Optimal Strategy for Full Pay Jacks or Better 9/6 Video Poker

At Bits & Odds, we conducted a thorough mathematical analysis of all probabilities to determine the overall payout (expected value, or EV) and the optimal strategy for Full Pay Jacks or Better 9/6 video poker. This strategy is specifically tailored for the 9/6 payout table, which offers the best return for this variant. It’s important to note that payout tables can significantly impact both the EV and the optimal strategy, so always ensure you’re using the correct strategy for the machine you’re playing.

Payout table

Hand 1 Coin 2 Coins 3 Coins 4 Coins 5 Coins
Royal Flush 250 500 750 1000 4000
Straight Flush 50 100 150 200 250
Four of a Kind 25 50 75 100 125
Full House 9 18 27 36 45
Flush 6 12 18 24 30
Straight 4 8 12 16 20
Three of a Kind 3 6 9 12 15
Two Pair 2 4 6 8 10
Jacks or Better 1 2 3 4 5

Analysis

Jacks or Better (9/6 Paytable) – Overall EV: 99.54%
Hand Payout Probability Combinations EV
Royal Flush 800 0.000024758268 41,126,022 0.0198066144
Straight Flush 50 0.000109309090 181,573,608 0.0054654545
Four of a Kind 25 0.002362545686 3,924,430,647 0.05906364215
Full House 9 0.011512207336 19,122,956,883 0.103609866024
Flush 6 0.011014510968 18,296,232,180 0.066087065808
Straight 4 0.011229367241 18,653,130,482 0.044917468964
Three of a Kind 3 0.074448698571 123,666,922,527 0.223346095713
Two Pair 2 0.129278902480 214,745,513,679 0.25855780496
Jacks or Better 1 0.214585031126 356,447,740,914 0.214585031126
Nothing 0 0.545434669233 906,022,916,158 0
Total 1.000000000000 1,661,102,543,100 0.995439043694

Optimal Drawing Strategy

Want to know the absolute, undisputed best way to play Jacks or Better? Stewart N. Ethier’s “Doctrine of Chances: Probabilities in the Game of Poker” lays out the mathematically optimal strategy for maximizing your Expected Value (EV) on every single hand. But here’s the kicker: we didn’t just take his word for it. The team here at Bits & Odds actually coded and ran simulations on every possible hand to verify that this strategy is, in fact, the real deal. We’re talking about a verifiably optimal approach – the gold standard of poker theory. Now, while this level of perfect play is way too complex for a quick game at the casino, it’s an incredible testament to the power of math in poker, and something we’ve rigorously confirmed ourselves!

