TablesRules

Bonus Poker: Jacks or Better with bigger quads

Bonus Poker is a video poker game built on Jacks or Better that pays extra for four of a kind, most of all for four aces. The full-pay 8/5 version returns about 99.2% with perfect play.

Reviewed Oct 15, 2026

Answer first

90s

01Jacks or Better rules with bonus quads.
02Four aces pay 80 for 1.
038/5 is the version to look for.

Key numbers

Bonus Poker at a glance

99.17%Return, 8/5Perfect play

80 for 1Four acesPer coin

8/5Full-pay tableFull house/flush

5 coinsMax betFor royal bonus

In short

Key takeaways

Read the full house and flush pays.
Four aces pay the most of the quads.
Max coins unlock the big royal.
Strategy is close to Jacks or Better.

Progress

How a Bonus Poker hand plays

1
Bet
1 to 5 coins
2
Deal
Five cards
3
Hold
Pick cards to keep
4
Draw
Replace the rest
5
Pay
By the pay table

Each hand is dealt from a fresh, shuffled 52-card deck.

Pay table

8/5 Bonus Poker pay table

Glance before you bet

Hand	Pays per coin
Royal flush (5 coins)	800
Straight flush	50
Four aces	80
Four 2s, 3s or 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

Royal pays 250 per coin on 1 to 4 coins.

Reading the pay table

Bonus Poker tables are named by the full house and flush pays. An 8/5 game pays 8 for a full house and 5 for a flush, and returns about 99.17% with perfect play.

Casinos cut the return by trimming those two lines. A 7/5 game returns about 98.0% and a 6/5 game about 96.9%, so the same game can cost twice as much to play.

The quads pay more than in Jacks or Better, but the full house and flush pay one unit less than in 9/6 Jacks or Better, which funds the bonus.

Bonus Poker pay tables and return

Version	Full house	Flush	Return
8/5	8	5	99.17%
7/5	7	5	98.01%
6/5	6	5	96.87%

Returns assume perfect strategy and max coins.

Strategy changes

Strategy is very close to Jacks or Better. The main shift is that low pairs and aces gain a little value because their quads pay more.

With two pair that includes aces, some players break the hand to chase four aces, but in Bonus Poker keeping two pair is still correct.

A strategy card or trainer for the exact pay table is the best way to play close to the listed return.

Sequence

Playing Bonus Poker well

Step 01
Find 8/5
Check the pay table.
Step 02
Bet max coins
Royal pays 800 per coin.
Step 03
Use a strategy card
For your exact table.
Step 04
Slow down
Mistakes cost return.
Step 05
Join the club
Comps add value.

A worked example

At $0.25 per coin and 5 coins, each hand costs $1.25. At 8/5 the expected loss is about 0.83%, or about $1 per 100 hands.

At a typical 600 hands an hour, that is about $750 bet and about $6 lost on average. On a 6/5 machine the same hour costs about $23.

Four aces at max coins pays 400 coins, or $100. A royal flush pays 4,000 coins, or $1,000, which is below the $2,000 level (2026) that triggers a W-2G tax form.

Floor rules

Video poker terms

Know before you sit

8/5: Full house pays 8, flush 5.
Quads: Four of a kind.
Return: Long-run percent paid back.
Max coins: Top bet, usually 5.

A quick hand check

You are dealt three aces, a 7 and a king. Hold the three aces and draw two. Your chance of four aces on the draw is about 4.3%, paying 80 for 1.

You are dealt a pair of 3s with an ace and two low cards. Hold the pair of 3s. Four 3s pays 40 for 1 in Bonus Poker, higher than the 25 for 1 in Jacks or Better.

You are dealt four to a flush with a pair of jacks. Hold the pair of jacks. The flush draw pays 5 for 1 here, which is not enough to break a paying pair.

Common mistakes

Ignoring the pay table: 7/5 costs more.
Betting fewer coins: Royal pays less.
Using slots habits: Choices matter here.
Breaking two pair: Keep it.

Keep reading

Go play

Where to play in Las Vegas

Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.

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Browse all Las Vegas casinos →

After the 90 seconds

Questions before and after you play

A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.

01Basics

What is Bonus Poker?

A video poker game based on Jacks or Better that pays extra for four of a kind, with four aces paying the most.

What does 8/5 mean?

It means a full house pays 8 for 1 and a flush pays 5 for 1. It is the full-pay version of the game.

How much does four aces pay?

In standard Bonus Poker four aces pay 80 for 1, or 400 coins on a 5-coin bet. House rules can vary, so check the table placard or ask the dealer.

02Rules

Do I need to bet max coins?

Not to play, but the royal flush only pays 800 per coin with 5 coins, so max coins gives the best return.

Is each hand random?

Yes. Each hand is dealt from a fresh shuffled deck by a certified random number generator.

Are pay tables the same everywhere?

No. Casinos choose the pay table, so the same game name can return different amounts.

03Strategy

Is Bonus Poker strategy hard?

No. It is close to Jacks or Better, with small changes that a strategy card for the exact table covers.

Is it better than Jacks or Better?

8/5 Bonus Poker returns slightly less than 9/6 Jacks or Better, but more than many short-pay games.

Where can I get help?

If gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for free, private help any time of day.

Sources

Wizard of Odds — Video poker Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 15, 2026Pay tables, return and strategy
Nevada Gaming Control Board · accessed Oct 15, 2026Approved games and gaming revenue reports
UNLV Center for Gaming Research Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 15, 2026Research library on casino games and gambling
National Council on Problem Gambling — Help and resources Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 15, 2026Free, confidential help: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER