Keep the joker. Look for kings or aces when you check whether a pair pays. Then compare the draws: a paying hand isn’t always the most valuable hold.
Start with your exact pay table. Use the two-part chart for 20/7/5, or enter all five cards to compare every possible hold on four kings-or-better pay tables.
53-card deck · one draw · the full natural-royal award
This guide covers kings-or-better Joker Poker. If your game pays only for a pair of aces, or starts at two pair, its strategy and return are different. Check the bottom of the pay table before you use a chart.
One joker · 53 cards · kings or better
Its own pay table and strategy
Its own pay table and strategy
You get five cards from a 53-card deck: the standard 52 and one joker. Hold any cards you want, replace the rest once, and the game pays the best hand you finish with. The joker can be any rank and suit; the other cards keep their printed values. Cards you throw away can’t come back, which leaves 48 cards for the draw.
A pair of kings or aces pays your bet back. A pair of jacks or queens pays nothing as dealt. The joker with a king or an ace is already a paying pair.
A royal made with the joker pays 100 for 1 on these tables. A natural royal, with no joker in it, pays 800 for 1 with the full royal award.
Four natural cards of one rank and the joker make five of a kind, which pays 200 for 1. The game counts the joker for you; you don’t choose what it stands for.
Two pair pays only 1 for 1, but keep both pairs. On every two-pair deal of the four tables here, drawing one card to the two pair is the best hold. Its value comes from the chance of a full house, not the payout you already have.
20/7/5 means 20 for four of a kind, 7 for a full house and 5 for a flush. Match every award. The name gives three of the eleven; five of a kind, the wild royal and the rest are on the pay table too.
20/7/5 Joker Poker · gross payouts, the bet returned included
| Final hand | Per 1 bet | Total at five credits |
|---|---|---|
| Natural royal flush | 800 | 4,000 |
| Five of a kind | 200 | 1,000 |
| Wild royal flush | 100 | 500 |
| Straight flush | 50 | 250 |
| Four of a kind | 20 | 100 |
| Full house | 7 | 35 |
| Flush | 5 | 25 |
| Straight | 3 | 15 |
| Three of a kind | 2 | 10 |
| Two pair | 1 | 5 |
| Pair of kings or aces | 1 | 5 |
The four tables differ only in the four-of-a-kind award. For the same total bet, 20/7/5 and 16/7/5 are about $34.11 apart in expected result per $1,000, each played with its own best strategy.
Enter all five cards, including the ones you plan to throw away. Compare your choice with every possible hold on the kings-or-better pay table you pick.
20/7/5 Joker Poker · 53 cards · one draw · the natural royal pays 800 for 1
Tap a card to hold or discard it. Choose Edit to replace it.
Changing a card or the pay table picks a best hold again. Example hands keep the pay table you chose.
Draw 1 card · 48 possible draws.
This is the best hold for the selected pay table.
The made flush pays 5.0000 per 1 bet. Keeping the joker with K♠ Q♠ J♠ returns 7.2083 on average, and every one of the 48 cards you can draw pays something: the 10♠ or A♠ makes a wild royal worth 100, and the joker with the king is a paying pair whatever comes.
48 of the 48 possible draws make a paying hand (100.0000%). The table describes the best hold shown, not your own choice. How much each hand pays matters as much as how often it comes.
