Jacks or Better Video Poker

Jacks or Better is the well-known and mostly played variation of video poker that lets you win by getting at least a pair of jacks or better. In fact, many video poker games are based on this variant like Double Double Bonus, Tens or Better, and Bonus Poker to name a few. Because of its straightforward and easy game mechanics, Jacks or Better Video Poker has quickly rose to fame over time and joined the ranks of the popular games in online and land-based casinos.

Jacks or Better Video Poker is a five-card game that requires a player to form a hand that matches the hand ranking system in order to win payouts. For every bet, you will have a chance to choose the cards that you wish to hold and receive replacements in aim to form a winning hand.

Unlike in table poker, you won’t have any opponent in Jacks or Better or in any video poker game for that matter. So, your game plan should focus on catching any of these hands: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, and a pair of jacks or better. Should any of these show up in your final hand, you will instantly receive your payouts depending on the bet you’re playing. Then, another round ensues when you hit the Deal button.

There are many variations of Jacks or Better Video Poker, and this is reflected with the number of pay tables that offer different payout percentages. These game variants use the same rules except they pay certain hands different amounts. For example, some pay tables offer eight coins for full house and six coins for a flush, while others pay seven or six coins for a full house and five coins for a flush.

But if you want to play the game that has the highest payout percentage, then you should bet on full pay 9/6 Jacks or Better. This game has a 99.54% maximum payout percentage, given that you’re using a perfect video poker strategy and playing the maximum bet of five coins.

When playing Jacks or Better Video Poker, you should make sure that you’re using an effective strategy that suits your skills. If you’re a beginner, then you should stick to the simplified strategy first before you learn what the experts use. It’s also best to refer to a strategy chart to know which cards need to be replaced in order to form a higher-ranked hand. Knowing the order of each possible hand will surely be an advantage as you will have more chances of increasing your payouts after the draw.

Before you start, though, keep in mind that it’s advisable to bet five coins every time you play this game so that you will have a chance to win the highest payouts for each hand. Moreover, your final hand should have at least a pair of jacks or better to win a round. Remember that Jacks or Better Video Poker is a game of skill, so see to it that you have already developed some gaming skills before you wager to prevent losing money from careless mistakes.