Rank Hand to Hold Description Example
1 Pat Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, or Full House Hold all five cards if you have a complete Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, or Full House. These are the highest paying hands, so you should always keep them.
Dealt:
A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠
Hold:
A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ T♠
Dealt:
7♥ 8♥ 9♥ T♥ J♥
Hold:
7♥ 8♥ 9♥ T♥ J♥
Dealt:
K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 2♠
Hold:
K♠ K♥ K♦ K♣ 2♠
Dealt:
A♠ A♥ A♦ K♣ K♠
Hold:
A♠ A♥ A♦ K♣ K♠
2 Three of a Kind Hold the three cards of the same rank and discard the other two. Drawing two cards gives you a good chance to improve to a Full House or Four of a Kind.
Dealt:
9♠ 9♥ 9♦ 3♣ 6♦
Hold:
9♠ 9♥ 9♦ 3♣ 6♦
3 Two Pairs or Four to a Royal Flush Hold all four cards if you have two pairs (discard the fifth card) or four cards of the same suit in sequence that could become a Royal Flush (Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace). Prioritize the higher payout of a potential Royal Flush.
Dealt:
5♠ 5♥ 8♣ 8♦ K♥
Hold:
5♠ 5♥ 8♣ 8♦ K♥
Dealt:
T♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ 2♥
Hold:
T♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ 2♥
4 Pat Flush or Pat Straight Hold all five cards if you have a complete Flush (five cards of the same suit) or a complete Straight (five cards in rank sequence, but not of the same suit).
Dealt:
A♦ T♦ 7♦ 4♦ 2♦
Hold:
A♦ T♦ 7♦ 4♦ 2♦
Dealt:
9♠ T♥ J♦ Q♣ K♥
Hold:
9♠ T♥ J♦ Q♣ K♥
5 Four to a Straight Flush Hold four cards of the same suit that are in rank sequence, needing one more card (either at the beginning or end of the sequence) to complete a Straight Flush.
Dealt:
6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 2♠
Hold:
6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ 2♠
Dealt:
T♣ J♣ Q♣ K♣ A♦
Hold:
T♣ J♣ Q♣ K♣ A♦
6 High Pair Hold a pair of Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. These pairs guarantee a payout in Jacks or Better video poker.
Dealt:
J♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
J♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Dealt:
A♦ A♣ 2♠ 5♥ 8♦
Hold:
A♦ A♣ 2♠ 5♥ 8♦
7 Four to a Flush with A, T, one high card (K, Q, or J), and one low card (2-9) of the same suit. Hold these if the fifth card (to be discarded) is a K, Q, J, or T of a different suit. Hold four cards of the same suit if the hand includes an Ace, a Ten, one high card (King, Queen, or Jack), and one low card (2-9), and the fifth card is a King, Queen, Jack, or Ten of a different suit. This specific four-flush ranks higher than other combinations.
Dealt:
A♠ T♠ J♠ 2♠ K♥
Hold:
A♠ T♠ J♠ 2♠ K♥
Dealt:
A♦ T♦ Q♦ 9♦ Q♣
Hold:
A♦ T♦ Q♦ 9♦ Q♣
8 Three to a Royal Flush Hold three cards of the same suit in sequence that could become a Royal Flush by drawing two specific cards (e.g., Jack, Queen, King of hearts – need Ten and Ace of hearts).
Dealt:
J♠ Q♠ K♠ 3♦ 7♥
Hold:
J♠ Q♠ K♠ 3♦ 7♥
Dealt:
T♥ J♥ Q♥ 2♣ 8♦
Hold:
T♥ J♥ Q♥ 2♣ 8♦
9 Four to a Flush Hold four cards of the same suit. Drawing one card gives you a chance to complete a Flush.
Dealt:
2♥ 5♥ 9♥ J♥ 4♠
Hold:
2♥ 5♥ 9♥ J♥ 4♠
Dealt:
3♣ 6♣ T♣ K♣ A♦
Hold:
3♣ 6♣ T♣ K♣ A♦
10 Four to a Straight (K, Q, J, T) Hold four cards in rank sequence King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, regardless of suit. Drawing one card can complete a Straight.
Dealt:
K♠ Q♥ J♦ T♣ 2♥
Hold:
K♠ Q♥ J♦ T♣ 2♥
Dealt:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ T♦ 5♣
Hold:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ T♦ 5♣
11 Low Pair Hold a pair of cards with ranks lower than Jacks (2 through 10). While these do not guarantee a payout, they offer a chance to improve to a higher paying hand.
Dealt:
7♠ 7♥ 3♦ J♣ 9♠
Hold:
7♠ 7♥ 3♦ J♣ 9♠
Dealt:
2♦ 2♣ A♠ 5♥ 8♦
Hold:
2♦ 2♣ A♠ 5♥ 8♦
12 Four to an Outside Straight (5, 4, 3, 2 up to Q, J, T, 9) Hold four cards in rank sequence with the lowest being 2 and the highest being Queen (e.g., 5-4-3-2, 6-5-4-3, …, Q-J-T-9), regardless of suit. Drawing one card can complete a Straight.
Dealt:
Q♠ J♥ T♦ 9♣ 2♥
Hold:
Q♠ J♥ T♦ 9♣ 2♥
Dealt:
5♣ 4♠ 3♥ 2♦ K♣
Hold:
5♣ 4♠ 3♥ 2♦ K♣
13 Three to a Straight Flush (s + h ≥ 3) Hold three cards of the same suit. Here, ‘s’ is the number of possible 5-card straights that include the ranks of these three suited cards (disregarding suits), and ‘h’ is the number of high cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack) among these three suited cards. Hold these three cards if the sum of ‘s’ and ‘h’ is 3 or more.
Dealt:
4♥ 5♥ 6♥ A♠ K♦
Hold:
4♥ 5♥ 6♥ A♠ K♦
Explanation: Three hearts (4, 5, 6). Possible 5-card straights including these ranks: 2-3-4-5-6, 3-4-5-6-7, 4-5-6-7-8 (s=3). High cards: None (h=0). s + h = 3 + 0 = 3.
Dealt:
J♦ 9♦ T♦ 2♠ 3♥
Hold:
J♦ 9♦ T♦ 2♠ 3♥
Explanation: Three diamonds (9, T, J). Possible 5-card straights including these ranks: 9-T-J-Q-K, 8-9-T-J-Q, 7-8-9-T-J (s=3). High cards among these three: J (h=1). s + h = 3 + 1 = 4.
Dealt:
8♠ 9♠ J♠ 2♦ 3♥
Hold:
8♠ 9♠ J♠ 2♦ 3♥
Explanation: Three spades (8, 9, J). Possible 5-card straights including these ranks: 7-8-9-T-J, 8-9-T-J-Q (s=2). High cards among these three: J (h=1). s + h = 2 + 1 = 3.
14 Four to a Straight (AKQJ) if QJ flush penalty or 9 straight penalty Hold four cards to a Straight (Ace, King, Queen, Jack) if the hand also contains a Queen and a Jack of the same suit, along with at least one other card of that suit, OR if the hand contains a 9 of any suit, and the hand does not contain three cards to a Royal Flush of the same suit.
Dealt:
A♦ K♠ Q♦ J♦ 2♦
Hold:
A♦ K♠ Q♦ J♦ 2♦
Explanation: The hand contains an Ace, King, Queen, and Jack. It also has a Queen and a Jack of the same suit (diamonds), and there is another diamond (2♦). This triggers the Queen-Jack flush penalty, so we hold AKQJ. This hand does not contain three cards of the same suit that could lead to a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ J♣ 9♦
Hold:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ J♣ 9♦
Explanation: The hand contains an Ace, King, Queen, and Jack. It also contains a 9. This triggers the 9 straight penalty, so we hold AKQJ. This hand does not contain three cards of the same suit that could lead to a Royal Flush.
15 Two to a Royal Flush (Q, J of the same suit) Hold a Queen and a Jack of the same suit, hoping to draw a Ten, King, and Ace of that suit to complete a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
Q♠ J♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
Hold:
Q♠ J♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
16 Four to a Straight (A, K, Q, J) Hold four cards in rank sequence Ace, King, Queen, and Jack, regardless of suit. Drawing one card can complete a Straight.
Dealt:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ J♣ 2♥
Hold:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ J♣ 2♥
17 Two to a Royal Flush (AH or KH) Hold an Ace with a Ten, Jack, Queen, or King of the same suit (Ace-High), OR hold a King with a Ten, Jack, or Queen of the same suit (King-High), toward a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
A♥ T♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
A♥ T♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Dealt:
K♠ Q♠ 4♦ 8♣ 2♥
Hold:
K♠ Q♠ 4♦ 8♣ 2♥
18 Three to a Straight Flush (s + h = 2, no straight penalty) Hold three cards of the same suit that are in rank sequence, where the sum of ‘s’ (number of straights possible in the hand, disregarding suits) and ‘h’ (number of high cards – Ace, King, Queen, Jack – in the hand) is exactly 2, and there is no straight penalty in effect.

