Bonus Poker is one of the most popular video poker games on the casino floor, and for good reason: it keeps the friendly, low-variance feel of Jacks or Better but sweetens the four-of-a-kind payouts, especially for aces. The full-pay 8/5 version returns about 99.2% to a perfect player, which puts it among the better bets in the casino. The good news for anyone learning the game is that Bonus Poker strategy is almost identical to Jacks or Better — master one and you have essentially mastered the other. This page lays out the full strategy chart, the exact pay table, and the small deviations that the four-aces bonus creates, so you can play optimally from your very first hand.
What is Bonus Poker?
Bonus Poker is a five-card draw video poker variant built on the Jacks or Better framework. You are dealt five cards, hold the ones you want, and draw replacements for the rest; the lowest paying hand is still a pair of jacks. What changes is the four of a kind: instead of a flat payout, Bonus Poker pays different amounts depending on the rank of the quad. Four aces pays the most, four 2s through 4s pay a middle tier, and four 5s through kings pay the standard amount. To fund those bigger quads, the full house and flush are trimmed slightly compared with 9/6 Jacks or Better — this is the classic bonus poker trade-off, and it is why the strategy, while close to Jacks or Better, is not a perfect copy. Because the game rewards quads so heavily, aces take on extra value, and a good player leans into that whenever a close decision allows.
Bonus Poker pay table (8/5)
The standard full-pay Bonus Poker pay table is called "8/5" after its full house and flush payouts. Here is the complete schedule, per coin bet:
| Hand | Pays (per coin) |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 (800 at max coins) |
| Straight Flush | 50 |
| Four Aces | 80 |
| Four 2s, 3s, 4s | 40 |
| Four 5s through Kings | 25 |
| Full House | 8 |
| Flush | 5 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 |
| Two Pair | 2 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 |
Full-pay Bonus Poker (8/5) returns ≈99.2% with perfect play. Always bet five coins — the royal flush only pays its full 800-for-1 rate at max bet, worth nearly 2% of return.
Is Bonus Poker strategy different from Jacks or Better?
For practical purposes, Bonus Poker strategy is the same as 9/6 Jacks or Better strategy. Both games reward the exact same draws in almost every situation, because the pair-through-royal payouts that drive most decisions are identical. The bonus poker changes only affect four of a kind, which you cannot plan for on the deal — you can't "hold toward" a specific quad any more than you can on Jacks or Better. So a player who knows perfect Jacks or Better play will already be within a fraction of a percent of optimal on Bonus Poker. The only routine adjustment is a mild preference for aces, and even that comes up rarely. If you are new to video poker, learn the Jacks or Better chart first — it doubles as your bonus poker strategy chart.
Bonus Poker strategy chart
This is the optimal hold order for Bonus Poker. Read your five cards from the top of the list down, and hold the first (highest) pattern you can make. It matches the engine-verified 9/6 Jacks or Better chart, with the ace note below:
- Four of a kind · straight flush · royal flush (hold the pat hand)
- 4 to a royal flush
- Three of a kind · straight · flush · full house (hold the pat hand)
- 4 to a straight flush
- Two pair
- High pair (JJ, QQ, KK, AA)
- 3 to a royal flush
- 4 to a flush
- Low pair (22 – TT)
- 4 to an outside straight
- 2 suited high cards
- 3 to a straight flush
- 2 unsuited high cards (if 3, keep the lowest two — but keep the ace, see below)
- Suited 10 + a high card (T-J, T-Q, T-K)
- One high card (prefer a lone ace)
- Draw five new cards
Every rule above the "one high card" line is shared exactly with Jacks or Better. Keep any made paying hand, break a paying hand only to draw at a royal flush, and never hold a kicker with a pair. Those three habits alone capture most of Bonus Poker's value.
The key strategy deviation: aces
The one place Bonus Poker strategy visibly differs from Jacks or Better is how it treats a lone ace. In Jacks or Better all four high cards (J, Q, K, A) are equal when you have to keep just one, so you keep the lowest for straight potential. In Bonus Poker the 80-for-1 four-aces payout makes the ace worth slightly more, so when you are choosing between single high cards, the ace generally wins. It is a small edge — a fraction of a bet over thousands of hands — but it is the signature bonus poker adjustment and the reason the game's return sits a touch below 9/6 Jacks or Better despite the bigger quads. Beyond the ace preference, resist the temptation to "chase" quads: you should never break a paying hand or a good draw just because four aces would pay 80. Correct optimal play still comes from the chart, not from hope.