| Final hand | Possible draws | Chance | Payout per 1 bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild royal flush | 2 | 4.1667% | 100 |
| Straight flush | 1 | 2.0833% | 50 |
| Flush | 6 | 12.5000% | 5 |
| Straight | 9 | 18.7500% | 3 |
| Three of a kind | 9 | 18.7500% | 2 |
| Pair of kings or aces | 21 | 43.7500% | 1 |
Scroll sideways for the full comparison
| Hold | Draw | Possible draws | Return per 1 bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joker K♠ Q♠ J♠BestYour hold | 1 | 48 | 7.2083 |
| Joker K♠ Q♠ J♠ 5♠ | 0 | 1 | 5.0000 |
| Joker K♠ Q♠ 5♠ | 1 | 48 | 1.9375 |
| Joker K♠ J♠ 5♠ | 1 | 48 | 1.9375 |
| Joker K♠ Q♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.7943 |
| Joker K♠ J♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.7943 |
| Joker K♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 1.6330 |
| Joker K♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.5532 |
| Joker Q♠ J♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.5098 |
| Joker Q♠ J♠ 5♠ | 1 | 48 | 1.4375 |
| Joker 5♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 1.4278 |
| Joker | 4 | 194,580 | 1.4171 |
| Joker J♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 1.3305 |
| Joker Q♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 1.2899 |
| K♠ Q♠ J♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.1330 |
| Joker Q♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.0957 |
| Joker J♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 1.0957 |
| K♠ Q♠ J♠ 5♠ | 1 | 48 | 1.0000 |
| K♠ | 4 | 194,580 | 0.3203 |
| K♠ Q♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 0.3085 |
| K♠ J♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 0.3085 |
| K♠ Q♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.2789 |
| K♠ J♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.2789 |
| K♠ 5♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.2622 |
| Q♠ J♠ 5♠ | 2 | 1,128 | 0.2074 |
| Discard all five | 5 | 1,712,304 | 0.1874 |
| 5♠ | 4 | 194,580 | 0.1708 |
| J♠ | 4 | 194,580 | 0.1615 |
| Q♠ J♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.1602 |
| Q♠ | 4 | 194,580 | 0.1574 |
| Q♠ 5♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.1300 |
| J♠ 5♠ | 3 | 17,296 | 0.1300 |
For every hold, the tool counts all possible final hands from the 48 cards you have not seen (the joker among them, unless you hold it) and weights their payouts. It uses exact combinations, not random trials, for one 53-card deck and the complete selected pay table. The hold with the highest average payout is the best one; that says nothing about the next draw. Tied best holds are shown, and returns are rounded to four decimal places.
These are gross returns. A value of 0.7314 means an average payout of 0.7314 per 1 originally bet, not a 73.14% chance of winning. The wager is already committed when you choose a hold. A best decision can have a return below 1, and its next draw can still lose. The whole game’s return is a different figure.
Kings-or-better Joker Poker only. The four tables use the full 800-for-1 natural royal. Two-pair-or-better versions, progressive awards, smaller royals at fewer credits and extra feature bets need a different calculation. Check the complete payouts
These hands use the full 20/7/5 pay table. “Return” means the average gross payout for every 1 bet. A figure below 1 can still be the best choice on a weak deal.
With A♦ Q♦ 7♦ 5♣ 3♠, keeping just the ace returns 0.4432, narrowly ahead of A♦ Q♦ at 0.4418. Make the 7♦ the 7♣ and the suited ace-queen comes out ahead instead: 0.4571 against 0.4472.
The 7♦ is a penalty card: throwing it away takes a diamond out of the flush draws. This is the note on line 55 of the chart. Exact cards and pay tables settle close calls that a short chart can’t.
Choose the part that matches your deal. Start at its top and use the first matching line, including its note. Keep only the cards it names. “4 to a wild royal” means the joker and three natural royal cards of one suit.
Played with its penalty-card notes, this chart returns about 100.6407% on 20/7/5; perfect play returns 100.6463%. Use the analyzer for close calls or another pay table.
The analyzer is on a different pay table. This chart and its penalty-card notes remain for 20/7/5 only.
