1. Video Poker Strategy Chart Jacks Or Better
2. Video Poker Jacks Or Better Basic Strategy
3. Jacks Or Better Strategy Chart
4. Jacks Or Better Optimal Strategy
5. Jacks Or Better Strategy Calculator
6. Jacks Or Better Basic Strategy

Play the max – It may seem less economical, but playing the maximum bet allows players the best. Basic video poker strategy, jacks or better Video poker is all about decision-making, no matter whether you play jacks or better, deuces wild or any other variation of the game. Therefore, the first thing that you have to learn is how to decide which cards of those that you have been dealt to. 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. 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.

Table Of Contents

• This article is for those who don't know how to play Jacks or Better video Poker
• Read the best Jacks or Better strategy tips before you play real money games

Today, I am going to share some useful Jacks or Better video poker strategy tips that will help you increase your win rate and enjoy more this exciting casino game.

Did you know that video poker has the highest payout percentage of all casino games?

While the house edge for typical casino games varies between 90 and 97 percent, video poker can offer up to 99.54 percent.

But only if you know what you're doing.

And for that, you need a good video poker strategy.

In this article, we will delve into my favorite variation of video poker - Jacks or Better (Draw Poker). I like it because of how simple and straightforward the game is.

(Another great game to play is Deuces Wild, but we'll keep that to another article.)

To play successfully (aka. to win), a sound Jacks or Better strategy is a must.

That's why today you are going to find out a few important things like:

• how to reduce the house edge
• how to make the best out of the cards you get
• how to maximize your chances to win

In case you already know how to play Jacks or Better and want to put your knowledge into action ASAP, you can visit this Casino site and play this video Poker game online for free and for real money.

Use my video poker strategy tips to play Jacks or Better like a pro!

As for the rest of us, let's continue with the article!

The Importance of Poker Hands at Jacks or Better Strategy

If you want to become good at Jacks or Better video poker, you need to understand its card combinations.

It comes without saying that you must know the basic video poker rules for a solid start, and I recommend this article for that.

Now, let's check out the possible poker hands that result in winnings.

• Royal Flush. It can't get any better than that. This hand has to include these cards: . Most games don't require them to be consecutive. All cards must be in the same suit.
• Straight Flush. Five consecutive cards from the same suit. Example:.
• Four of a Kind. Nothing complicated here: four cards of the same value. Example: .
• Full House. You collect Full House when you receive five cards that are comprised of one pair and three of a kind. Example: .
• Flush. Five cards of the same suit. Example:
• Straight. Five cards that form a consecutive sequence. The suits are mixed.
• Three of a Kind. You get Three of a Kind when you receive three cards of the same value. Example: .
• Two Pair. Two pairs of two cards of the same value. Example: .
• Jacks or Better. The easiest one to collect, this combination includes only one pair of jacks or a higher value. Example:

Suit abbreviations:

Spades (s)
Hearts (h)
Diamonds (d)
Clubs (c)

Don't worry if you can't remember them all - these video Poker machines online include a table with the winning combinations and payouts.

And if you really want to go deeper on the subjects, here's the most complete poker hands chart on the internet.

The most important thing is to choose the casinos with the highest payment possibilities.

Tip: If a game has full payouts, it should pay two times your bet for Two Pairs.

How to Actually Play Jacks or Better Poker

If you've ever played Jacks or Better, you know that this is a casino game that depends on both luck and your choices - a characteristic, this one, that is common to all online poker machines.

It goes like this:

You get five cards and must choose the ones that you want to keep for the next round. You click 'deal', and get your final combination.

The problem is:

Which cards should you hold?

Luckily, this choice is not as difficult as it might seem. Below, I prepared an easy Jacks or Better strategy for beginners that you should use when dealing with your cards.