The full house and flush trade-off
Bonus Poker pays 8 for a full house and 5 for a flush, where full-pay 9/6 Jacks or Better pays 9 and 6. That single-step reduction is the entire cost of the quad bonuses, and it is why 8/5 Bonus Poker returns about 99.2% versus 99.54% for 9/6 Jacks or Better. It does not change how you play — you still hold full houses and flushes when dealt them — but it does mean you should confirm you are on a full-pay 8/5 machine before sitting down. Short-pay Bonus Poker (7/5 or 6/5) exists and quietly costs you one to two percent for the identical game, so read the pay table every time. Our pay tables guide shows how to grade a machine in seconds.
Bonus Poker vs Double Bonus and Double Double Bonus
Bonus Poker is the mildest member of the bonus family. Double Bonus pushes the quad payouts higher and drops two pair to 1, which changes strategy noticeably; its full-pay version can even cross 100%. Double Double Bonus adds "kicker" payouts — four aces with a small card alongside pays a jackpot — which shifts play further still and raises variance sharply. If you enjoy Bonus Poker but want bigger swings, those are the natural next steps, but each is a different game with its own optimal play. Learn plain Bonus Poker first: it is the gentlest on your bankroll and the closest to the Jacks or Better strategy most players already know. When you are ready, our Deuces Wild strategy covers the wild-card side of video poker.
Playing Bonus Poker online and at any stakes
Bonus Poker is everywhere. You will find it in every casino pit and in nearly every online video poker lobby, at stakes from a nickel to five dollars a coin. Most online video poker sites offer the same full-pay 8/5 Bonus Poker as land-based casinos, and many let you play video poker for free first — the smartest way to groove your basic strategy before real money is on the line. Whatever the stakes, correct video poker strategy never changes: the pay table and your hold decide the outcome, not the size of the bet.
Because it sits in the Jacks or Better family, the basic strategy you learn here transfers to most poker games you will meet. A single dealt poker hand — a pat two pair, a four-card royal — deserves correct play every time, and the gap between a big win and a missed one often comes down to one hold on that poker hand. Players chasing a larger potential jackpot sometimes jump to wild-card games, where the wild cards build a very different, higher-variance video poker strategy. For a steady, low-risk game with a genuine strategic edge, though, few poker games beat full-pay Bonus Poker — there is arguably no better video poker game to learn on, and learning to play video poker well here makes every other video poker strategy easier to pick up. Play each poker hand by the chart, and among low-risk poker games no video poker strategy is simpler to master.
How to practise Bonus Poker strategy
The fastest way to lock in correct play is to drill it. Because the strategy chart is shared with Jacks or Better, every tool on this site helps you learn Bonus Poker too. Check any five-card hand against exact math with the video poker analyzer, drill hold decisions hand after hand in the free trainer, and study the full ordered list on the strategy chart page. Once the chart is automatic, you will play Bonus Poker at its full 99.2% and give up almost nothing to the house. See exactly how much each video poker game returns on our house edge page.
Why Bonus Poker is a smart game to master
At roughly a 0.8% house edge with perfect play, full-pay Bonus Poker gives you far more time at the table per dollar than slots or most pit games, with the added thrill of those oversized quad payouts. Its low variance means your bankroll swings gently, so a modest stake lasts, and the shared Jacks or Better strategy means the learning curve is almost flat. Put simply: it is one of the highest-returning, most beginner-friendly games in the building, and every hour you spend grooving the chart pays itself back in retained value. Learn the order, always bet max coins on a full-pay machine, and Bonus Poker becomes one of the best entertainment values on the casino floor.
Bonus Poker strategy FAQ
Is Bonus Poker good for beginners? Yes. It is low variance, forgiving, and uses the same strategy as Jacks or Better, so it is one of the best video poker games to learn on while still returning about 99.2% with correct play.
What is the best Bonus Poker pay table? Full-pay 8/5, which pays 8 for a full house and 5 for a flush. Anything lower (7/5, 6/5) is short-pay and costs you money for the same game.
Does Bonus Poker strategy really match Jacks or Better? Almost exactly. The only regular difference is preferring a lone ace over other single high cards, thanks to the 80-for-1 four-aces bonus.
Should I chase four aces? No. Never break a paying hand or a strong draw to chase quads. The bonus is already priced into the game; optimal play comes from the chart.
Strategy chart shared with engine-verified 9/6 Jacks or Better play; 8/5 Bonus Poker payback is the standard published figure. Educational content about probability and game theory, not gambling advice.