8/5 Jacks or Better versus 6/5 Bonus Poker?

18 February 2023

By Jerry Stickman

Hi Stickman,

I hope this email finds you well. I have a question that some of your readers might be interested.

I know that I am definitely interested.

How would you rate 8/5 Jacks or Better vs 6/5 bonus poker?

The reason I am asking this is one of the local Indian casinos here in California, reduced their pay table. I know that both of these games are not full pay, and therefore, in the long run will be a losing situation. However, if you had to play those in the short run, say for two hours to six hours on a day trip which of the two games is better?

Dan

Hi Dan,

You ask a very good question. I am sure many readers are asking themselves the same question. It seems that California casinos are not the only ones who are lowering their pay tables. It appears to be an industry-wide malaise.

But, to answer your question, we should define the term “better.” Are you talking return or variance (volatility)?

The higher the return, the less you will lose on average.

The higher the variance, the larger the swings in your bankroll (both up and down). This requires a larger bankroll to handle the steeper losses, even though the average return may be the same as a lower variance game.

I always look for the better return. That is how I define better.

However, that does not mean I will always play the game with the highest return.

There are times when the volatility is just too high relative to the increase in return. For example, triple double bonus poker has a variance that is just under 100 versus jacks or better where the variance is around 19.5.

I tend to play very conservatively when it comes to risking my hard-earned money. It does bother me when my session bankroll drops too low.

Okay, enough of the side discussion, back to your question.

As it turns out, 8/5 Jacks or Better beats out 6/5 Bonus Poker in both return and variance. Here are the actual numbers.

8/5 Jacks or Better: Return: 97.29% Variance: 19.3
6/5 Bonus Poker: Return: 96.87% Variance: 20.6

Dan, in this scenario, it is a no brainer for me. Play the 8/5 jacks or better. I would have only one question given this choice of games.

“Is 97.29 percent return high enough to warrant risking my money?”

Casinos will probably continue lowering returns on video poker as long as people play the games. Perhaps the only way to get them to raise them again is to refuse to play what they are offering.

At any rate, for me, the answer is to play the 8/5 Jacks or Better game – or do not play at all.

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines. He authored the video poker section of Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker! You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com