Course contents
Strategy Charts Explained
A strategy chart ranks every possible hold decision by expected value, turning video poker from guesswork into exhaustive combinatorial math - playing by instinct instead of by chart typically costs 2% or more of return.
A video poker strategy chart is a ranked list telling you exactly which cards to hold and which to discard for every possible five-card hand, ordered by expected value from best to worst. These charts aren't opinions or rules of thumb. Video poker has a finite, calculable set of outcomes for every hold decision, so a chart is the output of exhaustive math, the same category of exercise as blackjack basic strategy, just built for a different game structure.
Why charts are paytable-specific. Every possible starting hand, combined with every way you could hold 0 to 5 of those cards, produces a calculable expected value based on your odds of drawing into each possible final hand and what that hand pays on your specific paytable. Change the payouts, or add wild cards, and some close-call decisions flip. A chart built for 9/6 Jacks or Better isn't identical to one for 8/5 or for Deuces Wild. Always match your chart to the exact variant and paytable you're playing — reading paytables shows exactly how to identify which one you're on.
The Jacks or Better hold priority, from best to worst:
Priority | Hold this |
|---|---|
1 | Royal or straight flush |
2 | Four of a kind |
3 | Four to a royal flush |
4 | Full house or flush |
5 | Three of a kind |
6 | Straight |
7 | Four to a flush |
8 | Two pair |
9 | High pair (jacks or better) |
10 | Three to a royal flush |
11 | Four to an open straight |
12 | Low pair (10s or lower) |
13 | Nothing above — draw 5 fresh |
Two spots trip up most players: a low pair against a four-card flush draw, and a high pair against a three-card royal draw. The safe general rule is that a made high pair usually beats a three-card royal draw, while a low pair usually loses to a four-card flush draw. When unsure, favor the hand you can already see over a draw you're chasing. See how to play Jacks or Better for the basic rules this chart builds on.
Deuces Wild changes the math substantially. With all four 2s wild, a hand containing even one deuce is dramatically stronger than the same hand without one. There's no pair-based payout tier at all; three of a kind is typically the lowest paying hand. The priority shifts toward deuce count first, made-hand quality second: four deuces and natural royals sit at the top, followed by wild royals, five of a kind, straight flush, four of a kind, and on down. This is exactly why memorizing one chart doesn't transfer to the other game — Deuces Wild strategy covers its specific hold priorities in full.
The house edge on a good paytable is already tiny, just 0.46% on full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better. The gap between chart play and instinct play is usually several times larger than that edge. Most money left on the table isn't lost to the house — it's lost to avoidable decisions.
Practically, most serious players keep a printed card or phone reference handy while playing. That's not "advantage play" in any prohibited sense; it's public, calculated information, no different from a blackjack strategy card. Scan your hand, find the highest-priority match, hold accordingly, and draw. The clear top-tier hands become close to automatic with repetition, leaving only genuine close calls to actually think through.
A strategy chart improves your long-run expected return. It doesn't guarantee any individual session goes well, and it doesn't eliminate variance or the underlying house edge. Set your bankroll and loss limit before you start, and don't let a string of correctly-played but unlucky hands tempt you into raising your bet to "catch up." Wild Academy's responsible gambling resources has support tools if you'd like them.
Sources
- Wizard of Odds: Video Poker Strategy — strategy calculation methodology and return figures (retrieved 2026-07-24)
- Wizard of Odds: Deuces Wild — full-pay Deuces Wild return figures (retrieved 2026-07-24)
- Wikipedia: Video poker — game mechanics and history (retrieved 2026-07-24)
Practice what you've learned with the video poker trainer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a different strategy chart for every casino?
No, but you do need a chart that matches the exact paytable of the machine you're playing, not just the variant name. Two machines both labeled "Jacks or Better" can have different full house and flush payouts, and the correct chart differs slightly between them.
Is using a strategy chart considered cheating?
No. Strategy charts are publicly available, mathematically derived reference material, no different in principle from a blackjack basic strategy card. They tell you how to play the cards you're already dealt; they don't affect what cards you receive or manipulate the game in any way.
What's the single most common strategy mistake?
Holding an unrelated high card, or "kicker," alongside a low pair instead of discarding it and drawing three fresh cards. It feels intuitive but is measurably wrong in Jacks or Better.
How much practice does it take before chart play feels natural?
Most players report the clear top-tier decisions, like already-made flushes, full houses, and four of a kinds, become automatic within a session or two. The genuine close-call decisions, such as low pair versus flush draw or high pair versus royal draw, take longer to internalize.
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