Before diving into Jacks or Better video poker, it's essential to get familiar with the various hand rankings. Understanding these rankings is crucial for mastering Jacks or Better strategy ; without it, making informed decisions becomes challenging.
Below is a list of all possible winning hands in five-card poker, organized from highest to lowest:
Royal Flush: A sequential run from ace to ten, all of the same suit (e.g., AhKhQhJhTh).
Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 4d5d6d7d8d).
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank (e.g., AdAsAhAc8d).
Full House: Three cards of the same rank paired with two others of the same rank (e.g., 5h5d5s2h2c).
Flush: Five cards from the same suit (e.g., QcJc7c5c2c).
Straight: Five sequential cards that are not all of the same suit (e.g., 3h4c5d6s7d).
Three of a Kind: Three cards of matching rank (e.g., 6d6s6h9dJc).
Two Pair: Two pairs of cards each of the same rank (e.g., KcKhJsJc5d).
High Pair (Jacks or Better): Any pair consisting of jacks, queens, kings, or aces (e.g., QdQh9s7d4h).
In addition, there are two other hand rankings available specifically in Jacks or Better video poker:
Low Pair (Tens or Lower): A pair of tens down to twos (e.g., 7d7c6dJdAc).
High Card: Five cards of differing ranks and suits that do not create a sequence (e.g., Ad9d8cJs3h).
These two hands typically do not result in payouts, which is why many players tend to overlook them in Jacks or Better video poker when playing for real stakes.
Payout Tables
Every version of Jacks or Better has its own paytable dictating how much you can win for each qualifying hand. Different games can have varying payout structures, so be sure to check the table prior to playing. Here's an example paytable for the 9/6 full pay version of Jacks or Better:
| Hand |
Payout |
| Royal Flush
|
800 |
| Straight Flush
|
50 |
| Four of a Kind
|
25 |
| Full House
|
9 |
| Flush
|
6 |
| Straight
|
4 |
| Three of a Kind
|
3 |
| Two Pair
|
2 |
| Jacks or Better
|
1 |
| Tens or Lower
|
0 |
