JACKS OR BETTER VIDEO POKER STRATEGY EXPLAINED

William ”Si” Redd pioneered video poker machines in the mid-1970s, effectively introducing the world to electronic gaming. Since then, this type of gambling has become a staple of both land-based and online casinos.

His initial game, Draw Poker, rose to fame by offering large, progressive payouts, making his company, IGT, a world leader. Other gaming manufacturers followed suit, adding their versions of video poker along the way.

Nowadays, the Jacks or Better video poker game is one of the most popular and highest-paying versions of video poker played in online casinos if you know the best Jacks or Better strategy. Keep reading for some tips on how to maximise this fun strategy while you play Jacks or Better.

What Is a Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy?

Early studies show that some of the best Jacks or Better Poker strategy has a payout rate of over 99%, which is much better than other casino games. You still need to make the best decisions to ensure you get your share of the winnings when you play Jacks or Better. For starters, you’ll need a good idea of how the game works.

How to Play Jacks or Better Poker

Unlike ordinary poker, when you play Jacks or Better, you only get one chance to bet when you play this 5-card draw poker game. You can place between one and five coins into the machine at the outset and decide how much to wager on your first hand. Once you’ve placed your bet, the video poker machine deals you a hand of five cards. You decide which cards to keep and which you’d like to discard. Then, you click ‘deal’, and the machine will give you new cards to replace the discarded ones. You win or lose based on this final hand. A better poker hand ensures a bigger win.

Poker Hands at Jacks or Better Poker Strategy

Knowing which hands deliver the biggest payouts will help you decide which cards to hold and which to put back in the virtual pack when you play Jacks or Better.

The lower the probability of achieving a hand, the bigger the payout. You need at least a pair of Jacks to win at this type of poker. These are the hands that pay when enjoying Jacks or Better poker:

Royal Flush

A royal flush includes the ten, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit. In most poker games, these cards don’t need to appear on the screen in a consecutive sequence.

Straight Flush

A straight flush includes five consecutively numbered cards from the same suit that isn’t a royal flush. For example, these might be from 3 to 7, 7 to jack, or otherwise.

Again, these can appear on the screen in any order.

Four of a Kind

The name says it all. This winning hand comprises four cards with the same value but from different suits. e.g. four kings, four 2s, etc.

Full House

A full house consists of one pair plus three cards of the same value. For instance, you might hold two kings plus three 10s.

Flush

A flush is five cards from the same suit. These can be any non-sequential cards as long as they’re all diamonds, hearts, spades, or clubs.

Straight

A straight is another lower-ranking form of the straight flush. It contains consecutively numbered cards from any suit, e.g. 3 of hearts, 4 of diamonds, 5 of hearts, 6 of spades, and 7 of clubs.

Three of a Kind

Like four of a kind, this hand comprises three matching cards of the same rank. These may be any number or picture cards like three kings or three 5s.

Two Pair

A two-pair winning hand has two sets of equally valued cards. For instance, you’ll receive a payout if you have two 10s and two 5s in your final hand.

Jacks or Better

This is the easiest combination of cards to achieve in the Jacks or Better game. It comprises two jacks, queens, or kings, plus any other combination of cards.

Comprehensive Better Optimal Strategy for Jacks or Better Poker

It can get confusing trying to guess which winning card combinations you might achieve based on your first hand. You don’t have much wiggle room in this type of poker, but knowing which cards increase your chances of achieving a winning pat hand. This list illustrates every combination of cards you might receive when you play Jacks or Better with a virtual deck of cards:

1. Royal Flush or Straight Flush
2. Four of a Kind
3. Four to a Royal Flush
4. Full House
5. Flush
6. Three of a Kind
7. Straight
8. Four to a Straight Flush
9. Two Pair
10. A High Pair
11. Three to a Royal Flush
12. Four to a Flush
13. King, Queen, Jack, 10 offsuit
14. A Low Pair
15. Four Cards to an Open-Ended Straight
16. Three to a Straight Flush
17. Suited Queen and Jack
18. Four to an Inside Straight with four High Cards
19. Suited King and Queen or King and Jack
20. Suited Ace and King, Ace and Queen, or Ace and Jack
21. Four to an Inside Straight with 3 High Cards
22. King, Queen, and Jack offsuit
23. Queen and Jack offsuit
24. Jack and ten offsuit
25. Two offsuit High Cards (king highest)
26. Suited Queen and 10
27. Two offsuit High Cards (King Highest)
28. Jack
29. Suited King and 10
30. Queen
31. King
32. Ace

Always keep the combination listed highest on the list. If you don’t get any of the above combinations or high cards, discard all the cards. Once you’ve mastered these priority cards, you’ll enjoy the benefit of the great odds offered by Jacks or Better poker to the fullest.

