Four of a kind odds — overall and by rank

Under optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better play, quads arrive once every 423 hands — roughly 40 minutes of steady play. Four aces specifically: once every 5111 hands. Dealt pat, quads are 1 in 4,165. See why Bonus paytables pay them 3–16× more →
1 in 423hands per quad, optimal 9/6 play
1 in 5111hands per four aces
1 in 4,165dealt pat quads

Frequency by rank group (optimal 9/6 JoB)

Quad groupFrequencyPays: JoB / Bonus / DB / DDB
Aces (no kicker)1 in 6732.525 / 80 / 160 / 160
Aces + 2-4 kicker1 in 21217.125 / 80 / 160 / 400
2s–4s1 in 2529.125 / 40 / 80 / 80–160
5s–Kings1 in 609.925 / 25 / 50 / 50

The kicker line is the whole DDB economy: same cards, 400 instead of 160, and it bends correct strategy — the engine-computed flips are here.

FAQ

How often do you get four of a kind in video poker?

Under optimal 9/6 Jacks or Better play: once every 423.3 hands overall. Four aces specifically: once every 5111 hands.

What are the odds of being DEALT four of a kind?

1 in 4,165 — there are 624 pat quads among the 2,598,960 possible five-card deals. Most quads you'll ever hit come from holding a pair or trips and drawing into them.

Why do four aces matter more in Bonus games?

Paytables: JoB pays all quads 25, Bonus pays aces 80, Double Bonus 160, and DDB up to 400 with a kicker. Same frequency, wildly different value — which is why strategy shifts toward aces as the bonus grows.

Do these frequencies assume perfect play?

Yes — exact enumeration of every deal under EV-optimal strategy for 9/6 Jacks or Better. Different paytables shift both strategy and the resulting frequencies slightly.