Jacks or Better Strategy Made Easy

Here are the main tips for a basic Jacks or Better poker strategy:

• When you have four cards to a Straight or a Flush, hold all four of them and draw only one additional card.
• When you have three cards to a Royal Flush, keep them! Draw two additional cards and you might be lucky.
• Need only two more cards for a Straight Flush? Hold the three lucky cards you have and draw two more.
• When you get a pair of cards, hold them and draw three additional cards. However, this tip is not always applicable.
• If you have no matching cards in your hand, hold a card that is higher or equal of value to Jacks.
• No combinations and no Jacks or higher? Draw five new cards.

The Problem of Low Pair Vs. High Pair

A couple of the main questions that most video poker players have are as follows:

When is it best to hold a low pair?
When should I hold a high pair?

Let's take a look at what you should do in different situations.

Jacks or Better Poker Strategy: Low Pair

Usually, I suggest you keep all the low pairs you receive. However, there are certain situations when it's better to skip them.

This is when you should keep a low pair:

• When you have four to a Straight, always keep the pair that you got. Example: 55678. In this case, hold 55 and discard 678.
• When you have three to a Straight Flush, keep the low pair. Example: 3h4h5h5s9c. Hold 5h and 5s.
• When you have a low pair and two cards that could result in a Royal Flush… you should still hold the low pair! Example: 6s6h2cKhAh. Hold 6s and 6h and discard the rest.

Here are the cases when you should discard your low pair:

• When you have three to a Royal Flush. The probability to get the best outcome is simply too high to keep the low pair. Example: 2sJhJsQsKs
• In case you have four to a Flush, break that low pair! Example: 5d5h8d9dQd

Jacks or Better Game Strategy: High Pair

The crucial difference between a low pair and a high pair in video poker is that the latter is a guaranteed win.

However, there will be certain situations when you'll think that you need to break the pair for a bigger win.

BUT - a seemingly right decision can cost you your bet.

Here are the cases when you have to keep your high poker pair no matter what.

Note: A high pair consists of two cards of the same value (Jacks or higher).

• If you have four to a Flush and a high pair, hold the pair and draw three other cards. When an identical situation occurs with a low pair in hand, you should break it.
• When you have four to a Straight, keep your high pair to have a higher chance to win.
• If you have three to a Royal Flush, it is still better to hold the pair! The odds to get a Royal Flush are not high enough in this case.
• It's more beneficial to keep the high pair when you have three to a Straight Flush. Over time, this will produce better results.

On the contrary, there is one case when you should break your high pay in Jacks or Better poker game:

• When you have four to a Royal Flush. In this situation, it would be a waste not to do it as the odds are simply too high for that sweet winning sequence!

Note: As soon as you decide to use a video poker game strategy, stick to it. Whether you play online or at a land-based casino, discipline is your truest friend when it comes to beating Jacks or Better.

You Can Play Jacks or Better Video Poker Game Online For Free!

No strategy can be useful without sufficient practice.

But you don't want to bet your hard-earned money on your first try at Jacks or Better. No, you need to play this video poker game for free first!

And that's an easy task. Why?

Because you can do that on this video poker site.

Here, each Jacks or Better game variation has a demo mode that does not require real money. At all.

Register a free account and use the bonus to play free Jacks or Better Video poker games online.

So, practice online all you want - and try to win real cash as soon as you learn how to play this game flawlessly.

May the odds be with you!

Jacks or Better is one of – if not the – most popular video poker games. Millions of people around the world play Jacks or Better video poker on a regular basis.

But most of these same players only enjoy the regular format where you play against the house. They’ve yet to experience the excitement of also playing in a Jacks or Better video poker tournament.

Jacks or Better tourneys are fun because you compete against other players in different formats. This gives you a different look at a classic video poker game.

If you’re interested in playing in Jacks or Better tournaments, keep reading as I discuss everything you need to know about doing so.

How to Play Jacks or Better Video Poker Tournaments

If you already know how to play Jacks or Better video poker, then you won’t have to adjust much to the tourney version.

But I’ll explain the basics of Jacks or Better for beginners, along with the tournament format.

Jacks or Better Basics

Jacks or Better is named for the fact that the lowest-qualifying payout is a pair of jacks. This differs from many video poker games, where you need a pair of kings, 2 pair, or 3 of a kind just to win a single coin.

