Are the Odds of Hitting a Royal Single-play JoB Better Than DDB?

Are the odds of hitting a royal flush on single-play Jacks or Better the same as on Double Double and Triple Double? I know paytables are different, but just curious on odds if I just play one hand. Also, does a higher denomination mean better odds on video poker like it does slots?

[Editor's Note: We handed this one off to Bob Dancer, naturally.]

The odds of being dealt a royal flush are the same for all of these games --- slightly better than 650,000 to 1. But the odds of hitting a royal flush depend on the strategy you use.

Compare proper strategy in 9/6 Jacks or Better with 9/6 Double Double Bonus. The following chart shows six hands that should be played differently between the two games. At least one of the hands in each case leads to a long-shot royal flush draw, and the chart provides the odds in each case. This list is nowhere near a comprehensive list of the hands that are played differently between the games. But it will give you enough examples to see that including strategy, the odds to get a royal flush are different.

	9/6 DDB	Royal	9/6 JoB	Royal
	Play	Odds	Play	Odds


A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♦ 3♣	A♠ K♠ Q♦ J♦	0	Q♦ J♦	1 in 1,081

A♣ Q♥ T♥ 5♣ 2♦	A♣	1 in 178,365	Q♥ T♥	1 in 16,215

A♠ K♥ 8♠ 6♥3♣	A♠	1 in 178,365	A♠ K♥	0

K♠ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 5♠	K♥ Q♥ J♥	1 in 16,215	K♠ K♥	0

9♣ 8♣ 6♦ 5♦ 2♣	9♣ 8♣ 6♦ 5♦	0	Draw 5	4 in 1,533,939

K♦ J♠ T♠ 9♦ 4♣	K♦ J♠ T♠ 9♦	0	J♠ T♠	1 in 16,215

Other versions of JoB and DDB have different strategies, as does each version of TDB.

Just looking at the odds of getting a royal on your next hand, in 9/6 JoB it’s 1 in 40,390.55; in 9/6 DDB it’s 1 in 40,799.32; and in 9/6 TDB it’s 1 in 39,709.83. These numbers are similar to each other, but not identical. The royal frequency, easily obtainable on the Video Poker for Winners software and elsewhere, is one of the least important features of the games. Far more useful is the overall return for the games and the variance.

If you play any of these hands identically in 9/6 JoB and 9/6 DDB, consider attending my free video poker classes at the South Point. Mistakes add up and are expensive.

Higher denominations may or may not yield better odds --- in both slots and video poker. The difference is that in video poker, the pay schedule is printed on the front of the machine and knowledgeable players can figure out the odds from there. In slots, you’ll just have to guess. Each casino has a different philosophy on how loose to make its games.

Are the odds of hitting a royal flush on single-play Jacks or Better the same as on Double Double and Triple Double?

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Adam Cohen Mar-03-2020

Where to start

Let's assume there is this long time board member. He loves to play Blackjack and Craps. But he knows nothing about VP. But would like to learn. Where would this person start? What book or what video feed on youtube would you suggest?

Matthew Mar-03-2020

Same odds, different payout

VP odds are identical regardless of denomination. But higher denomination VP pays a higher percentage for the same hand. For example, the odds of a full house are the same regardless of denomination. But a dollar machine might pay you 9 times your bet for a full house, while a nickel machine might pay you only 7 times your bet. 

It's similar to 3-2 Blackjack vs. 6-5 Blackjack. The odds of a Blackjack are the same, but 3-2 pays more per Blackjack than 6-5.

rokgpsman Mar-03-2020

Learning VP

Adam- the way I learned was by using a few different methods. For beginners the game called Jacks or Better is an easy vp game to learn and will quickly get you started without a lot of trouble. I began by getting a video poker basic strategy card for JoB. It tells you how to play every possible hand. Some casino gift shops have them, you can also print them out from websites like wizardofodds.com. Use the card for every hand, soon the easy ones will get memorized. Most casinos are ok if you use the card as long as you don't hold up the game too long. If you have a computer or other device you can put a training vp game on it to play and learn, there are many avail for download, some are free. Lastly, read about vp basic strategy from places online. It's just like any other game, you learn the best choices to make for each hand you get. It's a lot more fun to play when you get a good understanding of the game and that just takes a little effort to learn. Well worth it and lots of fun.

Dave in Seattle. Mar-03-2020

Learn JOB

Bob Dancer's CD rom is excellent!I paid $50.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/nzGgd7R.jpg[/img]

Adam Cohen Mar-03-2020

thank you

Thank you both leave in a few weeks and want to play a little

AlwaysTails Mar-03-2020

Typo in 1st example?

The first example is odds of drawing 2 to a Royal rather than 3 as shown.

[email protected] Mar-03-2020

Casino Rat

Been gambling for a very long time, and know most of the games like the back of my hand,but the one game i know nothing about is Craps,all i hear from friends and others playing it that it is easy,well its not easy for me and would be nice to know how to play it before i ride out into the sunset

Anthony Curtis Mar-03-2020

Learning

Read Bob Dancer's Video Poker for the Intelligent Beginner or Jean Scott's The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide. Also get Dancer's Video Poker Strategy Cards and the software Video Poker for Winners. All of these products will teach you well. Learning on the software is very powerful, but best is to also read up on the game you're trying to learn. Our Video Poker Bundle includes Dancer's book, strategy cards, and software for $90, which saves about $35 from buying them individually. For craps, we have a book called Casino Secrets. It's an old book that we no longer reprint, but it explains all the bets.

Roy Furukawa Mar-03-2020

Time to get out of the 80's

I clicked through to the video software and ended up in Marty McFly's DeLorean. It begs the question why isn't this on a mobile platform, or even downloadable through the Internet rather than on CD and worse, only for Microsoft?

Adam Cohen Mar-03-2020

Craps

To be honest I learned craps at the Tez when a very nice Pit boss took pity on me and on a slow night gave me lessons. But there are some great videos on the web. Stick to pass line and buying numbers or the come bets

rokgpsman Mar-03-2020

Craps lessons

A lot of casinos have free craps lessons in the morning during slow time around 10 or 11am to teach you the basics of playing craps. The lesson only lasts about 30-45 minutes. The ones I've seen even give you $20 in chips just for taking the lesson. (the chips are special, can't be redeemed at the cashier, must be played at their real craps table). Just ask someone at the craps tables or a supervisor if they do the free lessons. I'm pretty sure Sam's Town does it, maybe Orleans, Gold Coast and others that I can't remember now. The wide variety of different bets in craps seems overwhelming but the beginner just has to learn a few fundamental bets and that is enough to have fun playing the game. You'll pick up how to do other bets just from watching other players while you are at the game.

Question of the Day - 03 March 2020

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