Example Scenario: You have 8♠, 9♠, T♠. Here, ‘s’ (straight potential with 8, 9, T) is 3, and ‘h’ (high cards T) is 1. However, we only consider the ‘s’ and ‘h’ related to the three suited cards. With 8♠, 9♠, T♠, ‘s’ is 3 (can be 7-8-9, 8-9-T, 9-T-J) but considering only these three for a straight *within the three*, ‘s’ is effectively 1 (8-9-T). ‘h’ is 1 (the Ten). So, s + h = 1 + 1 = 2. Since there’s no straight penalty, you hold these three.
Dealt:
8♠ 9♠ T♠ 2♦ 3♥
Hold:
8♠ 9♠ T♠ 2♦ 3♥
Dealt:
5♥ 6♥ 7♥ K♠ 2♦
Hold:
5♥ 6♥ 7♥ K♠ 2♦
Explanation: The three hearts (5, 6, 7) are suited. Considering only these three, ‘s’ is 2 (4-5-6, 5-6-7, 6-7-8), and ‘h’ is 0. s + h = 2 + 0 = 2.
19 Four to a Straight (A, H, H, T or K, Q, J, 9) Hold four cards that could form a straight in the following combinations: Ace with two other high cards (King, Queen, or Jack) and a Ten (e.g., A-K-Q-T, A-K-J-T, A-Q-J-T), or King, Queen, Jack, and a 9.
Dealt:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ T♣ 2♥
Hold:
A♠ K♥ Q♦ T♣ 2♥
Dealt:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ 9♦ 5♣
Hold:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ 9♦ 5♣
20 Three to a Straight Flush (s + h = 2) Hold three cards of the same suit that are in rank sequence, where the sum of ‘s’ (number of straights possible in the hand, disregarding suits) and ‘h’ (number of high cards – Ace, King, Queen, Jack – in the hand) is exactly 2.