The first step to playing standard Jacks or Better is inserting your money into the game and choosing how many coins you wish to play. The number of coins that you can play ranges from 1 to 5 per hand.

Players are advised to bet 5 coins, because this is the only way that you can get the top royal flush payout.

Here’s how royal flush payouts differ based on the number of coins you wager:

• 1-credit bet = 250 coins
• 2-credit bet = 500 coins
• 3-credit bet = 750 coins
• 4-credit bet = 1,000 coins
• 5-credit bet = 4,000 coins

Most casinos have a variety of video machines with different coin denominations ranging from $0.05 to $25.

Video poker tournaments normally use quarter denomination video poker machines because they’re the most common. This means that you’ll be wagering $1.25 per hand on a 5-coin max bet.

Many Jacks or Better Tournaments Remove the Option to Change Bets

You can see that royal flush payouts increase by perfect 250-coin increments when betting between 1 and 4 credits. But there’s a disproportionate 3,000-coin increase when you wager 5 coins.

This is the only payout that has a disproportionate gain in the entire game. But it’s also significant enough to make a long-term difference in payback.

Of course, there’s nothing compelling a recreational player to use all these coins. But serious Jacks or Better players always bet 5 credits per turn.

For this reason, many video poker tournaments automatically make bets worth the 5-credit max. This saves you the hassle of having to change betting options before the tournament begins.

Jacks or Better tournaments also differ from the regular format in that you don’t insert money into the machine.

Instead, you pay a single buy-in, and the casino gives you a certain amount of starting credits. For example, you might buy into tournament with $20 and receive 1,000 starting credits.

Some video poker tourneys are completely free, meaning you don’t pay a buy-in. These also give you a set amount of credits for tournament play.

I’ll discuss the difference in Jacks or Better video poker tourney formats later.

One more major difference between tournaments and regular play is how payouts are distributed. A normal Jacks or Better video poker machine sees your winnings come from individual hands.

Tournaments differ, though, because individual hands are only used for purposes of scoring the event. Payouts are instead based on a predetermined prize pool.

Here’s an example of a video poker tournament prize pool:

• Total prize pool = $2,000
• 1^st place = $1,000
• 2^nd place = $500
• 3^rd place = $250
• 4^th place = $150
• 5^th place = $100

You must finish in the top five in this example to receive any kind of payout. You don’t get anything if you finish outside this range.

This creates interesting strategy situations where players may deviate from conventional video poker play to earn one of the top-paying positions. One of these unconventional strategies involves only keeping cards that help you land a royal flush.

Tournament organizers will distribute payouts accordingly once the tourney is finished. You can see in the prize pool example that most of the money is weighted towards the top.

Jacks or Better Pay Table

If you’re relatively new to Jacks or Better, it’s worth learning how much each hand is worth.

This information is listed on machines when you’re playing the tournament. I suggest familiarizing yourself with the payouts beforehand just to see why you’re chasing certain hands.

Here’s a look at the pay table:

This pay table is from a 9/6 Jacks or Better game. The 9 refers to the full house payout, and the 6 alludes to the flush prize.

Jacks or Better has many different pay tables, including 9/5, 8/6, and 8/5. These all refer to the payouts for a full house and flush.

I’ve never seen a Jacks or Better tournament offer anything but the 9/6 pay table. The reason why casinos offer 9/5 tables and below for regular play is because this gives them a larger house edge.

Considering that players are competing against each other, rather than the house, there’s no need for casino to feature a worse pay table.

Jacks or Better is one of the least-volatile games in video poker. It pays more money for lower hands than the average video poker machine.

For example, most games don’t offer 9 coins for a full house and 6 for a flush.

It’s also worth noting that Jacks or Better doesn’t have any special bonus payouts like with many other games. Certain video poker machines offer bonus prizes for specific 4 of a kinds.

This adds excitement because you have more big payouts to chase. But the drawback is that you’ll win less money on lower qualifying hands, which occur more frequently.

