PAYTABLES · HOLDS · REAL MONEY
Two games can both say 9/6 and still call for different holds. Start with the full paytable, check which coin column is active, then decide what to keep. Ignition offers Jacks or Better and Double Double Bonus alongside several choices for multiple hands.
Offshore casino options for eligible US players. Video poker pays against a fixed paytable, not against other players.
Updated
Ignition is a straightforward place to compare conventional games. MyBookie adds more variants, BetUS separates provider labels, and Slots.lv has a four-hand Aces and Faces option. Open the game’s payout table before choosing your stake.
Jacks or Better and Joker Poker have one-, three- and ten-hand listings. Double Double Bonus adds a different payout structure, so check the game name before reusing a familiar hold.
Choose among Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, Double Bonus, Double Double Bonus and Joker Poker Multi-Hand. Poker PickEm changes the way you select cards rather than simply adding more hands.
Dragon’s Jacks or Better appears separately from the BetUS-labelled version. The catalogue also lists Deuces Wild, Aces and Eights, Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus, with practice links.
Aces and Faces Multi-Hand supports up to four hands and publishes a $0.05 minimum. Each active hand needs its own wager. Practice is available before switching to cash.
The full-house and flush rows explain the label 9/6. They do not tell you what two pair, four Aces or a royal flush pays. Those other rows can change both the return and the right hold.
| Payout to check | Jacks or Better 9/6 | Double Double Bonus 9/6 |
|---|---|---|
| Full house / flush | 9 / 6 | 9 / 6 |
| Two pair | 2 for 1 | 1 for 1 |
| Four Aces + 2, 3 or 4 | 25 for 1 | 400 for 1 |
| Royal flush at five coins | 4,000 coins | 4,000 coins |
| Optimal theoretical return | About 99.54% | About 98.98% |
Comparison assumes the conventional complete paytables, a royal returning 800 times the total five-coin wager and optimal play. The return is not the chance of winning one hand.
| Final hand | Jacks or Better | Double Double Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | 800 | 800 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 50 |
| Four Aces + 2–4 | 25 | 400 |
| Four Aces + 5–K | 25 | 160 |
| Four 2s–4s + A–4 | 25 | 160 |
| Four 2s–4s + 5–K | 25 | 80 |
| Four 5s–Kings | 25 | 50 |
| Full house | 9 | 9 |
| Flush | 6 | 6 |
| Straight | 4 | 4 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 3 |
| Two pair | 2 | 1 |
| Pair of Jacks or higher | 1 | 1 |
In the special four-of-a-kind rows, the fifth card is the kicker. A different royal payout or any other changed row needs a separate return calculation.
You are dealt Aces and eights with a King. Keeping a paying hand sounds obvious, but the better decision changes between these two games.
THE SAME FIVE CARDS
Keep both pairs
HOLD
HOLD
HOLD
HOLD
DRAW
Keep the Aces and eights; replace only the King. Two pair returns 2 for 1, and the replacement card can improve the hand to a full house.
Keep only the Aces
HOLD
HOLD
DRAW
DRAW
DRAW
Keep the two Aces; replace both eights and the King. Two pair pays less, while the extra four-Aces prizes make drawing three cards worth more on average.
These choices assume the conventional complete 9/6 paytables and the qualifying five-coin royal payout. They do not mean every pair of Aces should be played the same way.
The higher average return comes from all possible replacement cards, not from a prediction of the next draw. For this exact starting hand, discarded cards are excluded from the 47-card draw pool.
| Hold | Jacks or Better | Double Double Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Both pairs | 2.596 | 1.681 |
| Aces only | 1.541 | 1.931 |
Keeping both pairs leaves 47 possible draws. Keeping the Aces leaves 16,215 three-card combinations. Checking every possible hold confirms the two choices shown above. These conditional values are not whole-game RTP and do not promise a return from one draw.
Check three settings before Deal: the value of one coin, the number of coins on each hand, and the number of hands. A five-cent coin does not automatically mean a five-cent deal.
$0.25 per deal
$2.50 per deal
$12.50 per deal
These examples exclude extra feature fees. Multiple hands normally share the first deal and the cards you hold, then receive their own replacement draws. A mistaken hold can therefore be repeated across every active hand.
This assumes a royal pays 250 coins at one coin and 4,000 coins at five, with both denominations available. The total stake stays at $0.25. Compare settings within your budget rather than increasing the amount just to qualify for a prize.
Bet Max can start the deal immediately. Ignition’s Jacks or Better instructions say it bets five coins and deals. Use the paytable or information menu to inspect payouts before pressing it.
At a $0.25 total wager, a 1-for-1 payout returns $0.25: you have your stake back, with no net profit. A 2-for-1 payout returns $0.50, leaving $0.25 profit. Read the complete amount returned before treating every “WIN” message as money gained.
A wild card changes the hand you can make and the strategy you need. Do not take a Jacks or Better holding list into Deuces Wild or Joker Poker.
For a $0.10 wager, a $0.40 full-house return means 4 for 1. It does not mean “0.4 coins.” Divide the displayed return by the total wager on that hand to compare it with a payout schedule.
