Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

Video Poker is among a few skill-based casino games. The notion that you can beat the machine attracts experienced players while repelling those who are not ready to invest their time in learning. However, proper education does not always have to be time-consuming. With our concise articles, we want to make online gambling easier for you.

If you are interested in Video Poker, you probably know that Jacks or Better is one of its most popular variations. Stay with us to learn strategy and tips that can help you be more successful at this exciting card game.

How to Play Jacks or Better?

Jacks or Better is a Video Poker variant where the main goal is to create the best 5-card poker hand. The player places a bet and gets 5 cards in the first draw. Then, they have a chance to hold the best cards and discard the rest. The second draw determines the outcome of the game and how much the player wins.

Since it’s all about hand ranking here, you should know which card can contribute to the best possible poker hand. The game pays prizes if you have a hand containing a pair of Jacks or better. The rest of winning hands include two pairs, a three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind and straight flush. The best possible hand is a royal flush.

Strategy and Tips

Jacks or Better is one of the games with the lowest house edge. It boasts an RTP of 99.54%. Of course, it applies when you play the game according to the perfect strategy. Here are the moves you need to make to beat Jacks or Better. For the full strategy, make sure to obtain the chart with all the possible situations and use it whenever you play the game.

If you have received a pair of Jacks or better, you should hold these two cards. The same applies to any pair of card lower than Jacks or better as you can get more cards of a kind to complete a three or four of a kind. Also, if you get any two pairs or better, you should keep them. The only exception will be if you have four cards to a royal flush. In this case, you should discard the fifth card for a chance to complete a royal flush.

If you have received a four-card straight flush, keep these cards to complete a straight flush 5-card hand. Should you have received any three cards to a royal flush, hold them. The same applies to any four cards to a flush. When it comes to high cards, you should always keep any unsuited combination of an A, K, Q and J and two suited high cards. The same goes for unsuited Ks, Qs and Js and the same cards with a suited 10.

You should also keep any two high cards regardless of their suite. If you have nothing of the combinations described above, you should keep a single high card.

Closing Thoughts

These are the decisions you should make according to the basic strategy, and you should not deviate from them. Remember that the maximum payout you can win when playing at a 5-coin bet is 4,000 coins. It is awarded on a royal flush hand. In case you wager less, the same hand pays 250x your bet only.