Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 Strategy
Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 returns 95.46% with perfect play at low volatility. The pay table and numbers below are computed combinatorially, not estimated.
Pay table
| Hand | Pays (per coin) | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Royal Flush | 800 | 1.84% |
| Five Of A Kind | 200 | 1.87% |
| Wild Royal Flush | 100 | 1.04% |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 2.15% |
| Four Of A Kind | 20 | 17.21% |
| Full House | 5 | 7.88% |
| Flush | 4 | 5.78% |
| Straight | 3 | 5.12% |
| Three Of A Kind | 2 | 26.96% |
| Two Pair | 1 | 11.13% |
| Kings Or Better | 1 | 14.47% |
Royal-flush payouts above show the per-coin value at max bet — always bet five coins to earn the full royal jackpot.
Key numbers
- Return with perfect play: 95.46%
- Royal flush: about 1 in 43,499 hands
- Hit frequency (paying hand or better): 44.7%
- Volatility: Low
How strategy works
From the five cards you're dealt, the correct hold is the one with the highest expected value — the average coins it returns over the long run. The biggest payouts here are Natural Royal Flush (800), Five Of A Kind (200), Wild Royal Flush (100), which shape which draws are worth chasing. PerfectPLAY computes the optimal hold and its expected value for every possible hand, so you can learn the exact play rather than a rule of thumb.
You’re reading original analysis. Every hold and expected value here is calculated in-house by PerfectPLAY.vegas for this exact pay table — nothing aggregated, nothing taken from elsewhere. These are never generic charts copied from another site.
Hand-by-hand strategy
The optimal hold and its expected value for every key decision in Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4, computed combinatorially by vpengine — not rules of thumb.
4 to a Royal Flush — over a made flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Royal Flush — EV 97.91 coins. The optimal play discards a made flush (pays 20 coins).
4 to a Royal Flush — over a made straight
Optimal hold: 4 to a Royal Flush — EV 98.02 coins. The optimal play discards a made straight (pays 15 coins).
4 to a Royal Flush — vs Kings or Better
Optimal hold: 4 to a Royal Flush — EV 98.22 coins. Next best: holding Kings Or Better — EV 6.86 coins (margin 91.36 coins).
4 to a Royal Flush — vs Low Pair
Optimal hold: 4 to a Royal Flush — EV 98.33 coins. Next best: holding Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins (margin 94.81 coins).
4 to a Straight Flush — over a made straight
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight Flush — EV 16.97 coins. The optimal play discards a made straight (pays 15 coins).
4 to a Straight Flush — vs 1 high card: A or K
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight Flush — EV 12.60 coins. Next best: holding 1 High Card — EV 2.26 coins (margin 10.34 coins).
4 to a Straight Flush — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight Flush — EV 12.91 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.25 coins (margin 10.66 coins).
4 to a Straight Flush — vs Kings or Better
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight Flush — EV 12.81 coins. Next best: holding Kings Or Better — EV 6.86 coins (margin 5.95 coins).
4 to a Straight Flush — vs Low Pair
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight Flush — EV 12.60 coins. Next best: holding Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins (margin 9.08 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush — vs 1 high card: A or K
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.49 coins. Next best: holding 1 High Card — EV 2.25 coins (margin 0.24 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.54 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.25 coins (margin 0.29 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush — vs 2 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.20 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.18 coins (margin 0.02 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush — vs 2 to a Royal Flush: A-K
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 3.09 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.80 coins (margin 0.29 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush — vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.02 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.63 coins (margin 0.39 coins).
3 to a Royal Flush — vs 1 high card: A or K
Optimal hold: 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 6.93 coins. Next best: holding 1 High Card — EV 2.25 coins (margin 4.68 coins).
3 to a Royal Flush — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 6.46 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.22 coins (margin 4.24 coins).
3 to a Royal Flush — vs 4 to a Straight
Optimal hold: 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 6.48 coins. Next best: holding 4 to a Straight — EV 2.81 coins (margin 3.67 coins).
3 to a Royal Flush — vs Low Pair
Optimal hold: 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 6.41 coins. Next best: holding Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins (margin 2.89 coins).
3 to a Royal Flush — vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 7.01 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.63 coins (margin 5.38 coins).
4 to a Flush — vs 1 high card: A or K
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush — EV 4.16 coins. Next best: holding 1 High Card — EV 2.26 coins (margin 1.90 coins).
4 to a Flush — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush — EV 4.47 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.25 coins (margin 2.22 coins).
4 to a Flush — vs 3 to a Straight Flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush — EV 4.16 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.81 coins (margin 1.35 coins).
4 to a Flush — vs Low Pair
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush — EV 4.16 coins. Next best: holding Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins (margin 0.64 coins).
4 to a Flush — vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush — EV 4.16 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.64 coins (margin 2.52 coins).
Low Pair — vs 2 to a Royal Flush: A-K
Optimal hold: Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.80 coins (margin 0.72 coins).