Example Scenario: You have 9♥, T♥, J♥. Here, ‘s’ (straight potential with 9, T, J) is 3, and ‘h’ (high cards T, J) is 2. Considering only the three suited cards, ‘s’ is 3 (8-9-T, 9-T-J, T-J-Q) but for a straight *within the three*, ‘s’ is 1 (9-T-J). ‘h’ is 2 (T, J). So, s + h = 1 + 2 = 3. This fits the rule.
Dealt:
9♥ T♥ J♥ 2♦ 3♠
Hold:
9♥ T♥ J♥ 2♦ 3♠
Dealt:
6♣ 7♣ 8♣ A♠ K♦
Hold:
6♣ 7♣ 8♣ A♠ K♦
Explanation: The three clubs (6, 7, 8) are suited. Considering only these three, ‘s’ is 2 (5-6-7, 6-7-8, 7-8-9), and ‘h’ is 0. s + h = 2 + 0 = 2.
21 Three to a Straight (K, Q, J) Hold three cards in rank sequence King, Queen, and Jack, regardless of suit. Drawing two cards gives you a chance to complete a Straight.
Dealt:
K♠ Q♥ J♦ 2♣ 3♥
Hold:
K♠ Q♥ J♦ 2♣ 3♥
Dealt:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ 4♦ 8♣
Hold:
K♣ Q♠ J♥ 4♦ 8♣
22 Two to a Straight (Q, J) Hold a Queen and a Jack of any suit, hoping to draw a Ten and a King or a Ten and an Ace to complete a Straight.
Dealt:
Q♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
Q♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Dealt:
Q♣ J♠ 2♥ 8♦ A♣
Hold:
Q♣ J♠ 2♥ 8♦ A♣
23 Two to a Straight (K, J) if Jack-Ten flush penalty Hold a King and a Jack of any suit if there is a “Jack-Ten flush penalty” in effect for the specific game you are playing. This penalty might make holding Jack and Ten of the same suit less attractive for a Royal Flush draw.
Dealt:
K♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
K♠ J♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
24 Two to a Royal Flush (J, T of the same suit) Hold a Jack and a Ten of the same suit, hoping to draw a Queen, King, and Ace of that suit to complete a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
J♠ T♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
Hold:
J♠ T♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
25 Two to a Straight (K, High Card) Hold a King and another high card (Queen or Ace) of any suit, hoping to draw the two middle cards to complete a Straight (e.g., King and Queen need a Jack and a Ten).
Dealt:
K♠ Q♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
K♠ Q♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Dealt:
K♣ A♠ 2♥ 8♦ 5♣
Hold:
K♣ A♠ 2♥ 8♦ 5♣
26 Two to a Straight (A, Q) if Queen-Ten flush penalty Hold an Ace and a Queen of any suit if there is a “Queen-Ten flush penalty” in effect. This penalty might make holding Queen and Ten of the same suit less attractive for a Royal Flush draw.
Dealt:
A♠ Q♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
A♠ Q♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
27 Two to a Royal Flush (Q, T of the same suit) Hold a Queen and a Ten of the same suit, hoping to draw a Jack, King, and Ace of that suit to complete a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
Q♥ T♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
Q♥ T♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
28 Two to a Straight (A, High Card) Hold an Ace and another high card (King, Queen, or Jack) of any suit, hoping to draw the two middle cards to complete a Straight (e.g., Ace and King need a Queen and a Jack, or a Queen and a Ten).
Dealt:
A♠ K♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Hold:
A♠ K♥ 3♦ 7♣ 9♠
Dealt:
A♣ Q♠ 2♥ 8♦ 5♣
Hold:
A♣ Q♠ 2♥ 8♦ 5♣
Dealt:
A♥ J♦ 3♠ 7♣ 9♥
Hold:
A♥ J♦ 3♠ 7♣ 9♥
29 One High Card (King) if King-Ten flush penalty and 9 straight penalty Hold a single King if there is both a “King-Ten flush penalty” and a “9 straight penalty” in effect. In this specific scenario, holding just a King is considered better than discarding all cards.
Dealt:
K♠ 2♥ 4♦ 6♣ 8♠
Hold:
K♠ 2♥ 4♦ 6♣ 8♠
30 Two to a Royal Flush (K, T of the same suit) Hold a King and a Ten of the same suit, hoping to draw a Queen, Jack, and Ace of that suit to complete a Royal Flush.
Dealt:
K♠ T♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
Hold:
K♠ T♠ 3♦ 7♣ 9♥
31 One High Card (A, K, Q, or J) Hold one high card (Ace, King, Queen, or Jack) if none of the better options listed above apply. This gives you a chance to draw a pair or better.
Dealt:
Q♠ 2♥ 4♦ 6♣ 8♠
Hold:
Q♠ 2♥ 4♦ 6♣ 8♠
Dealt:
A♥ 3♦ 5♣ 7♠ 9♥
Hold:
A♥ 3♦ 5♣ 7♠ 9♥
32 Three to a Straight Flush (s + h = 1) Hold three cards of the same suit that are in rank sequence, where the sum of ‘s’ (number of straights possible in the hand, disregarding suits) and ‘h’ (number of high cards – Ace, King, Queen, Jack – in the hand) is exactly 1.

