.: Jacks or Better Video Poker Review
The most well known game of video poker is "Jacks or Better" In this variant of the game, a single pair will win -
if the rank of the pair is jacks... or better. This would include queen, king, and ace. All other traditional
poker hands will win as well - from two pair to royal flush. When playing this game, look for 6/9 odds -
meaning 6x payout for a flush and 9x payout for a full house. Accepting less diminishes your return -
so you wont be able to play as long! Strategy for this game is well developed and widely available on the internet.
.: Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy
Perhaps the best strategy when playing any video poker is to have fun. Any somewhat logical approach
to Jacks or Better is going to give you a decent return. However, there are well documented optimal
strategies. Some of these strategies get fairly intense, with each hand running through upwards of
30 conditions. But the simplified strategy guides are very adequate - and unless you plan to play
a million hands, you probably will not see a huge difference over the long term.
A simple strategy would be something like as follows:
Stand Pat with a Winning Hand: If you have anything from a pair of jacks up to a royal flush,
keep the good cards and see what happens when you discard the others. Only exception would be
attempts to make a royal flush when you already have 4 to the hand.
Try for a Big Hand: If you are two away from a royal flush, go for it. Otherwise,
if you are one card away from a straight, flush, or straight flush, try to complete the hand. If your
hand doesn't meet that criteria, go with your low pair.
Hope Cards Fall in your Favor: Most hands after initially dealt fall down into this category.
No pair, no flush draw - maybe a face card or two - if you are lucky. This is pretty easy -
If you have 2 or more face cards, keep the lowest two, unless two are suited where you would keep
them. If you only have one high card, keep that. Otherwise, ditch all 5 cards and hope the deck deals
you something better!
Jacks or better should always pay back over 99% - usually closer to 99.5%. This makes it one
of the most consumer friendly games in the casino. Make sure you are getting full odds and having
fun!
| Size of Deck: | 52 Cards |
| Wild Cards: | None |
| Bonus Payouts: | None |
|
