Expert Strategies for Joker Poker Players

Joker Poker Strategy Basics

If you are a regular video poker player, then you will know that the top payout can usually only be won when betting the maximum number of coins. This is because there is normally a boosted payout for a natural royal flush with the maximum number of coins bet.

While it is very rare to form a royal flush, even with a wild card the chance is roughly 1 in 40,000, it is still important to always bet the maximum five coins in order to give yourself a chance of hitting the top payout. 

However, when looking at a Joker Poker paytable, there is more to be aware of than just the top payout for a natural royal flush. If you play enough versions of the game, you will notice that there are some slight variations in the payouts offered for other hands. Therefore, you want to make sure that you are playing a version of the game that offers the best possible payouts for each hand.

Video poker games with the best possible payouts are known as “full pay” games. When it comes to Joker Poker, assuming that you are betting the maximum five coins, then you want to see a paytable that offers the following:

• A natural royal flush pays off at 800 for 1
• A five of a kind pays off at 200 for 1
• A wild royal flush pays off at 100 for 1
• A straight flush pays off at 50 for 1
• A four of a kind pays off at 20 for 1
• A full house pays off at 7 for 1
• A flush pays off at 5 for 1
• A straight pays off at 3 for 1
• A three of a kind pays off at 2 for 1
• Two pair pays off at 1 for 1
• A pair of kings or higher pays off at 1 for 1

The incredible thing about this is that if you are playing with optimal strategy, the game has a theoretical RTP of 100.64%. That means that the player actually has an advantage over the house, which is almost unheard of.

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find a “full pay” version of any video poker game. It is much more common to come across Joker Poker games that offer smaller payouts for five of a kind (150 instead of 200) and a wild royal flush (80 instead of 100). This reduces the theoretical RTP to 99.98%. 

However, be careful. While you may be happy to accept an RTP of 99.98%, you will come across versions that have theoretical RTPs as low as 94%, which is far from ideal and something that should be avoided. Therefore, the second expert tip is to examine the paytable and resultant theoretical RTP very carefully.

Expert Tips for Playing a Joker Poker Hand

If you have ever looked at blackjack strategy charts, you will know that they tell you the optimal decision to make for any hand that you are dealt. Video poker strategy charts are very similar, but they are presented differently.

A blackjack chart shows you your total on the left and the dealer’s face-up card on the top. You simply cross reference the two to find the best decision. In Joker Poker strategy there is no cross referencing involved. The strategy is simply a list of possible hands, from best to worst. You start at the top and work your way down until you reach a hand that matches what you are holding. The highest hand on the list shows you the cards that you should hold. You then replace the rest.

If you want to give yourself the best possible chance of winning, it is important to follow the strategy extremely strictly, no matter what you may think. The strategy’s mathematics is proven and based upon fixed probabilities. There is no way that it can be improved upon.

That said, when it comes to Joker Poker strategy charts, there are some imperfections. This is because of the huge number of potential card combinations. Nonetheless, even the most simplified strategy cards should take you to within 0.1% of the expected return for playing with optimal strategy.

Joker Poker Strategy Charts

When playing Joker Poker, you should never discard a wild card. However, you also need to be aware of two different strategy charts, one for hands that contain a wild and one for hands that do not. As mentioned, the strategy charts show a list of hands that you simply work your way down. They are as follows.

If you are holding a Joker:

1. Keep a pat natural Royal Flush
2. Keep 5 of a Kind (including joker)
3. Keep 4 of a kind and discard the fifth card
4. Keep four to a Wild Royal Flush with a king as the high card
5. Keep a Full House
6. Keep four to a Wild Royal Flush with an ace as the high card
7. Keep four to an Outside Straight Flush unless it is A-2-3 or 2-3-4
8. Keep a Flush
9. Keep four to a Straight Flush with up to two gaps including both A-2-3 and 2-3-4
10. Keep 3 of a kind
11. Keep a Straight
12. Keep four to a Flush with one or two kings or better
13. Keep four to a Straight Flush with no gaps or one or two kings or better
14. Keep three to a Wild Flush with no gaps or one or two kings or better
15. Keep three to a Straight Flush with one gap
16. Keep joker and any unsuited 10-J-K or 10-Q-K or J-Q-K
17. Keep jokers and A or K
18. Keep three to a Straight Flush with two gaps
19. Keep four to an Outside Straight
20. Keep four to a flush with no high card
21. Keep Joker

If you are not holding a Joker:

1. Keep a pat natural Royal Flush
2. Keep four to a Natural Royal Flush
3. Keep Four of a Kind
4. Keep a Full House
5. Keep a Flush
6. Keep Four to a Straight Flush
7. Keep Three of a Kind
8. Keep a Straight
9. Keep three to a Natural Royal Flush with a king or queen
10. Keep Two Pair
11. Keep three to a Natural Royal Flush with ace as the high card
12. Keep A-A or K-K
13. Keep four to a Flush
14. Keep three to a Straight Flush with no gap
15. Keep any Pair
16. Keep unsuited 10, J, Q, K
17. Keep three to a Straight Flush with a high card and up to two gaps
18. Keep suited K-A
19. Keep four to an Outside Straight
20. Keep three to a Straight Flush with two gaps
21. Keep suited 10-K or J-K or Q-K
22. Keep suited 10-A or J-A or Q-A
23. Keep ace or king
24. Keep suited 10-J or J-Q or 10-Q
25. Discard all

Joker Poker Expert Strategy Explained

The charts can be slightly daunting at first, so here we will work through one of them.

If you are dealt a hand without a joker:

• Keep a pat royal flush, straight flush, or four of a kind – It would never cross your mind to break up these hands to try to improve them. First, the payouts are high, and second, it is basically impossible to improve them.
• Unless you are holding one of the aforementioned hands, you will always draw to four cards to a royal flush. The potential payout is so big that you would even break up a pat hand to try to land it. Furthermore, the only possible pat hands that you may have are a pair of kings or aces, or a flush or straight. The difference in payout is so big that it is worth risking.
• After those hands, the best hand you may have is a pat full house or a pat flush.
• The next best option is an open straight flush draw. This means that you have a hand that can be made into a straight from both sides (i.e. there are two possible cards that will complete a straight rather than just one card that would go in the middle). An example is 5-6-7-8; here both a 4 and a 9 can complete the straight.
• The next best is three of a kind.
• Next is an inside straight flush draw (where you need a card in the middle to complete the straight).
• Next is a pat straight
• Next is two pair
• Things become more complicated at this point. However, as a general rule, you should try to hold three cards to a royal flush rather than a pair. When considering the chart, you will be looking at factors such as suits, connectedness and rank.

There is no denying that this takes a bit of practice. However, that is why it is an expert strategy and if you do put in the effort, then it will go a long way to helping you win.