Strategy for jacks or better video poker

1. Royal Flush (a)

2. Straight Flush

3. 4-of-a-Kind (b)

4. Royal Flush 4 (c)

5. Full House

6. Flush

7. Three-of-a-Kind (d)

8. Straight

9. Straight Flush 4 (e)

10. Two Pair

11. Straight Flush 4 i (f)

12. High Pair (d)

13. Royal Flush 3 (g)

14. Flush 4

15. K-Q-J-lO(unsuited)

16. Low Pair (d)

17. Q-J-10-9(unsuited)

18. J-Q-9-8 (unsuited)

19. Q-J-9 suited

20. J-10-9 suited

21. Straight 4 hO (h)

22. Straight Flush 3 di h2 (i)

23. Straight Flush 3 i h1

24. Straight Flush 3 hO

25. A-K-Q-J (unsuited) (j)

26. K-Q, K-J or Q-J suited

27. A-K, A-Q or A-J suited

28. Straight Flush 3 di hi (k)

29. K-Q-J-9 orA-h-h-10 (unsuited) (j)

30. Straight Flush 3 i hO

31. K-Q-J (unsuited)

32. Two high cards (unsuited) (l)

33. K-10,Q-10,J-10 suited (m)

34. One high card

35. Straight Plush 3 di hO

36. Zilch (n)

a - The 800-for-l payback is applicable to the 4,000-for-5 jackpot for a royal flush. The payoff would be 940 if the jackpot pays 4,700-for-5 (increasing the total payback by .022%), 1,000 on a 4,000-for-4 machine (increasing the payback by .031%), or variable on a progressive jackpot.

b - Hold all five cards when dealt four-of-a-kind. I`ve heard of cases where a machine malfunctioned and dealt a fifth card of the same rank, and the payoff was voided!

c - A number following the hand description, such as "4" in this case, indicates the number of cards being held.

d - Never hold a "kicker" with three-of-a-kind or a pair. This reduces the chances of catching another card of that rank, with an accompanying reduction in the Average Payback. Note that the rank of a second pair doesn`t affect the payoff, so an ace is no better than any other card anyway.

e - Four cards in sequence (no gaps) and of the same suit.

f - An "i" following the number of cards being held indicates an inside draw (e.g., 7-8-9-J, needing a ten to fill the "inside" straight).

g - Any royal flush draw is effectively an inside draw (with the exception of 10-J-Q-K, which is also a straight flush draw) so I don`t bother differentiating between inside and open-end draws.

h - The letter "h" indicates any high card (ace, king, queen or jack). `h0` means no high cards, "hi" means one high card, etc., included in the cards being held.

i - The letter combination "di" indicates a double inside draw (e.g., 5-8-9 or 5-7-9, requiring two specific cards to complete the straight).

j - These are the only playable inside straight draws. Draw to A-K-Q-J only if the Q-J are unsuited. Draw to the others only if no two of the high cards are suited.

k - Includes suited A-2-3, A-3-4, etc., because two specific cards are required to complete the straight flush.

1 - Discard the ace from A-h-h unless it is suited with one of the other high cards, in which case discard the unsuited card. (See note h above.)

m - Don`t hold a suited 10 with an ace if the jackpot is less than 940-for-l, and don`t hold a suited 10 with either an ace or a king if any discard is the same suit or is a ten or higher.

n - "Zilch" means "nothing." When none of the described hands is dealt then all five cards must be discarded. This happens only about one hand in thirty.