Low Pair and High Pair at Jacks or Better Poker Game

Depending on the initial hand you’re dealt , you could end up having to make some tough calls when discarding cards when you play Jacks or Better poker. For instance, if you receive a king, two aces, a 6, and a 7, you have three options for optimal play:

• Keep the aces, and hope for three or four of a kind
• Hold out for a flush by dropping everything except the king and one ace
• Get rid of the six and seven and hope you’re dealt another king

Keep in mind that you’ll still receive a payout for the aces, as they’re ”better” than jacks.

Managing Low Pairs in Jacks or Better Poker

The best strategy, when dealt a pair, is always to keep it. Yet, this depends on the circumstances and whether you have a high pair or a low pair.

Based on probability, you should keep a low pair, if:

• You have four to a straight, i.e., two 4s, a 7, an 8, and a 9
• You have three to a straight flush, e.g., 2, 3, and 4 of hearts, 4 of spades, and 9 of clubs
• You might get a royal flush, e.g., a 6, king, and ace of hearts, plus a 6 and a 2

Break up your low pair if:

• You have three to a Royal Flush, i.e. jack, queen, king, and 3 of spades, plus a jack of hearts
• You have four to a flush, e.g., a 6, 9, 10, and king of diamonds, plus a 6 of hearts

The latter two instances could result in a high pay earning, so it’s worth the gamble.

What to do With High Pairs in Jacks or Better Poker

In Jacks or Better video poker, a high pair guarantees a win, but there are a few instances where it’s best to break up your high pair in favour of a more lucrative outcome.

Keep your high pair if you have:

• Four to a Flush
• Four to a Straight
• Three to a Royal Flush
• Three to a Straight Flush

There is only one instance where you should break up a high pair in Jacks or Better poker. That is when you have four to a Royal Flush. It’s a waste not taking a chance to win the top payout. Once you’ve decided on a strategy for video poker, you must stick to it. All video poker strategies only pay off over time.

Jacks or Better Pay Table

It’s important to play on a ”full pay” machine if you want to enjoy these great odds. Any other machine has an increased house edge. As long as you’re playing a full-pay video poker game, you should receive the following payouts per credit:

Some machines have increased house edge and pay only 8 credits for a full house and 5 for a flush, so make sure you’re familiar with the payouts on the machine you’re playing.

Pros and Cons of Jacks or Better Strategy

Jacks or Better strategy is the most popular version of video poker game for good reason. It’s one of the easiest and most rewarding casino games to play, with very few drawbacks.

Advantages

Jacks or Better strategies are simple enough to master. As long as you stay disciplined and stick to the guidelines, you’ll achieve the best outcome every time. Thanks to a high overall RTP, players can realise a 99.54% return when they play the best strategy for every scenario.

Disadvantages

No matter how lucky or skilled you are at Jacks or Better poker, the house still has a slight edge over you, even with an optimal strategy. Since payouts always remain in proportion to your bet, you can’t make big money off a great hand in Jacks or Better poker.

You lose the advantage of being able to read your opponent in a live game when you play video poker, and you simply can’t win every game. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to maximise a Jacks or Better strategy, even though this isn’t always possible. That said, bigger bets can mean short-term gains, although they don’t impact the overall odds of winning.

Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy Tips

Practice and discipline are the best ways to make the most of an optimal Jacks or Better strategy. You can also try the following Jacks or Better tips to help you enjoy better outcomes when you play this video poker game.

1. Play Maximum Credits Available

If you don’t play a maximum of five credits per hand, you’re reducing your payoff rate considerably with Jacks or Better video poker. For instance, if you want to bet $4 per hand, don’t play one credit to this value. Rather split your credits into five equal portions, i.e. $1 each.

You can always find a lower minimum machine if the maximum credits are too high on your current video poker machine. When you play video poker games online, you can find games offering $0.05 per credit for a minimum bet of $0.25 per hand.

2. Stay Consistent

Once you’ve decided on a good video poker strategy, you must stick to it. Deviating from a proven formula will result in losses.

3. Play With a Good Bankroll

You need to manage your bankroll carefully when playing any gambling game. Jacks or Better video poker is a volatile game, and you’re bound to have long winning and losing streaks. Make sure you have enough cash to maximise your enjoyment without going bust too quickly. If you don’t want to waste money while learning, you can find free Jacks or Better games online.

4. Prioritize the Royal Flush

If you have a good chance of making one, you should always take it. Even if you have four cards to a Royal Flush, discard the fifth card, regardless of whether it makes a high pair.

5. Memorize the Strategy

When you first start playing Jacks or Better, print the above list and keep it with you when playing. Ideally, you should memorise the basic Jacks or Better strategy chart, so it becomes second nature to play a strategic game.

6. Play Online for Practice

The best way to become familiar with Jacks or Better strategy is by regular practice. Online casinos are the perfect place to refine your skills.