Low Pair — vs 3 to a Straight Flush
Optimal hold: Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 3.20 coins (margin 0.32 coins).
Low Pair — vs 3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low
Optimal hold: Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.64 coins (margin 0.88 coins).
Low Pair — vs 4 to a Straight
Optimal hold: Low Pair — EV 3.52 coins. Next best: holding 4 to a Straight — EV 3.12 coins (margin 0.40 coins).
4 to a Straight — vs 1 high card: A or K
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight — EV 2.81 coins. Next best: holding 1 High Card — EV 2.26 coins (margin 0.55 coins).
4 to a Straight — vs 2 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight — EV 2.81 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.29 coins (margin 0.52 coins).
4 to a Straight — vs 3 to a Straight Flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight — EV 2.81 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.09 coins (margin 0.72 coins).
4 to a Straight — vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight — EV 2.81 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.64 coins (margin 1.17 coins).
2 to a Royal Flush (J-T/J-Q/T-Q) — equal EV vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 1.63 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.63 coins (margin 0.00 coins).
Both holds have the same expected value, so either is a correct play.
4 to a Wild Royal Flush — over a made flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Wild Royal Flush — EV 30.00 coins. The optimal play discards a made flush (pays 20 coins).
4 to a Wild Royal Flush — over a made straight
Optimal hold: 4 to a Wild Royal Flush — EV 30.10 coins. The optimal play discards a made straight (pays 15 coins).
1 high card: A or K — vs 2 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: 1 high card: A or K — EV 2.24 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 1.75 coins (margin 0.49 coins).
2 high cards — vs 2 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: 2 high cards — EV 2.23 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.15 coins (margin 0.08 coins).
2 to a Royal Flush (J-T/J-Q/T-Q) — vs Nothing
Optimal hold: 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 1.64 coins. Next best: holding Nothing — EV 1.63 coins (margin 0.01 coins).
2 to a Royal Flush (K-Q/K-J/K-T) — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.24 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.23 coins (margin 0.01 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — vs 2 high cards
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — EV 2.56 coins. Next best: holding 2 High Cards — EV 2.25 coins (margin 0.31 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — vs 2 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — EV 2.62 coins. Next best: holding 2 to a Royal Flush — EV 2.26 coins (margin 0.36 coins).
3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — vs Hold the Joker with the A or K
Optimal hold: 3 to a Straight Flush: Ace low — EV 8.58 coins. Next best: holding the Joker with the A or K — EV 8.34 coins (margin 0.24 coins).
4 to a Flush: with a high card — vs Hold the Joker with the A or K
Optimal hold: 4 to a Flush: with a high card — EV 9.06 coins. Next best: holding the Joker with the A or K — EV 8.39 coins (margin 0.67 coins).
4 to a Straight (TJQK) — vs 3 to a Straight Flush
Optimal hold: 4 to a Straight — EV 3.12 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Straight Flush — EV 2.56 coins (margin 0.56 coins).
4 to a Wild Royal Flush — vs Three of a Kind
Optimal hold: 4 to a Wild Royal Flush — EV 30.20 coins. Next best: holding Three of a Kind — EV 19.09 coins (margin 11.11 coins).
Kings or Better — vs 3 to a Royal Flush
Optimal hold: Kings or Better — EV 6.86 coins. Next best: holding 3 to a Royal Flush — EV 6.82 coins (margin 0.04 coins).
FAQ
- What's Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 like to play?
- Joker Poker (Kings or Better) adds a single wild Joker to the 52-card deck, introducing two hands fixed-rank poker can't make — Five of a Kind and a Wild Royal Flush — while raising the minimum paying hand to a pair of Kings. The lone wild reshapes hands without the constant decision-load of Deuces Wild, but the Kings-or-Better floor keeps high pairs and wild upgrades at the center of most sessions. The leanest table in the group: 4 of a Kind holds at 20, but the Straight Flush (40), Full House (5), and Flush (4) are all reduced, giving it the lowest overall return.
- How difficult is Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 to play perfectly?
- Like every Joker Poker paytable, Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 has a difficulty rating of High. Difficulty measures how hard a paytable is to play with Perfect Play — some paytables have simple, obvious holds, while games rated High or Very High have more frequent close-call decisions where a small mistake costs meaningful return over time.
- How much bankroll should I set aside to play Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4?
- PerfectPLAY recommends a conservative session bankroll of about 177 units for Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 — one unit is a single max bet (5 coins). At a 25¢ denomination ($1.25 max bet), that's roughly $221.25 for a session; at $1 ($5 max bet), about $885. This comes from a Risk-of-Ruin simulation of a 300-hand session using this paytable's own return and variance, targeting about a 5% chance of running out during that session.
- Can I practice Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 at PerfectPLAY.vegas?
- Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 training is a PerfectPLAY.vegas membership feature. Bonus Poker 6/5 is free to try; join PerfectPLAY to practice Joker Poker 800/40/20/5/4 with real-time, hand-by-hand feedback and the exact expected value of every hold.