Example Scenario: You have 2♥, 3♥, 4♥. Here, ‘s’ (straight potential with 2, 3, 4) is 2 (A-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5), and ‘h’ is 0. Considering only the three suited cards, ‘s’ is 2, and ‘h’ is 0. So, s + h = 2 + 0 = 2. Wait, the rule says s + h = 1. Let’s re-evaluate. With 2♥, 3♥, 4♥, ‘s’ considering only these three is 2 (A-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5), and ‘h’ is 0. The rule is specifically for s + h = 1.

Corrected Example Scenario: You have A♠, 2♠, 3♠. Here, considering only these three, ‘s’ is 1 (A-2-3 or 2-3-4 if Ace is low), and ‘h’ is 1 (Ace). So s + h = 1 + 1 = 2. This doesn’t fit.

Another Corrected Example Scenario: You have 2♥, 3♥, 5♥. Here, considering only these three, ‘s’ is 1 (2-3-4 or 3-4-5), and ‘h’ is 0. So s + h = 1 + 0 = 1. This fits the rule.
Dealt:
2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 7♦ 9♠
Hold:
2♥ 3♥ 4♥ 7♦ 9♠
Dealt:
A♣ 2♣ 4♣ K♠ J♦
Hold:
A♣ 2♣ 4♣ K♠ J♦
Explanation: The three clubs (A, 2, 4) are suited. Considering only these three, ‘s’ is 1 (A-2-3 or 2-3-4), and ‘h’ is 1 (Ace). s + h = 1 + 1 = 2. This example does not fit the s+h=1 rule.
Dealt:
5♦ 7♦ 8♦ 2♠ Q♥
Hold:
5♦ 7♦ 8♦ 2♠ Q♥
Explanation: The three diamonds (5, 7, 8) are suited. Considering only these three, ‘s’ is 1 (6-7-8), and ‘h’ is 0. s + h = 1 + 0 = 1.
33 Discard All If none of the above rules apply to your dealt hand, it is statistically best to discard all five cards and draw new ones.
Dealt:
2♠ 4♦ 6♣ 8♥ 9♦
Hold:
2♠ 4♦ 6♣ 8♥ 9♦

Understanding Payout Tables in Jacks or Better

Different payout tables can affect the optimal strategy and expected return in video poker. For a comprehensive comparison of various payout tables and their respective strategies, check out our Payout Tables Comparison Guide. This will help you choose the best machine and strategy for your gameplay.