Quick verdict: Jacks or Better Double Up is a NetEnt video poker game from 2014 that you can play on 1, 5, 10 or 25 hands at once. It returns 99.56% with perfect strategy at 5 coins a hand, but only 98.40% at 1 to 4 coins, because the Royal Flush jumps from 1,000 to 4,000 coins at the fifth coin. After any win, the Double Up feature lets you guess red or black on up to five face-down cards, doubling the win each time you are right.
Where we play video poker
1win is our top-rated casino (9.9/10), with a large casino lobby and a crypto withdrawal that took 15 minutes in our test.
Play at 1win18+. T&Cs apply. Not available in every country. Game libraries vary, so search the lobby for Jacks or Better.
Jacks or Better Double Up at a glance
| Provider | NetEnt (now part of Evolution) |
|---|---|
| Released | 2014 |
| Game type | Multi-hand Jacks or Better video poker, 52-card deck, no jokers |
| Hands per round | 1, 5, 10 or 25 |
| Coins per hand | 1 to 5 |
| Max bet | 62.50 a round (25 hands x 5 coins x 0.50) |
| RTP | 99.56% at 5 coins; 98.40% at 1 to 4 coins (perfect strategy) |
| Top prize | Royal Flush: 4,000 coins at 5 coins a hand |
| Gamble | Double Up: red or black guess, up to 5 doubles |
| Free demo | Not available right now (see the FAQ) |
What is the Jacks or Better Double Up RTP?
The Jacks or Better Double Up RTP is 99.56% when you bet 5 coins a hand and play perfect strategy, and 98.40% at 1 to 4 coins. The whole 1.16-point gap comes from the Royal Flush: it pays 250 per coin at 1 to 4 coins but 4,000 coins at 5 coins. Some databases list only the lower 98.40%, which is why you will see both figures quoted. Either way, it is far above a typical slot; compare our highest RTP slots.
Jacks or Better Double Up paytable
Coins paid per hand, by coins bet:
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 4,000 |
| Straight Flush | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 200 |
| Four of a Kind | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 |
| Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Straight | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
The Full House pays 9 and the Flush 6, as in the classic “9/6” game, but this is not the standard 9/6 table. NetEnt pays less for a Straight Flush (40 instead of 50) and Four of a Kind (20 instead of 25), and more for a Straight (5 instead of 4).
How does Double Up work in Jacks or Better?
After a winning hand you can collect, or press Double Up to gamble the win. Five cards are dealt face down, and you guess the colour of each one in turn:
- Pick red or black for the first card.
- Right, and the win doubles; you can collect or carry on to the next card.
- Wrong, and the gambled win is lost and you go back to the poker game.
- After five right guesses (32x the original win) the feature ends.
There is no dealer card to beat, so there are no ties, unlike the land-based double-up games many players know. Half the deck is red, so each guess is a coin flip: it makes your results swingier, not better.
Jacks or Better Double Up strategy
- Always bet 5 coins a hand. Dropping to 4 coins costs you 1.16 points of RTP. If 5 coins is too much, lower the coin value or the number of hands instead.
- Break a made flush or straight for 4 to a Royal. The 4,000-coin Royal makes the draw worth more than the sure win.
- Don’t hold a kicker. With a pair of jacks or better, keep the pair alone; an extra high card lowers your chances of improving.
- Use a chart with care. Most strategy charts are written for the standard 9/6 table. Because NetEnt pays more for straights, a chart is a close guide here, not an exact one.
Even with perfect play, Royal Flushes are rare: in standard Jacks or Better one turns up about once every 40,000 hands. Playing 25 hands a round gets you there in fewer rounds, but costs 25 times as much per deal. Our poker hand rankings and poker maths guides explain the odds behind each hand.
Games like Jacks or Better Double Up
- Deuces Wild Multi-Hand: multi-hand video poker where every 2 is wild.
- Caribbean Stud Poker: five-card poker against the dealer instead of a paytable.
- How to win at poker: our guide if you want to move from video poker to the live game.
Where to play Jacks or Better Double Up
Jacks or Better Double Up is a NetEnt table game, so look for it at casinos that carry NetEnt (our NetEnt guide covers the studio) and check the paytable shows 4,000 coins for a 5-coin Royal. 1win is our top-rated casino at 9.9/10 and paid our crypto withdrawal in 15 minutes in June 2026. New players can use promo code Ultragambler (see our 1win promo code page). If it isn’t listed, Deuces Wild Multi-Hand is the closest multi-hand alternative.
Jacks or Better Double Up FAQs
Is Jacks or Better Double Up a 9/6 game?
Only partly. The Full House pays 9 and the Flush 6, but the Straight Flush, Four of a Kind and Straight pay differently from standard 9/6, so its 99.56% RTP is NetEnt’s own figure, not the standard 99.54%.
How many times can you double up?
Up to five times in a row, one guess per face-down card. You can collect after any right guess.
Is there a free demo of Jacks or Better Double Up?
Not at the moment. NetEnt’s old demo server has been shut down, and Casino.guru also lists the demo as temporarily unavailable. Deuces Wild Multi-Hand is a multi-hand game you can look at instead.
Who developed Jacks or Better Double Up?
NetEnt, in 2014. NetEnt is now owned by Evolution, which runs its games today.
How often do you hit a Royal Flush?
Rarely. In standard Jacks or Better with perfect strategy it is about once in 40,000 hands. NetEnt publishes no figure for its own paytable.
How we checked this
- NetEnt as maker, 2014 release and the 99.56% RTP: NetEnt’s game page and Wizard of Odds. The 98.40% figure at 1 to 4 coins: SlotsMove and Roger.
- Paytable: Bonus Insider and SlotsMove. Hands, coins and the 62.50 max bet: SlotCatalog and NetEntStalker.
- Double Up rules (five face-down cards, colour guess, up to five doubles): NetEnt’s game page, SlotCatalog and Roger.
- Strategy rules and Royal Flush odds for standard Jacks or Better: Wizard of Odds, Casino.org and Las Vegas Advisor.
- Figures last checked: 7 October 2026.
Important: check your local laws before you play
Online gambling laws differ from country to country, and in some places it is restricted or not permitted at all. Check that online gambling is legal where you live and that the casino accepts players from your country. You must be 18 or older (or the legal gambling age in your country, if higher). Only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