I find low volatility to be a charm of Jacks or Better video poker tournaments because I get more solid payouts on a regular basis. And even though the payouts don’t directly offer money, it’s still fun to rack up more frequent wins during a tourney.

Where to Find Jacks or Better Video Poker Tournaments

You won’t have much trouble finding Jacks or Better video poker tourneys because they’re offered in both land-based and online casinos. This means that if you can’t find tournaments in local casinos, you can always turn to an internet gaming site.

Land-based venues commonly hold video poker tournaments to draw customers back to the casino. They’ll send an email or letter inviting a player to participate in the tourney.

Some brick-and-mortar casinos also offer buy-in video poker tournaments. But these are less common than free events that are held as special promotions.

Online casinos offer video poker tourneys on a regular basis. This is especially true of Jacks or Better because it’s such a popular game.

The process for registering and participating in a Jacks or Better video poker tournament varies based on whether you’ll play at a land-based or online casino.

Brick-and-mortar casinos commonly see you show up to the event early and register in person. Some casinos also let you register through their website.

Registering for an online video poker tourney involves navigating to the casino’s “tournaments” tab. You then scroll down the list of available tournaments and look for a Jacks or Better event.

You’ll be shown relevant information when you select the desired tourney. This info normally includes the following:

• Entry requirements (i.e., buy-in or free)
• Rebuys (if applicable)
• Prize pool
• Start time and date
• Leaderboard

Online Jacks or Better freeroll tournaments don’t require a buy-in. Unless there’s a special VIP requirement, any online casino member can enter these events.

Video Poker Strategy Chart Jacks Or Better

But you need to make a deposit to play in real money online video poker tournaments. This involves visiting the casino’s banking section and finding out which of the available banking options you can use.

Once you fund your account with one of the deposits methods, you’ll be able to enter any Jacks or Better tourney within your buy-in range.

Know the Different Types of Jacks or Better Video Poker Tournaments

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll come across different Jacks or Better tourney formats. These different types of tournaments vary based on the entry requirements.

Here are the main styles of Jacks or Better tournaments that you’ll find at online and brick-and-mortar casinos:

• Buy-in – You pay an entry fee, which goes into the prize pool. The house may also take a small fee out of the buy-in worth 5% or 10%
• Open freeroll – These freerolls are open to any member of a casino. All you must do is register and be ready by the tournament start time
• VIP freeroll – You must be of a certain VIP status to enter these freeroll tournaments

Considerations with Jacks or Better Tournaments

Free Jacks or Better video poker tournaments obviously sound the best. You don’t need to risk anything to play, and you can win prize money.

The downside, though, is that you’ll either be in an overcrowded open freeroll or must obtain special VIP status.

I don’t personally like playing in Jacks or Better open freerolls because so many players are involved. Furthermore, the prize pool is so small in comparison to the field that you have little chance of cashing.

VIP video poker tournaments are worth competing in if you’re invited. But you normally must be a frequent player to receive an invitation.

I like playing Jacks or Better tournaments with buy-ins because the field is proportionate to the prize money. Therefore, you’re not competing against an overcrowded group to win a small amount of money.

The only problem is that you won’t find many buy-in events in land-based casinos. This leaves you having to play the majority of buy-in video poker tournaments at online casinos.

I don’t normally mind this. But sometimes it’s nice to experience a Jacks or Better tournament in a live setting.

Jacks or Better Tournament Rules

In addition to the entry structure, you also want to read a Jacks or Better tournament’s rules before entering. This is crucial because it can affect the optimal strategy.

Here are standard rules for video poker tournaments:

Video Poker Jacks Or Better Basic Strategy

• Timed – A timed tourney lasts for a specified time limit (e.g., 30 minutes). The winner is whoever has the highest score when the time runs out
• Hand limit – These tournaments run for a certain amount of hands (e.g., 400 hands). The winner is whoever has the most credits when everybody has played all their hands
• Credit limit – A credit-limit tourney lasts until every player runs out of credits. The winner is whoever has the biggest bankroll when each player has exhausted their credits
• Combination of credit and time limit – This works like a normal timed tournament. But the twist is that players can run out of credits before the time limit is up

You’ll see more timed Jacks or Better video poker tournaments than anything else. The biggest skill in these games is playing as fast as possible so that you improve your chances of winning more credits.

