Let's look at a sample of a video poker strategy chart. Here is a partial view of a strategy chart for a full pay (9/6) Jacks or Better game. VIDEO POKER STRATEGY CHARTS #1: As you can see, there are many different combinations of cards that can be held. Depending on the type of video poker game, there can be as many as 60 or 70 lines of. Jacks or Better strategy just isn't that hard. Even though this isn't a complete strategy chart, you're probably only giving up a few tenths of a percent of payback percentage following these guidelines. Our guide to Jacks or Better video poker covers the correct strategy in more detail.
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Jacks or Better: The Bottom Line. Jacks or Better is a simple and basic video poker variant. It is great for online video poker players looking to get their feet wet, learn the basics of betting, and looking to become more experienced at utilizing basic strategy in their play.
Video poker is one of the most successful and popular games ever invented. After 30 years, the original Jacks or Better variety is still a favorite, probably because the house edge is less than half of a percent! Video poker came about in the 1970s when Si Redd's little company in Sparks, Nevada, introduced Draw Poker. The typical version of this video poker variety is 9/6 Jacks or Better, which is named after the payouts for a Full House and a Flush. The table below represents a standard payout schedule for 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker. Jacks or Better strategy can be found on our video poker page. There you will find a comprehensive list of which cards.
Jack or Better Video poker games are among the most popular single-player games in the casino. They provide just the right mix of random action like a slot machine, but they also give the player the chance to change the odds if they have some skill, too. Those who play better will win more. It's not 100% random like the slots. Video poker is perfect for those who like classic poker and want the advantages of playing alone and playing fast.
In this article, we're going to give you some tips for getting the most out of one of the most popular video poker machines out there, Jacks or Better. You'll find several different versions of this popular game both at online and land-based casinos.
Like call video poker games, Jacks or Better is based on classic five-card draw poker. You will be given five random cards from a 52 card deck to start. You'll then be given the chance to hold or discard any of the cards you have and those that you discard will be replaced with new random cards from the deck to produce your final hand. As the name of this particular game suggests, you need to end up with a pair of jacks or better to win a prize.
Best Casinos to Play Jacks or Better Video Poker
Finding The Right Jacks Or Better Video Poker Games
The first thing you have to do to get the most out of your play is scope out the right games. In live casinos or online, you'll see that there are plenty of Jacks or Better games that have different pay tables. You'll need to find the ones with the right pay tables to take advantage of the strategy we're about to lay out for you.
When played correctly, you can either even out the house odds against you or even tip things in your own favour by taking advantage of things like VIP programs, jackpot drawings, and other comps offered for playing.
There are several different payout tables you can look for that will work well with the following strategy, but for the same of time, space, and making things easier to remember, we're going to show you the three that work the best.
The 976-9-6 Table – 100% RTP Possibility
With this game, you can reach up to a 100% return to player rate if you play perfectly. What you're looking for in the paytable are those three massive numbers—976 for the royal flush, 9 for the full house, and 6 for the flush. Once you start paying attention, you'll see that many video poker machines have lower numbers in these positions. That means there's a bigger house edge. This type of paytable will mostly be found in land-based casinos.
Royal flush 976
Straight flush 50
Four of a kind 25
Full house 9
Flush 6
Straight 4
Three of a Kind 3
Two pair 2
Jacks or better 1
The 90-9-6 Table – 99.9% RTP Possibility
With a perfect strategy played on this table, you can get up to 99.9% of your wagers back over time. Mix it it in with VIP casino programs and such and you'll be able to actually get the casino to pay you to play. The magic numbers you are looking for on this paytable are the 90 on the straight flush, the 9 on the full house and the 6 on the flush. You'll find this paytable on some NetEnt video poker games at online casinos.
Royal flush 800
Straight flush 90
Four of a kind 25
Full house 9
Flush 6
Straight 4
Three of a Kind 3
Two pair 2
Jacks or better 1
40-20-9-6-5 Table – 99.5% RTP Possibility
This is another paytable that can be found on some NetEnt games online. Just like the others, look for the five key numbers above in the prize listing. It should look like this:
Royal flush 800
Straight Flush 40
Four of a Kind 20
Full House 9
Flush 6
Straight 5
Three of a kind 3
Two pair 2
Pair 1
Playing The Jack Or Better Strategy Correctly
This overall strategy will give you an expected return (RTP) of about 99.5% on any of the three games above. Taking advantage of other casino perks will actually put you ahead. It's possible to get slightly better returns, but all of the extra conditions you'll need to remember really aren't worth the payoff unless you're just really into the math.
The payouts listed above will be shown in the first column of each game for playing one coin. In order to get the best returns and bonuses out of the game, you should play maximum coins on every hand. If you don't, your return will be lower.
To use the strategy chart below, look through the possible hands that you may have with the five cards you receive on your initial deal. Find the highest hand that you can possibly make on the chart, keep the cards that make that hand and discard the others.
The Jacks Or Better Video Poker Basic Strategy
For the purposes of everything listed below, a 'high card' is a jack, queen, king, or ace.
