9/6 Jacks or Better Strategy Chart
The most played video poker game, and one of the most beatable. Here is the exact optimal strategy, every play ranked by expected value straight from the engine.
Short answer
99.54% return, perfect play. Hold the highest thing on the list below your hand can make, and always play five coins. Perfect play gives up only 46 cents per 100 dollars cycled.
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The pay table
| Hand | Per coin | Max (5 coins) |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 4,000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 250 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 | 125 |
| Full House | 9 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 30 |
| Straight | 4 | 20 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 5 |
The strategy chart: every hold in order
This is the complete 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy chart, our cheat sheet with every play ranked by expected value.
Look at your dealt hand, find the highest entry here you can make, and hold exactly those cards. The number is the expected value per coin of that play, computed by the engine.
| # | Play | EV |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Four aces | 25.00 |
| 02 | Four 2s-4s | 25.00 |
| 03 | Four 5s-Ks | 25.00 |
| 04 | 4 to a royal | 19.55 |
| 05 | Full house | 9.00 |
| 06 | Flush | 6.00 |
| 07 | Three aces | 4.30 |
| 08 | Three of a kind | 4.30 |
| 09 | Straight | 4.00 |
| 10 | 4 to a straight flush | 3.53 |
| 11 | Two pair | 2.60 |
| 12 | High pair (JJ+) | 1.54 |
| 13 | 3 to a royal | 1.34 |
| 14 | 4 to a flush | 1.21 |
| 15 | Low pair | 0.82 |
| 16 | 4 to an outside straight | 0.68 |
| 17 | Two suited high cards | 0.60 |
| 18 | One high card | 0.47 |
The plays that cost the most
- Break a made flush to hold four to a royal — 4 to the royal 19.55 vs keep the flush 6.00 · costs 13.55
- Keep a high pair over three to a royal — pair 1.54 vs 3 to royal 1.49 · costs 0.05
- Keep a low pair over a four-card straight — low pair 0.82 vs open straight 0.68 · costs 0.14
Why five coins, always
The royal flush pays 250 per coin on one through four coins, then jumps to 800 per coin (4,000 total) on the fifth. That single bonus is worth about 1.5 percent of return. Bet within your bankroll, but always bet max coins.
Practice it
Reading strategy is not playing it. The free trainer deals real Jacks or Better hands, grades every hold against this exact strategy, and shows the precise expected value you give up on a mistake.
Full-pay 9/6 vs short-pay tables
This is the reference game. Learn it first; every other game is a variation on this order. Look for the full-pay "9/6" version, where the full house pays 9 and the flush 6. Short-pay tables (8/5, 7/5, 6/5) keep the same strategy but return less; see the pay tables guide. We cover the two common short pays in detail: 9/5 Jacks or Better (98.45%) and 8/5 Jacks or Better (97.30%), including engine tests of whether strategy changes.
More strategy
Common questions
What does 9/6 mean in Jacks or Better?
The full house pays 9 per coin and the flush pays 6. It is the full-pay table, returning 99.54 percent with perfect play. Lower numbers mean a lower return.
Is 9/6 Jacks or Better beatable?
On its own it returns just under 100 percent, so it is not beatable long term without slot-club points or promotions. It has one of the lowest house edges in the casino, which is why perfect play matters.
Should I hold a kicker with three of a kind?
No. Hold only the three matching cards and draw two. A kicker lowers your chance of quads or a full house.