To read a video poker strategy chart, identify every possible hold in your dealt hand, then choose the highest-ranking match on the chart for that exact game and paytable. Do not use the chart like a menu of favorites. Read it top-down, pick the first valid line, and ignore lower-ranked temptations.
Quick Facts
- Strategy charts are paytable-specific.
- Read the chart from top to bottom.
- The first matching hold is normally the play.
- Do not mix Jacks or Better charts with Deuces Wild or bonus games.
- “Four to a flush” can rank differently from “three to a royal.”
- Kicker rules depend heavily on the variant.
- Close hands should be checked with a video poker analyzer.
Plain Talk
A strategy chart is a priority list.
It tells you which type of hold beats another type of hold. The top of the chart contains the strongest holds. The lower lines contain weaker holds. When your hand matches more than one line, you usually take the line that appears highest.
That is the part many players miss. They do not read the chart as a ranking system. They scan for a familiar phrase and stop.
Scope Guard: Video poker strategy charts explained explains what strategy charts are. This page focuses on how to use one at the machine.
How It Works
Use this process:
- Confirm the game name.
- Confirm the paytable.
- Use the chart made for that game and paytable.
- Look at your dealt hand.
- Identify all possible meaningful holds.
- Start at the top of the chart.
- Choose the first line that matches your hand.
- Hold those cards.
- Draw.
- Do not second-guess because of the result.
Example chart logic might say:
| Chart line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Royal flush | Already have the top hand |
| Straight flush | Strong made hand |
| Four of a kind | Strong made hand |
| Four to a royal | Powerful draw |
| Full house | Made hand |
| Flush | Made hand |
| Three of a kind | Made hand |
| Straight | Made hand |
| Two pair | Made hand |
| High pair | Paying pair |
That is not a complete chart. It is a teaching skeleton. Real charts include exceptions, unsuited high cards, low pairs, suited connectors, penalty cards, wild-card rules, and bonus-hand logic.
The Wizard of Odds intermediate Jacks or Better strategy shows how chart order is organized for a specific paytable. The Wizard of Odds strategy maker also shows why a chart must fit the chosen game. For regulated device context, Nevada Technical Standard 1 covers machine-side requirements, not player chart selection.
Video Poker Hand Example
You are dealt:
K♠ Q♠ J♠ 7♦ 2♣
Possible holds include:
- K♠ Q♠ J♠
- K♠ Q♠
- K♠ J♠
- Q♠ J♠
- K♠ alone
- Q♠ alone
- J♠ alone
- Draw five
A beginner may ask, “Which cards do I like?” A chart user asks, “Which of these holds appears highest on the correct chart?”
If the chart ranks three to a royal above the other high-card fragments, you hold K♠ Q♠ J♠. You do not choose K♠ Q♠ because two high cards feel safer. You do not choose K♠ alone because you like kings. You follow the chart.
Now another hand:
J♦ J♣ 10♦ 9♦ 8♦
This hand may match a high pair and a straight-flush-looking draw. You do not guess. You find which line ranks higher for that exact game and paytable.
From the Casino Side:
Casinos know strategy charts exist. Most casual players still do not use them correctly.
Some players bring the wrong chart. Some use a chart for 9/6 Jacks or Better on an 8/5 machine. Some use Jacks or Better strategy on Double Double Bonus. Some glance at the chart after they already made up their mind. Some play too fast and skip close decisions.
Slot managers care less about whether a chart exists and more about actual results: coin-in, average bet, theoretical loss, comp value, and actual hold. If players make chart mistakes, the casino’s real-world hold can rise.
Surveillance and floor staff may care about strategy cards only if they slow play, create disputes, or violate a specific property rule. In most normal play, the chart is just player information.
Common Mistakes
- Using the wrong chart for the game.
- Ignoring the paytable version.
- Reading the chart bottom-up.
- Choosing the most exciting hold instead of the first correct match.
- Forgetting that wild-card games change everything.
- Keeping kicker cards because the word “bonus” is on the machine.
- Changing strategy after a losing streak.
Hard Truth
A strategy chart only helps if you obey it before your emotions vote.
FAQ
Can I use one video poker strategy chart for every game?
No. Each game and paytable can require different strategy.
What does “read top-down” mean?
Start at the top of the chart. The first line that accurately matches your hand is usually the correct hold.
Why does the chart sometimes tell me to ignore a draw I like?
Because another hold has higher expected value, even if it looks less exciting.
Are simple charts bad?
No. Simple charts can be useful for beginners. They may give up some return compared with optimal charts, but they are better than guessing.
Should I memorize the whole chart?
Not at first. Learn the big categories, use a chart for close hands, and practice slowly.
Does the chart work if the paytable is bad?
It may still identify the best hold for that paytable, but the overall game can still be poor.
Can I use a chart on a casino floor?
Usually yes, but use it politely and do not block machines or slow disputes. House rules can vary.
Deeper Insight
A chart is a shortcut for expected value work that would be painful to do by hand.
Without a chart, the player must calculate every hold, every draw, every payout, and every average. That is not realistic on a casino floor. The chart compresses those calculations into a usable order.
But the compression creates danger. A chart line is only valid inside its assumptions. Change the paytable and the ranking can change. Add wild cards and the ranking changes. Add kicker bonuses and the ranking changes. Add a progressive jackpot and certain royal-related decisions can change.
That is why “I know the chart” is incomplete. The better sentence is: “I know the right chart for this game and paytable.”
Formula / Calculation
Expected Value of a Hold = Average return from all possible draws after holding selected cards
Best Chart Line = Highest-ranked valid hold by expected value
Strategy Cost = Correct Hold EV - Chosen Hold EV
RTP = Sum of each final hand probability × hand payout
Expected Loss = Total Amount Wagered × House Edge
Coin-In = Bet Per Hand × Hands Played
Formula Explanation in Plain English
The chart ranks holds by expected value. When two possible holds are visible, the higher chart line is not “prettier.” It is supposed to return more on average.
If you ignore the chart and choose the lower-EV hold, the difference is your strategy cost. One mistake may be small. Hundreds of mistakes are not.
A good strategy chart does not remove gambling risk. It removes avoidable decision errors.
Related Reading
Start with video poker strategy basics, then continue to hold or draw decisions and expected value of a hold. For chart theory, read video poker strategy charts explained. For the math cost of mistakes, read video poker house edge and common video poker strategy mistakes. Practice with the video poker analyzer before betting faster.