Use only the part that matches your hand. Take its first matching hold. Full schedule: natural royal 800, five of a kind 200, wild royal 100, straight flush 50, four of a kind 20, full house 7, flush 5, straight 3, three of a kind 2, two pair 1, kings or better 1. Royal rate assumes five credits bet.
| Priority | Hold the first match | Example · cards kept are marked | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| With the joker Keep it; a king or ace beside it already pays | |||
| 01 | Five of a kind | ||
| 02 | Wild royal flush | ||
| 03 | Straight flush | ||
| 04 | Four of a kind | ||
| 05 | 4 to a wild royal without an ace | ||
| 06 | Full house | ||
| 07 | 4 to a wild royal with an ace | ||
| 08 | 4 to a straight flush: suited 3-4-5 up to 9-10-J | ||
| 09 | Flush | ||
| 10 | 4 to a straight flush with one gap, or suited 2-3-4 | ||
| 11 | 4 to a straight flush with a king or ace | ||
| 12 | Three of a kind | ||
| 13 | 4 to a straight flush with two gaps | ||
| 14 | Straight | ||
| 15 | 3 to a wild royal: suited K-Q, K-J, K-10 or J-10 | ||
| 16 | 4 to a flush with a king or ace | ||
| 17 | 3 to a wild royal with an ace | ||
| 18 | 3 to a straight flush: suited 4-5 up to 9-10 | ||
| 19 | 3 to a straight flush: suited A-2 to A-5, or 9-K | ||
| 20 | 3 to a wild royal: suited Q-J or Q-10 | ||
| 21 | The joker with an ace or king | ||
| 22 | 3 to a straight flush: suited 4-6, 5-7, 6-8, 7-9 or 8-10 | ||
| 23 | 3 to a straight flush: suited 3-4, 3-5 or 9-J | ||
| 24 | 4 to a flush | ||
| 25 | 3 to a straight flush: suited 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, or two gaps from 3-6 to 9-Q | ||
| 26 | 4 to a straight: 3-4-5 up to 9-10-J | ||
| 27 | The joker with a 7, 8, 6, 10, 9 or 5, in that order Note 1 | ||
| 28 | The joker alone | ||
| Without the joker Kings or better pays · two pair pays 1 | |||
| 29 | Natural royal flush | ||
| 30 | Straight flush | ||
| 31 | Four of a kind | ||
| 32 | 4 to a royal flush | ||
| 33 | Full house | ||
| 34 | Flush | ||
| 35 | 4 to an open straight flush | ||
| 36 | Three of a kind | ||
| 37 | 4 to an inside straight flush | ||
| 38 | Straight | ||
| 39 | Two pair | ||
| 40 | 3 to a royal without an ace | ||
| 41 | 3 to a royal with an ace and a king | ||
| 42 | A pair of kings or aces | ||
| 43 | 3 to a royal with an ace and no king | ||
| 44 | 4 to a flush | ||
| 45 | Any other pair | ||
| 46 | 4 to an open straight with a king | ||
| 47 | 3 to a straight flush: suited 3-4-5 up to 9-10-J | ||
| 48 | 3 to a straight flush with one gap, or suited 2-3-4 | ||
| 49 | 3 to a straight flush with a king or ace | ||
| 50 | 4 to an open straight | ||
| 51 | Suited A-K | ||
| 52 | 3 to a straight flush with two gaps | ||
| 53 | Suited K-Q, K-J or K-10 | ||
| 54 | Unsuited A-K | ||
| 55 | Suited A-Q, A-J or A-10 Note 2 | ||
| 56 | An ace | ||
| 57 | A king | ||
| 58 | Suited Q-J, Q-10 or J-10 | ||
| 59 | Draw five new cards | ||
No matching lines in this part. Clear the search or choose the other part.
A penalty card is an original card you would discard, which leaves it unavailable to complete your draw. Apply note 1 to line 27, in the joker part. Apply note 2 to line 55, in the no-joker part.
The chart is a learning aid for 20/7/5 kings or better. Played exactly as written, it returns 100.6407%, against 100.6463% for perfect play: it parts from perfect play on 23,748 of the 2,869,685 deals, close calls worth 0.0056% in all. Played on the lower tables, it gives up 0.0096% on 18/7/5, 0.0143% on 17/7/5 and 0.0204% on 16/7/5. The analyzer checks your exact cards on your table.
