Unlike slots, Video Poker is a game of skill. The cards you choose to hold directly affect the outcome, and the difference between guessing and using correct strategy is significant. On a full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better machine, optimal play raises the RTP to 99.54% — one of the lowest house edges in any casino game.
Our Video Poker Hand Analyzer tells you which cards to HOLD and which to discard, based on a strategy priority tree calibrated for 9/6 Jacks or Better. It also shows multiple recommendations ranked by priority, so you can see what the alternatives are and why one hold is better than another.
Video Poker Analyzer
| Hand | Payout (per coin) |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 (with max bet) |
| 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 |
How to Use the Hand Analyzer
- Review the Paytable: Click “Show Paytable” to confirm you are playing a 9/6 machine (Full House pays 9, Flush pays 6). If your machine pays different amounts, the strategy may differ — see the note below.
- Select Your Cards: Click each of the 5 card slots. A picker window opens showing the full deck (already-selected cards are greyed out).
- Analyze: Click “Analyze Hand”.
- Read the Result: The best hold is highlighted with yellow “HOLD” badges. Below, you will see the top 3-4 ranked recommendations with the cards each option holds. The #1 recommendation is the mathematically strongest play.
How the Strategy Engine Works
The analyzer uses a priority-based strategy tree with approximately 20 levels, based on the canonical Jacks or Better strategy. Each level represents a type of hand or draw, ranked from highest expected value to lowest. When you enter your 5 cards, the engine checks every applicable level and shows the best match.
The priority order (simplified) is:
- Made hands: Royal Flush → Straight Flush → Four of a Kind
- 4 to a Royal Flush (even over a made Full House or Flush — the Royal draw has higher EV)
- Made Full House → Flush → Straight → Three of a Kind
- 4 to a Straight Flush
- Two Pair → High Pair (Jacks or Better)
- 4 to a Flush → 3 to a Royal → 4 to an Outside Straight
- Low Pair
- 3 to a Straight Flush → 2 Suited High Cards → High Card(s)
- Discard All
Key insight: a 4-card Royal Flush draw outranks a made Full House (paying 9 coins). This is one of the most counter-intuitive plays in video poker — breaking a paying hand to chase a Royal — but mathematically it is correct because the Royal pays 800 coins at max bet. Similarly, a 4-card Flush draw outranks a Low Pair, which surprises many players.
Common Strategy Mistakes
Mistake 1: Holding a “Kicker” with a Pair
If you have a Pair of Fours and an Ace, many players keep the Ace “just in case.” This is always wrong. The kicker reduces your chances of hitting Three of a Kind, Full House, or Four of a Kind. Discard everything except the pair.
Mistake 2: Breaking a Flush Draw to Keep a Low Pair
With four cards to a Flush and a low pair (e.g., two 5s), the Flush draw is the better hold. Many players instinctively keep the pair because it “already has something,” but the expected return from the 4-card Flush draw is higher in 9/6 JoB.
Mistake 3: Holding Three Unsuited High Cards
If you have J♠ Q♥ K♦ and two low cards, holding all three high cards is usually worse than holding just two. With two suited high cards (e.g., J♠ K♠), you keep open the possibility of a Flush. With three unsuited high cards, you are drawing only 2 cards with no Flush potential.
Mistake 4: Never Breaking a Made Hand
It feels wrong to break a paying Straight or Flush. But if you have four cards to a Royal Flush, the correct play is to discard the fifth card — even if you already have a Flush. The massive Royal payout (800× at max bet) makes the draw worth more in expected value.
Why Paytable Matters
This analyzer is calibrated for 9/6 Jacks or Better — the classic full-pay version. If your machine pays differently, the optimal strategy changes:
- 8/5 JoB (Full House 8, Flush 5): RTP drops to ~97.3%. Some hold priorities shift — for example, Flush draws become slightly less valuable relative to pairs.
- 7/5 or 6/5 JoB: RTP drops below 97%. These machines are significantly worse, and strategy adjustments are needed throughout the tree.
- Bonus Poker / Double Bonus / Deuces Wild: Entirely different games with different paytables and different optimal strategies. This analyzer does not cover them.
Before using any strategy tool, always check the paytable on your machine. The numbers on the Full House and Flush lines are the quickest way to identify the pay grade.
Max Bet and the Royal Flush
On most video poker machines, the Royal Flush payout jumps from 250 coins per coin bet (at 1-4 coins) to 800 coins per coin at max bet (5 coins). This bonus payout adds approximately 1.5% to the overall RTP.
If you play fewer than 5 coins, you are giving up this bonus — which can turn a near-even game into one with a meaningful house edge. If the max bet per coin is too expensive, it is better to move to a lower-denomination machine and play max bet there than to play higher denomination at fewer coins.
Limitations
- Simplified tree: This engine uses ~20 priority levels. A full optimal engine evaluates all 32 possible hold combinations and calculates exact Expected Value for each. In most common hands, the results match. In rare edge cases (e.g., penalty card effects, certain 3-card straight flush subvariants), there may be small differences.
- 9/6 JoB only: Strategy recommendations do not apply to other paytables or game variants.
- No EV numbers: The current version shows priority ranking but not exact expected return per hold. A future version may add this.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is a Royal Flush “due” after many hands without one?
No. The Random Number Generator (RNG) in video poker machines has no memory. The probability of being dealt a Royal Flush draw or completing one is the same on every hand, regardless of how many hands have passed since the last Royal. The average frequency is roughly 1 in 40,000 hands, but this is a statistical average — not a schedule.
Should I always play max bet?
Yes, if you are playing for optimal return. The Royal Flush bonus at max bet (800-for-1 instead of 250-for-1) adds approximately 1.5% to total RTP. Without max bet, even a 9/6 machine becomes meaningfully negative-EV. If the max bet is too expensive at your denomination, move to a lower denomination and play max bet there.
Why does the analyzer sometimes break a paying hand?
Because the expected value of the draw can exceed the guaranteed payout. The most common example: holding 4 to a Royal Flush is worth more in expected value than keeping a made Flush (which pays 6 coins). The Royal at max bet pays 4,000 coins — the draw’s EV, even with a low completion probability, can be higher than the sure 6-coin Flush payout.
Does this work for Bonus Poker or Deuces Wild?
No. This analyzer is designed only for standard Jacks or Better with a 9/6 paytable. Other game variants have different paytables and different optimal strategies. Using JoB strategy on a Deuces Wild machine will lead to significant errors.