- Four of a kind, a straight flush, a royal flush
- 4 to a royal flush
- Three of a kind, a straight, a flush, a full house
- 4 to a straight flush
- Two pair
- High pair
- 3 to a royal flush
- 4 to a flush
- Low pair (a pair under jacks)
- 4 to an outside (open-ended) straight
- 2 suited high cards
- 3 to a straight flush
- 2 unsuited high cards (if more than 2 then pick the lowest 2)
- Suited 10/J, 10/Q, or 10/K
- One high card
- No pair, no high card – Discard everything
Practice Makes Perfect
As you can see, the strategy isn't really too complicated. It will just take some time to memorize and practice. There are plenty of online casino sites where you can play for free to practice, even if they don't have the correct payouts.
Also, if you can't find any sites that have the payouts you're looking for, take a look through our casino lists and you're sure to find a few that have the higher paying versions of video poker available for their players.
The internet has caused a lot of things to change since its inception, one of the most striking is in the world of Video Poker. Although the first versions were released back in the 1970s, the look, feel and variations that are now available compared to when the internet was first launched are vastly different. The rules for each are very simple and only very slightly from one game to another, the easiest to play and one of the oldest and most popular is Jack or Better, which we outline below.
Before you read this strategy, ensure you know poker hand rankings.
Once you have mastered this, you are ready to consider the best way to play the Jacks or Better Video Slot.
How to Play Jacks or Better
There are lots of versions of video poker and although some differences between versions are fairly minor, the version does affect the best strategy.
All versions share the same basic rules, however, which involve you choosing your stake, receiving 5 cards from a standard 52 card deck (some versions have an extra Joker – not Jacks or Better though) after which you can discard as few or as many as you want. Any cards you discard are replaced using the remaining cards in the deck, at which point winnings are paid depending on the strength of your hand. You don't need to worry about what the dealer or other players get as there are none, it is just you against the machine.
This article concentrates on the most popular version of Video Poker, Jacks or Better which pays out on any hand that has a pair of Jacks or better all the way up to a Royal Flush. A screenshot of a typical Jacks or Better Video Poker game is below.
Jacks-or-Better gives you a 99.54% expected rate of return when played correctly. On the front of the machine, you can check the payouts and pick the ones with the best odds.
Here are payouts for a Full House and a Flush respectively on various machines.
The best odds when you play Jacks or better Are best on a 9 / 6 machine, it simply pays out more money to go with this machine.
Jacks or Better Paytables
Free Video Poker Jacks Or Better
Paytables can vary a small amount when playing Jacks or Better at different casinos, generally speaking though, the following is fairly standard:
| Hand | Payoff |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 800 |
| Straight Flush | 50 |
| Four of a Kind | 25 |
| Full House | 9 |
| Flush | 6 |
| Straight | 4 |
| Three of a Kind | 3 |
| 2 Pair | 2 |
| Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 |
As you can see, the difference between a Royal Flush and all other hands is huge, in order to win we, therefore, need to maximize the chances of getting a Royal Flush whilst banking as many smaller wins as we can to keep us ticking over until the Royal Flush arrives.
Another thing to realize when playing Jacks or Better is that around 79% of hands will be losing hands, so don't feel despondent if you go several hands without a win. Perseverance is the key to playing any form of Video Poker, what you need to do is keep plugging away picking up small wins wherever possible to keep your funds ticking over until the big one arrives.
When you decide on the stake to play, ensure you play the maximum coins if you can, this will give the biggest possible payout when the Royal Flush does arrive and ensures you get a nice return. It is much better to reduce the value of a coin and play maximum coins than play a higher value coin but only bet 1 coin per go.
Patience is key, so take your time to study the strategies and make the right move, there is no time limit on Video Poker unlike some games as you are playing by yourself and others won't be waiting on your move like you will get in some forms of Roulette and Blackjack. Make the most of this and get the decision correct to maximize your chances of a payout.
We have listed 2 strategies below, get used to the simple version if you are new to Video Poker, feel free to jump straight to the advanced version if you are more experienced.
Jacks Or Better Strategy
Using this strategy should increase the return over time to around 99.45% if played correctly. Reducing the House Edge in any casino game is important and although this may not seem like much, over a long period of time, it can make a big difference.
As with all Video Poker, patience is key. The only real way to make money is by hitting a Royal Flush, and due to the low odds of this happening, it can take a long time.
Start from the top of the table below, and hold the first set of cards that are applicable to the hand you are dealt:
| Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind |
| 4 cards to a Royal Flush |
| Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind |
| 4 cards to a Straight Flush |
| 2 Pair |
| High Pair |
| 3 to a Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Flush |
| Low Pair |
| 4 to an Outside Straight |
| 2 Suited High Cards |
| 3 to a Straight Flush |
| 2 Unsuited High Cards – Choose just 2 if more than 2 |
| Suited 10/J, 10/Q, 10/K |
| One High Card |
| Discard All |
Terminology
In the above table, the following applies:
High Card – Jack, Queen, King or Ace. A Pair of these returns your stake, so it is worth holding.