A timed tournament begins as soon as the clock starts running. If you’re playing in a 20-minute tournament, then you only have 20 minutes to win the most credits possible.

The other type of Jacks or Better tournament is the hand-limit variety. These allow you to slow things down because everybody gets a chance to play the specified amount of hands.

Learn Strategy for Jacks or Better Video Poker Tournaments

Basic strategy is the best place to start learning how to win in Jacks or Better tourneys. It’s good to know how to use optimal strategy on a regular Jacks or Better game before you plunge into the tournament scene.

I’m going to cover how to learn the basics through charts and training programs, along with when you should deviate from common strategy.

Jacks or Better Strategy Chart and Trainer

You won’t have to look very hard for Jacks or Better video poker strategy. This is a very popular game, meaning you can find the strategy on many different sites.

One simple way to learn is by looking at a Jacks or Better strategy chart. The following chart will help you achieve the optimal payback of 0.54% payback in 9/6 Jacks or Better:

I recommend that you look over this chart and use it when learning to play Jacks or Better. This helps you slowly figure out the optimal hands to play in each situation.

Once you familiarize yourself with what hands to play in different situations, you should graduate towards using a trainer. A Jacks or Better trainer corrects your mistakes so that you eventually learn good strategy through repetition.

You can find free 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker trainers just by googling the phrase. This is unlike some video poker machines, which force you to buy software just to practice.

A trainer is the perfect tool for improving at timed tournaments because you don’t have time to use a chart in these events.

Perfect Jacks or Better Video Poker Tournament Differs Based on the Event

Using the correct strategy discussed above is normally a good play in Jacks or Better tourneys. But the optimal strategy can also change based on each individual tournament.

The size of the event will play a large role in what strategy you should employ. Using optimal strategy is the way to go in smaller tourneys because the chances of somebody getting a royal flush are lower.

If you’re playing a timed tournament, you’ll need the ability to make correct strategy decisions in a short time frame. Video poker trainers are perfect for learning this skill.

You can take all the time you need in a hand-limit tournament because there’s no pressure. I recommend these to players who are starting out with tourneys.

You’ll often need a royal flush to win a large video poker tournament. This is where you break from conventional strategy and adopt a royal-only approach.

Jacks Or Better Strategy Chart

As the name implies, this strategy involves only keeping cards that can help you get a royal flush.

Many players will find the royal-only strategy weird because it’s a poor way to play conventional video poker. But somebody often gets a royal in a large tournament, meaning that you also need the top hand to have any chance of winning.

I recommend purchasing a customizable video poker trainer to set up a royal-only Jacks or Better strategy. This allows you to practice the right approach so that you’re prepared for bigger tournaments.

Jacks or Better video poker tournaments present a fun way to play a classic video poker variation. And you can use the information in this post to make your transition to tourneys a smooth one.

Jacks Or Better Optimal Strategy

The key is knowing the differences between Jacks or Better tournament and regular play. And the most notable difference is that you’ll see new formats and rules introduced.

The rules that you’ll see in Jacks or Better events include timed, hand-limit, and combination tournaments. Different formats include buy-in, open freerolls, and VIP freerolls.

You’ll obviously be playing to win any Jacks or Better video poker tournament that you enter. Therefore, it’s important to know that optimal strategy can vary based on the size of a tournament.

Jacks Or Better Strategy Calculator

Standard Jacks or Better strategy works well in smaller events. But you’ll need to chase a royal flush when you’re competing against dozens or hundreds of players.

Once you gain some experience in Jacks or Better tournaments, you’ll have a better idea of what you like. Your chances of winning will also improve.

Jacks Or Better Basic Strategy