Jacks or Better Video Poker Tips


Tuesday, March 8, 2016 : Jacks or Better Video Poker Tips

One of the most popular forms of video poker is Jacks or Better. This game starts payouts at a pair of jacks and increases them as hands get bigger, until the jackpot hand of a royal flush. This game holds a very small edge over the player when optimum strategy is used, but without knowing proper strategy that edge can increase to a much higher percentage. Jacks or Better played with optimum strategy has a higher payout percentage than most other games in the casino, often as high as 99.5%.

Learning optimum strategy takes some effort to get right. There are many hand situations that occur, and knowing how to play them all properly takes time to learn before it becomes second nature. But if you’re just getting started, you can follow a few simple rules that will get you most of the way there while you learn the rest of the hand situations along the way.

The first thing to remember when playing Jacks or Better is to keep any paying hand except one that has four cards to a royal flush. You do this because the huge payout that comes with a royal flush is worth sacrificing the smaller payout.

Next, when you’re dealt a hand that has no payout you should:

Hold any four cards to a straight flush
– Hold any three cards to a royal flush
– Hold any four cards to a flush
– Hold any low pair (tens or lower)
– Hold any four-card consecutive straight
– Hold any two high cards of the same suit
– Hold any three cards to a straight flush
– Hold J, Q, and K of different suits.
– Hold any two high cards of different suits
– Hold J, Q or K with a Ten of the same suit
– Hold any single high card

If you don’t get dealt any of the above you should draw five new cards.

These tips will improve your odds against the game and make your money last a lot longer. The longer you’re in the game, the better your chances are to hit a big hand with a top payout.