Beginners

Video poker hand rankings

The paying hands, highest to lowest, with 9/6 Jacks or Better payouts per coin. The one rule that trips up newcomers: a pair only pays if it is jacks or better.

HandWhat it isPays
Royal FlushA-K-Q-J-10, all one suit · The top hand. 4,000 coins on a max bet.800
Straight FlushFive in sequence, all one suit50
Four of a KindFour cards of the same rank · Higher in bonus games.25
Full HouseThree of a kind plus a pair9
FlushFive of one suit, any order6
StraightFive in sequence, mixed suits4
Three of a KindThree of the same rank3
Two PairTwo different pairs2
Jacks or BetterA pair of jacks, queens, kings, or aces · The lowest paying hand.1

The rule beginners miss

In table poker any pair has value. In Jacks or Better, only a pair of jacks, queens, kings, or aces pays. A pair of tens or lower returns nothing, so a low pair is only worth holding as a building block toward trips, a full house, or quads, never as a paying hand by itself. This is why a high pair and a low pair are played so differently.

Rankings are the same, payouts are not

The order of hands never changes, but how much each pays depends on the game and pay table. Bonus games pay far more for four of a kind, especially four aces, in exchange for smaller payouts elsewhere. Compare them on the best games page and learn to read a pay table.

Practice recognizing hands →