How to Play Jacks or Better

There are many different variations of poker; one of the most popular and widely played is Jacks Wild or Jacks or better, and in this game having a pair of Jacks or higher ranking cards will result in larger payouts. Jacks or Better is a really easy game to pick up and is played like 5-card stud on a console that is similar to a slot machine, often with high pot amounts to be won. Jacks or Better video poker can be played in both land based casinos and online casinos with great satisfaction and ease.

The Starting Hands

When the game begins with you are dealt 5 cards. You will then need to decide whether to keep those cards or discard some or all of them in order to opt for a re-draw. The best starting hands are as follows;

Two pair or Better - if you have a pair of Jacks or Better, then you will qualify for a payout. If your hand consists or two pairs, three of a kind, straight flush, royal flush or a full house then you will most likely be at the top of the payout table.

Pay Pair - this hand simply consists of a pair of Jacks or higher

Non-pay Pair - if you have a hand that has a pair, but it is lower than Jacks, such as 10s then it is worthwhile keeping these cards in order to try to achieve a better hand such as a full house.

Two Pay Cards - if you are dealt a hand that features two paying cards such as King or Queen, then you can choose to keep these cards in order to gain a pair or better.

One Pay Card - you are most likely to be dealt a hand that only features one pay card such as a Jack or a hand which doesn't have any pay cards. If your hand doesn't have any pay cards then you should request to re-draw all cards. If the hand has one pay card then you can keep that card and re-draw the rest.

Inside and outside straights

An inside straight is a hand which is one card short of completing a straight, whereas outside straight is two cards short. Bet carefully with this hand until either the straight has been achieved or another favourable hand such as a pair has been achieved.

The Draw

Don't draw 3 cards to a straight, flush or royal flush unless there is nothing better that can be presented. This is a common rookie mistake and should be avoided where possible.