Two deuces do not always mean drawing three cards. A hand such as 2–2–7–7–7 is already five of a kind. In conventional Deuces Wild, keep that made hand rather than automatically discarding the sevens.
A full-pay Deuces Wild strategy is not a universal chart for every version. Compare the exact payout rows, then use the matching strategy. Explore Nucleus card games when comparing software titles.
Check the deck and wild-card rules before carrying over a familiar hold. Some Joker Poker versions add a sequential royal prize, so ordinary Joker Poker return figures may not describe the complete game. Compare SpinLogic video poker and table games by the exact title.
Start by matching the game and paytable. A useful beginner reference for conventional 9/6 Jacks or Better is the simplified priority order below. It is not a Double Double Bonus, Deuces Wild or Joker Poker strategy.
Use the first matching choice. “High” means Jack through Ace. An open-ended straight has a possible completion at either end. This simplified approach returns approximately 99.46% under the qualifying full-pay rules, compared with about 99.54% for optimal play.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
For exceptions and exact hand analysis, use a strategy matched to every payout row. Jacks or Better strategy reference.
| Conventional table | Optimal return | Expected loss per $1,000 wagered |
|---|---|---|
| 9/6 | About 99.54% | About $4.60 |
| 8/5 | About 97.30% | About $27 |
| 6/5 | About 95.00% | About $50 |
These use the standard remaining payouts and qualifying royal, with strategy matched to each table. Expected loss is a long-run average over total wagers, not a session forecast or a prediction of how long a starting balance lasts.
Use practice mode to check the paytable, coin settings and card selection without committing cash. A highlighted card is one the game will keep, not necessarily the mathematically best choice.
The familiar sequence is set the wager → Deal → choose holds → Draw → settle. Check whether Auto Hold is merely suggesting cards and whether you can change them. Do not assume a previous selection carries into the next hand.
On a phone, use the orientation that leaves the rank, suit and HOLD label readable. Pause when an interruption makes you uncertain about a selection. Compare mobile casino controls and lobby access rather than choosing a game for speed alone.
A video poker game being available does not mean it is suitable for an active bonus. Check permission to play, contribution to wagering and the maximum combined wager before accepting the offer.
$100 wagered → $10 of progress
That is progress toward the requirement, not an extra $10 added to your balance. The active promotion can set different terms.
Double-Up can conflict with a bonus. Ignition’s general terms list use of a game’s Double-Up or gamble feature to increase wins as prohibited play. Check the promotion before risking a completed payout.
With cash play, a genuinely even 50/50 double-or-lose option has no extra mathematical edge on the amount risked, but it can still turn a paid win into zero. The feature’s actual rules decide whether that description applies. Collecting ends that extra wager.
Check game exclusions and wagering conditions before using bonus funds. A jackpot shown in the game balance is also separate from a completed cashier withdrawal; compare payout limits and withdrawal checks before relying on the money reaching your wallet.
No. Video poker settles against a fixed paytable after you choose which cards to keep. Poker rooms involve other players and different betting rules. A familiar poker hand does not make the two products interchangeable.
No. In conventional Jacks or Better, 9/6 refers to the full-house and flush payouts. About 99.54% assumes the other standard payouts, the qualifying royal and optimal play. Standard 9/6 Double Double Bonus returns about 98.98% under its own optimal strategy.
Not necessarily. Where both settings exist, one $0.25 coin and five $0.05 coins each cost $0.25. Check whether five coins qualify for an enhanced royal payout. Keep the total wager within your budget.
Not always. Ignition’s Jacks or Better instructions say Bet Max places five coins and starts the deal. Use the information menu or practice controls to inspect the paytable before pressing it.
The best hold depends on every payout. In the worked Aces-and-eights example, conventional 9/6 Double Double Bonus favors holding only the Aces, while 9/6 Jacks or Better favors keeping both pairs. A paying hand is not automatically the highest-value hold.
No. It can simply show which card is selected to remain after Draw. Check whether the game provides Auto Hold or advice, and whether that selection matches the exact paytable.
In conventional multi-hand draw poker, the first deal and selected holds are shared. Replacement cards complete the individual hands. Each hand has its own wager, so adding hands increases the total committed.
No. Deuces Wild makes the 2s wild, while Joker Poker uses its own added-card and payout rules. Even different versions of the same game can need different holds when the paytable changes.
It depends on the promotion. Ignition’s general terms list video poker at 10% contribution and include restrictions on Double-Up play. Check permitted games, contribution and the combined wager before playing with an active bonus.
No. The paytable describes payments, not independent verification of the dealing software or the operator. Check the provider, complete rules, any verifiable testing information and withdrawal conditions. A short run of hands is not a fairness test.
Start with one game and one paytable. Check the complete cost of the deal, confirm the royal setting and take time over the hold. Ignition’s conventional selection is a useful starting point; MyBookie and BetUS add alternatives when you are ready to compare other rules.
Looking for opponents rather than a machine? Compare online poker rooms. Still choosing a game? Browse the real money casino games.