In the next table there is a description of the main strategy when playing Jacks or better (99.9%) with the following payoff table 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-940. The cards, which one should discard, are marked grey. The combinations are situated in the order of their priority: one should compare a current combination from the very beginning up to the first coincidence.
Straight Flush or Royal Flush Keep all the cards |
4 ♥ | 5 ♥ | 6 ♥ | 7 ♥ | 8 ♥ |
Four of Kind Keep four cards of the same rank, the fifth one you can change or not, it will not improve the situation. |
5 ♣ | 5 ♦ | 5 ♥ | 5 ♠ | Q ♦ |
Full House Keep all the cards |
A ♣ | A ♦ | 2 ♥ | 2 ♠ | 2 ♦ |
4 to Royal Flush Gather the Royal Flush, then split even a suit |
A ♣ | K ♣ | Q ♣ | 3 ♣ | T ♣ |
Flush Keep all the cards |
K ♥ | Q ♥ | J ♥ | 3 ♥ | 5 ♥ |
Straight Keep all the cards |
9 ♥ | 8 ♥ | 7 ♥ | 6 ♥ | 5 ♠ |
Three of Kind Keep a three |
K ♦ | K ♥ | K ♣ | Q ♣ | J ♣ |
Two Pairs Keep two pairs |
K ♦ | K ♣ | Q ♥ | Q ♣ | J ♣ |
4 to Straight Flush Gather the Straight Flush, discard even the finished pair |
8 ♣ | 9 ♣ | T ♣ | J ♣ | J ♦ |
KQJ or QJT of the same suit Gather the Royal Flush, split even the finished pair |
K ♦ | Q ♦ | J ♦ | J ♣ | 9 ♥ |
Jacks or better Keep only the finished pair |
A ♦ | Q ♦ | J ♦ | J ♣ | 5 ♦ |
Three to the Royal Flush Gather the Royal Flush, discard even a small pair |
A ♦ | Q ♦ | J ♦ | 6 ♣ | 6 ♦ |
Four to the Flush Gather the suit, discard even a small pair |
K ♣ | Q ♣ | 3 ♣ | 8 ♣ | 8 ♦ |
KQJT Gather the Straight, split even a couple of tens |
K ♥ | Q ♠ | J ♦ | T ♣ | T ♦ |
Small pair Keep the small pair |
J ♦ | T ♦ | 9 ♦ | 8 ♣ | 9 ♥ |
Four in succession to the open Straight Gather the Straight |
J ♦ | T ♠ | 9 ♦ | 8 ♣ | 5 ♥ |
Three in succession to the Straight Flush Gather the Straight Flush |
3 ♠ | 4 ♠ | 5 ♠ | A ♥ | K ♥ |
QJ of the same suit, there is no such a suit Gather the Straight Flush |
A ♠ | K ♠ | Q ♥ | J ♥ | 9 ♣ |
AKJQ Gather the Straight |
A ♠ | K ♠ | Q ♥ | J ♥ | 5 ♥ |
Two face cards of the same suit Gather the Royal Flush |
A ♥ | K ♠ | J ♥ | T ♣ | 5 ♥ |
Four to the Straight, three face cards among them Gather the Straight |
A ♥ | K ♠ | J ♣ | T ♣ | 5 ♥ |
Three to the Straight Flush, one gap Gather the Straight Flush |
5 ♠ | 6 ♠ | 8 ♠ | 9 ♥ | 3 ♥ |
JT of the same suit Gather Royal Flush |
K ♠ | J ♣ | T ♣ | 5 ♣ | 6 ♥ |
QT of the same suit, there is no more such a suit Gather Royal Flush |
K ♠ | Q ♣ | T ♣ | 5 ♥ | 6 ♥ |
KQJ Keep KQJ |
K ♠ | Q ♦ | J ♣ | 8 ♥ | 7 ♥ |
2 or 3 face cards Keep two lower face cards |
A ♠ | K ♦ | J ♣ | 8 ♥ | 7 ♥ |
Two to the Royal Flush Gather the Royal Flush |
K ♦ | T ♦ | 8 ♦ | 7 ♥ | 6 ♥ |
Face card Keep only a face card |
K ♥ | 9 ♠ | 8 ♠ | 6 ♥ | 5 ♠ |
Three to the closed Straight Flush Gather the Straight Flush |
T ♥ | 9 ♠ | 8 ♠ | 6 ♥ | 5 ♠ |
Garbage Discard everything, never gather the Flush to a three and the closed Straight to a four. |
T ♥ | 9 ♠ | 8 ♠ | 6 ♥ | 5 ♥ |