Casino School: How to Play Jacks or Better

So, you are ready to begin playing Jacks or Better online. This is currently one of the most popular versions of Video Poker for very good reasons. There are a few things to understand How to Play Jacks or Better before we officially begin playing. 

The rules of Jacks or Better are extremely simple to understand:

1. You place your wager and are dealt five cards to begin
2. Choose which cards you would like to keep and which you would like to discard
3. You get the replacements from the dealer to remain with five cards and figure out if you have a winning hand

The objective is to try to get a pair with jacks or better as you are awarded a small bonus if you can do just that. You can wager anywhere from one to five tokens, and depending on the amount; you will move to that column (which will be highlighted so you understand entirely how much the payout would be). You do not have to play just a single hand at a time as in the video poker setting; you can play anywhere between 1-100 hands in a single game. 

How Do We Win at Jacks or Better Strategy?

Now that we have a little bit of an understanding of how to play this version of video poker, let’s dive into the hands and how to win. Here are the hands you would want to look for from worst to best and how to get them. We also provided examples of each hand to help you understand what each is as well. 

• High card: A card that is a jack or higher (jack, queen, king, ace)
• Pair: Two cards with the same number (Ex: two queens)
• Two Pairs: Two pairs of the card with the same number (Ex: two queens and two sevens)
• Three of a Kind: Three cards with the same value (Ex: three nines)
• Straight: Five cards in sequential order but do not need to be the same suit (Ex: three of spades, four and five of diamonds, six of hearts, seven of spades)
• Flush: Five cards with the same suit regardless of the values (Ex: ace, four, five, nine, 10 of spades)
• Full House: A combination of having a pair and a three of a kind in a single hand (Ex: three twos and a pair of jacks or better strategy)
• Four of a Kind: Four cards that have the same value (Ex: four sixes)
• Straight Flush: Five cards in sequential order as well as all the cards being in the same suit (Ex: 5-9 of clubs)
• Royal Flush: This is the strongest hand you can possibly have. This means the player has the 10, jack, queen, king, and ace of the same suit (Ex: All Spades)

Tips and Trips to Win More at Jacks or Better

Here are some little tips that you can implement to be more successful at jacks or better trips to win. 

• If you have a winning hand, do NOT discard the cards trying for a better hand. If you have a pair, why would you get rid of it in an attempt for a straight? It’s not a high probability so go with the chances to be guaranteed profit instead of risking it for a loss. 
• If you have no combinations after the first hand, only hold onto cards that are jacks or better. This is because you get an added bonus if you get a pair that is jacks or better. There are also hands like a full house or a flush that can be given to you depending on how many cards you hold. There is a little extra bonus to having a face card in your hand if you didn’t have anything else that you can profit off of. 
• Do not be afraid of going up on the coin wager. The rewards multiply depending on how many coins you are willing to wager per hand. This means that if you have a three of a kind and wagered two coins, you would double your winnings compared to if you wagered one coin. It eliminates a bit of a house edge as you win more compared to if you wager one coin. If you have a straight with one coin wagered on most games, you win four coins. However, if you wager five coins and have jacks or better, then you get five coins, so the more you are willing to wager, the better the winnings. 

Conclusion

Jacks or Better is one of the best versions of video poker, but the only way to win is to use smart strategy and to be intelligent with your decisions. Make sure to follow our advice, and before you realize, you will be playing just like a professional. Remember, if you want to know more about Slots Paradise, check our social media and join our community.