slots. Play only at casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission; our list of UK casino sites shows licensed brands and their Trust Index. Set a deposit limit first and use the responsible gambling tools every licensed site must offer.
Video poker guide: our verdict
Video poker rewards patience and a little homework. We'd always look for a full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better table, play the maximum coins only when that fits the budget, and learn the basic holds in a free demo first. Skip the double-up feature and any game that hides its pay table. If you'd rather not think about strategy at all, a slot is simpler, though it usually returns less.
Remember the royal flush maths. It lands about once every 40,000 hands, so most sessions end without one. Budget for that.
18+. Gamble responsibly. Free, confidential support is available from GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
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