The chart is a priority list, not a ranking of finished poker hands. Each “Check” button loads that exact deal and switches the analyzer to 20/7/5. The exact best hold can differ from the chart in close exceptions.
The 100.6463% figure depends on the full pay table and the best play. It doesn’t mean every session wins. The total bet includes winnings you play again, so $1,000 bet isn’t the same as a $1,000 deposit.
On the conventional credit schedule below, a natural royal pays 250 per credit at one to four credits, then 800 per credit at five. Five of a kind and the wild royal grow evenly with the bet. Some online versions pay a flat 800 for 1 on the royal; check the rules of yours.
| Credits bet | Natural royal | Five of a kind | Wild royal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 250 | 200 | 100 |
| 2 | 500 | 400 | 200 |
| 3 | 750 | 600 | 300 |
| 4 | 1,000 | 800 | 400 |
| 5 | 4,000 | 1,000 | 500 |
The chart and analyzer assume the 800-for-1 natural royal. They don’t work out the strategy for the smaller royal at fewer credits.
Not on the four kings-or-better tables covered here. On every one of the 270,725 deals that include it, on all four tables, the best hold keeps the joker; only the natural cards beside it change. That holds for these pay tables: altered awards, promotions or extra features would need checking again.
Yes, unless the chart puts a stronger draw above “any other pair”: three or four to a royal, four to a straight flush, or four to a flush. A pair that pays nothing still draws to two pair, three of a kind and better. With Q♣ Q♦ 9♠ 6♥ 2♣ on 20/7/5, keeping the queens returns 0.7314 per 1 bet, against 0.3373 for five new cards.
Because the draw can improve it. With 8♠ 8♥ 3♦ 3♣ K♠, holding both pairs returns 1.6250 per 1 bet on all four tables. Either of the other two 8s, either of the other two 3s, or the joker makes a full house: five of the 48 cards you can draw. Breaking the pairs throws those chances away.
In 5 of every 53 deals, about 9.43%, or once in 10.6 deals on average. If it isn’t dealt, it is one of the 48 cards you can draw. If it was dealt and you throw it away, it can’t come back on that draw.
With the best play on the full 20/7/5 pay table, a natural royal comes about once in 41,214 hands, five of a kind once in 10,713 and a wild royal once in 9,611. These are long-run averages, not deadlines. Other pay tables and other strategies change them.
It depends on the whole pay table and on your play. Full-pay 20/7/5 kings or better returns 100.65% with the best play, more than 9/6 Jacks or Better’s 99.54%, but its strategy is different and it swings more: a variance of 26.25 a hand against 19.51. Shorter Joker Poker tables return much less; 16/7/5 returns 97.23%. A familiar game played accurately can also cost less in mistakes than an unfamiliar one.
For ordinary multi-hand play, with the same pay table on every line and no extra features, the hold with the highest average payout stays the same. The total bet for the round and the swings change, because the hands share one deal. Multipliers, bonus features and progressives can change the strategy. See how multi-hand play works.
No. These returns cover the five-card deal and one draw only. A double-up offered after a win is a separate bet with its own rules. It adds swings of its own and doesn’t change which cards to keep in the base game.
The chart squeezes millions of starting deals into a list you can learn. Penalty cards and close calls make exceptions. The analyzer prices every possible draw for all 32 holds from your exact five cards and the pay table you pick. Check that both are on 20/7/5 before you compare them.
What to carry to the table, biggest first.
No best hold on any table here throws it away. With a king or an ace beside it, you already hold a paying pair.
A pair of kings or aces only pays your bet back, and two pair pays no more, so the chart keeps three to a royal without an ace over them. A pair of jacks pays nothing at all.
Played perfectly, 20/7/5 returns 100.65% and 16/7/5 97.23%: about $34.11 apart for every $1,000 bet.