A Guide to Tens or Better Video Poker

Tens or Better is a video poker game that is hugely popular among online poker players. It is a variant that is based upon Jacks or Better. Although, in Jacks or Better, players must be holding a pair of Jacks in order to form a winner. As the name suggests, Tens or Better is slightly easier, as players win by holding at least a pair of Tens.

While you will win for a pair of tens, it is the game’s lowest payout. Obviously, the stronger your hand is the better. The action starts when you are dealt a hand of five cards. You will then have to pick out which of those cards you intend to keep (to form a winning hand) and which ones you wish to dispose of. It is important to know which cards to dispose of and which to keep. However, to know this, you must have a good knowledge of poker hands and be able to spot the potential of what you are holding.

Tens or Better Rules

There are many Tens or Better games that will automatically hold your cards if they are part of a winning combination. When you dispose of cards, they are replaced with new cards and the round then ends. You will either win or lose, depending on what cards you hold and whether they are part of a winning combination. Remember, the bare minimum you need to hold are a pair of 10s.

To ensure that you play in a smart way, you should know that most video poker games offer an enhanced payout for a Royal Flush (the strongest hand) when playing with the maximum number of coins. Thus, it is advised to bet the maximum number of coins, even if that means reducing the value of the coins. For instance, if you can only spend €0.50 per game, it is better to bet five coins of €0.10 than one coin worth €0.50.

Below, we have included the poker hands that you need to know for Tens or Better. The hands are listed from the weakest to the strongest.

Tens or Better – A hand that has at least a pair of 10s or higher.
Two of a Kind – A hand that has at least two matching cards (such as two 5s).
Two Pair – A hand has two pairs – such as two 6s and two 7s.
Three of a Kind – A hand that has three cards with the same value – for instance three 3s.
Straight– A hand that has all five cards in numerical order. If you can form a sequence such as 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 – that is considered a straight.
Flush– A hand that has five cards from the same suit. An example of this is the 2, 5, 6, 8, 10 of Hearts.
Full House – A hand that has two pairs and a three of a kind. For instance, two 7s and three 8s.
Four of a Kind – A hand that has four cards with the same value – for instance, four Kings.
Straight Flush– A hand that has five cards in numerical order and has the same suit. For instance, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of spades.
Royal Flush– A hand that is a straight flush but uses the highest cards. Only 10, J, Q, K, A of spades/clubs/diamonds/hearts is considered a Royal Flush.

Tens or Better Strategy

To improve your chances of winning at Tens or Better, it is advised to follow basic strategy. It may be tricky to learn at first, but given time and practice, you will get the hang of it. Tens or Better is easier to play when using a strategy chart. The strategy chart will tell you exactly what you need to do with the cards that you are dealt.

First things first, any hand that has a high card such as Ten, Jack, Queen, King or Ace is considered valuable. In addition, it is important to know the difference between an Open Ended Straight and Inside Straight. If you have the cards 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, you should discard the 9 and hope to get either a 3 or 8. This is called an Open Ended Straight as either 3 or 8 can complete the combination. If your cards are 4, 5, 6, 8, K, you should discard the K and look to receive exactly a 7. This is called an Inside Straight, as only one specific card will complete the sequence. Below, we have included several actions for certain hands that you may come across:

Royal Flush – Do not dispose of any card
Straight Flush - Do not dispose of any card
4 of a Kind – Dispose of 1 card that is not involved
4 cards to a Royal Flush - Dispose of the card that does not complete the Royal Flush
Full House - Do not dispose of any card
Flush - Do not dispose of any card
Straight - Do not dispose of any card
3 of a Kind – Dispose the 2 cards that are not part of the combination
4 cards to a Straight Flush – Dispose the card that is not part of the combination
2 Pair - Dispose the card that is not part of the combination
High Pair (Tens to Aces) - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
3 cards to a Royal Flush - Discard the 2 cards not involved
4 cards to a Flush - Dispose the card that is not part of the combination
10, J, Q, K - Dispose the card that is not part of the combination
1 Pair - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
4 cards to a Straight with 3 High Cards - Dispose the card that is not part of the combination
3 cards to a Straight Flush - Dispose the 2 cards that are not part of the combination
3 cards to a Straight with 3 High Cards - Dispose the 2 cards that are not part of the combination
2 Suited High Cards - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
4 cards to an Open Ended Straight - Dispose the card that is not part of the combination J, Q, K - Discard the 2 cards not involved
K, Q or K, J - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
2 cards to a Royal Flush - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
Suited 10, J or 10, Q - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
2 High Cards - Dispose the 3 cards that are not part of the combination
1 High Card - Dispose the 4 cards that are not part of the combination
Anything else – Dispose all 5 cards

We take a look at examples of these hands so that you get the picture.

Example 1

You are dealt: 5 Clubs, 5 Hearts, King Spades, 5 Diamonds, 5 Spades.

In this scenario, you already have a four of a kind and a King of Spades. In this case, you should dispose of the King and hold all other cards. It is a guaranteed win with no chance of making the hand any stronger.

Example 2

You are dealt: 4 Clubs, 5 Spades, 6 Diamonds, 7 Spades, 7 Hearts

In this scenario, your cards can be played in a number of ways. You can either keep the 4, 5, 6 and 7 and dispose of the other 7 to win an Open Ended Straight. Or, you can choose to keep two 7s and dispose of the other three cards to hope for a three of a kind or four of a kind. In the list above, you can see that having 1 pair is higher than having 4 cards to an Open Ended Straight. Thus, it is advised to keep hold of the 7s and dispose of the rest, aiming for a stronger winning hand.

Scenario 3

You are dealt: 9 Spades, 6 Spades, 3 Hearts, 5 Spades, 8 Diamonds

In this scenario, you are dealt cards that have 3 matching suits (spades) and can also be part of a straight (5, 6, 9). It is advised to dispose of the 3 and possibly the 8 to go for a Flush or a Straight.