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 Jacks or Better 8/5 video poker. This strategy is specifically tailored for the 800-50-25-8-5-4-3-2-1 payout table. 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 |
8 |
16 |
24 |
32 |
40 |
| Flush |
5 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
25 |
| 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 (8/5 Bovada Paytable) – Overall EV: 97.30%
| Hand |
Payout |
Probability |
Combinations |
EV |
| Royal Flush |
800 |
0.000024894353 |
41,352,073 |
0.0199154824 |
| Straight Flush |
50 |
0.000107664267 |
178,841,388 |
0.0053832134 |
| Four of a Kind |
25 |
0.002362888629 |
3,925,000,311 |
0.0590722157 |
| Full House |
8 |
0.011513676960 |
19,125,398,079 |
0.0921094157 |
| Flush |
5 |
0.010901562380 |
18,108,612,989 |
0.0545078119 |
| Straight |
4 |
0.011235124670 |
18,662,694,155 |
0.0449404987 |
| Three of a Kind |
3 |
0.074462745730 |
123,690,256,305 |
0.2233882372 |
| Two Pair |
2 |
0.129298409700 |
214,777,917,189 |
0.2585968194 |
| Jacks or Better |
1 |
0.215070643200 |
357,254,392,362 |
0.2150706432 |
| Nothing |
0 |
0.545022390100 |
905,338,078,249 |
0.0000000000 |
| Total |
|
1.000000000000 |
1,661,102,543,100 |
0.9729843375 |