Outside Straight – 4 Cards that are consecutive and where a card at either end can provide you with a Straight – EG. 5,6,7,8
Inside Straight – 4 Cards where there is one number missing that would complete a Straight. EG 5,6,8,9
Advanced Strategy
Once you have mastered the above, take a look at our more in-depth Advanced Strategy. This will increase the payout percentage to around 99.54%, one of the highest returns of any casino game. If you are lucky enough to hit a Royal Flush early, a nice return is on offer…
As with the Simple Strategy, start at the top of the below table and work your way down until you find the cards applicable to your hand.
| Dealt Royal Flush |
| Dealt Straight Flush |
| Dealt 4 of a Kind |
| 4 to a Royal Flush |
| Dealt Full House |
| Dealt Flush |
| 3 of a Kind |
| Dealt Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush |
| Two Pair |
| High Pair |
| 3 to a Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Flush |
| Unsuited 10, J, Q K, A |
| Low Pair |
| 4 to an Outside Straight that includes 2 High Cards |
| 3 to a Straight Flush |
| Suited JQ |
| 4 to an Inside Straight, all High Cards |
| Suited QK or JK |
| Suited AK, AQ or AJ |
| 4 to an Inside Straight, 3 High Cards |
| Unsuited JQK |
| Unsuited JQ |
| Suited 10J |
| 2 Unsuited High Cards with K s the highest |
| J |
| Suited 10 K |
| Q |
| K |
| A |
| Discard Everything |
Start from the top of the table below, and hold the first set of cards that are applicable to the hand you are dealt:
| Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind |
| 4 cards to a Royal Flush |
| Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind |
| 4 cards to a Straight Flush |
| 2 Pair |
| High Pair |
| 3 to a Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Flush |
| Low Pair |
| 4 to an Outside Straight |
| 2 Suited High Cards |
| 3 to a Straight Flush |
| 2 Unsuited High Cards – Choose just 2 if more than 2 |
| Suited 10/J, 10/Q, 10/K |
| One High Card |
| Discard All |
Terminology
In the above table, the following applies:
High Card – Jack, Queen, King or Ace. A Pair of these returns your stake, so it is worth holding.
Outside Straight – 4 Cards that are consecutive and where a card at either end can provide you with a Straight – EG. 5,6,7,8
Inside Straight – 4 Cards where there is one number missing that would complete a Straight. EG 5,6,8,9
Advanced Strategy
Once you have mastered the above, take a look at our more in-depth Advanced Strategy. This will increase the payout percentage to around 99.54%, one of the highest returns of any casino game. If you are lucky enough to hit a Royal Flush early, a nice return is on offer…
As with the Simple Strategy, start at the top of the below table and work your way down until you find the cards applicable to your hand.
| Dealt Royal Flush |
| Dealt Straight Flush |
| Dealt 4 of a Kind |
| 4 to a Royal Flush |
| Dealt Full House |
| Dealt Flush |
| 3 of a Kind |
| Dealt Straight |
| 4 to a Straight Flush |
| Two Pair |
| High Pair |
| 3 to a Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Flush |
| Unsuited 10, J, Q K, A |
| Low Pair |
| 4 to an Outside Straight that includes 2 High Cards |
| 3 to a Straight Flush |
| Suited JQ |
| 4 to an Inside Straight, all High Cards |
| Suited QK or JK |
| Suited AK, AQ or AJ |
| 4 to an Inside Straight, 3 High Cards |
| Unsuited JQK |
| Unsuited JQ |
| Suited 10J |
| 2 Unsuited High Cards with K s the highest |
| J |
| Suited 10 K |
| Q |
| K |
| A |
| Discard Everything |
Jacks Or Better Video Poker Strategy Chart
Borderline Hands
The below are hands that very nearly make it into the above list, but an optimal play would be to make a different decision.
Suited 10 A – Hold the A only
3 Unsuited High Cards with A as the highest – Keep the lowest 2 High Cards as the chances of a Straight are higher when open-ended
4 to an Inside Straight with 2 High Cards – Keep the 2 High Cards
4 to an Inside Straight with 1 High Card – Keep the 1 High Card
4 to an Inside Straight with 0 High Cards – Discard all
Jacks or Better Tips
Jacks Or Better Video Poker Strategy
The jacks or better tips are the same for any video poker game, the only thing that's different is the strategy card. I will go over some of the basic tips as part of our jacks or better strategy.
- Always play the maximum number of coins in order to be eligible for the bonus payout for a royal flush. You can't win without hitting it in any video poker game so this is the hand that is vital. To do this you need to be able to play for a long time banking smaller wins until you hit it.
- Take your time to study every hand and play correctly. The machines at casinos are in no hurry when you play Jacks or Better and neither should you be.
- Only 21% of the hands dealt are winning ones in Jacks or Better, meaning 79% are losing hands. The difference between success and failure for players is the ability to convert the 79% of losing hands to potential winners and this involves using strategy. If you follow the rules below you will convert a good number of losing hands to winners in Jacks or Better video poker
Jacks Or Better Slots Strategy
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