An Introduction to Jacks or Better Video Poker

One of the most popular video poker games is Jacks or Better. The game is based on the original poker game, where a player must form the best possible hand out of five cards. The least a player can have – to form a winning hand – is a pair of Jacks. Incidentally, this is the reason why the game is called Jacks or Better.

Every round starts with the player receiving five cards. The player can choose which cards they wish to keep and which cards they wish to dispose of. Once they have disposed of the unwanted cards in their hand, they receive new cards to help form a winning hand. This is when the round ends and the player is paid depending on the strength of their hand. Jacks or Better is extremely straightforward to learn but players must be aware of how strong their hand is. Below, we have included a quick guide on the strengths of each hand, from the weakest to the strongest:

Two of a Kind – A hand that contains at least two matching cards. For instance, a pair of 5s.
Three of a Kind – A hand with at least three matching cards. For instance, three 6s.
Two Pair– A hand that contains two pairs. For instance, two 3s and two 5s.
Full House – A hand that has a three of a kind and a pair. An example of this is three 7s and two 10s.
Flush – A hand in which all the cards have the same suit. An example of this is the 3, 6, 7, 9 and A of Hearts.
Straight – A hand in which five consecutive numbers complete a sequence. For instance, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Ace can be used at either end of the sequence: (A, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10, J, Q, K, A).
Outside Straight– A hand that can be made into a straight from either end of the sequence. For instance, if a player is dealt 8, 9, 10, 2, J – they can replace the two in hopes of receiving a 7 or a Q. Either card will complete the straight.
Inside Straight – A hand that can be made into a straight by receiving a specific number within the sequence. For instance, if a player is dealt 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 – they can replace the 10 in hopes of a 5 to complete the straight.
Straight Flush – A hand that is both a straight and a flush. For instance, A, 2, 3, 4, 5 of Club.
Royal Flush – A straight flush that includes the strongest cards in a deck. Thus, the 10, J, Q, K, A of any card suit.

How to Play Jacks or Better

Essentially, Jacks or Better is an easy to learn game because the idea is to try and form the strongest possible poker hand. The stronger your hand is, the bigger payout you will receive. We have given an example of how to determine which cards to dispose of when forming a winning combination. These are the card combinations that you should hold onto from strongest to weakest:

Hold onto a full house or better
Hold onto the 4 cards to try and complete a royal flush
Hold onto a straight, three of a kind or a flush
Hold onto the 4 cards to a straight flush
Hold onto Two pairs
Hold onto a high pair (Jacks or Better)
Hold onto the three cards towards a royal flush
Hold onto four cards to a flush
Hold onto a low pair (10 or less)
Hold onto four cards towards an outside straight
Hold onto 2 suited high cards
Hold onto 3 cards towards a straight flush
Hold onto 2 unsuited high cards (if you have more, pick the lowest 2)
Hold onto a suited 10/K, 10/Q, 10/K
Hold onto one high cards
Dispose of all five cards

This may be difficult to remember at first, but after practicing, getting accustomed to disposing the less valuable cards will become second nature.

Jacks or Better Pay Table and Variants

Because Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker game online, there are full pay games available and low pay variants. The difference between the two is found in the Pay Table, with slight changes in how well a full house pays and how well a flush pays. The three main variants are:

9/6 Jacks or Better
9/5 Jacks or Better
8/6 Jacks or Better

Essentially, these games all share a similar pay table, with every bet of 2 to 5 coins receiving exactly the same payout. However, when placing only 1 coin, the payout for a Full House and Flush will differ. This in turn also affects the Return To Player (RTP) payback. Let’s take a look at how.

Here is a chart when betting with only 1 coin for 9/6 Jacks or Better:

Royal Flush – 250 coins payout
Straight Flush – 50 coins payout
4 of a Kind – 25 coins payout
Full House – 9 coins payout
Flush – 6 coins payout
Straight – 4 coins payout
3 of a Kind – 3 coins payout
2 Pairs – 2 coins payout
Jacks or Better – 1 coin payout

Here is a chart when betting with only 1 coin for 9/5 Jacks or Better:

Royal Flush – 250 coins payout
Straight Flush – 50 coins payout
4 of a Kind – 25 coins payout
Full House – 9 coins payout
Flush – 5 coins payout
Straight – 4 coins payout
3 of a Kind – 3 coins payout
2 Pairs – 2 coins payout
Jacks or Better – 1 coin payout

Here is a chart when betting with only 1 coin for 8/6 Jacks or Better:

Royal Flush – 250 coins payout
Straight Flush – 50 coins payout
4 of a Kind – 25 coins payout
Full House – 8 coins payout
Flush – 6 coins payout
Straight – 4 coins payout
3 of a Kind – 3 coins payout
2 Pairs – 2 coins payout
Jacks or Better – 1 coin payout

Essentially, the only difference between the variants is found in the Full House and Flush payouts. When betting with more than one coin (2, 3, 4 or 5), every payout remains exactly the same for all variants. However, for low rollers, the full pay version of Jacks or Better is the best option, the 9/6 variant.

Each of these variations will also slightly affect the RTP. The percentage value is minimal, but is still important:

9/6 Jacks or Better – 99.54% RTP
9/5 Jacks or Better – 98.45% RTP
8/6 Jacks or Better – 98.39% RTP

Essentially, Jacks or Better 9/6 is the ideal game for players that want to experience the full pays version of the game. The other thing to consider is the leap from 4 coins to 5 coins when landing a Royal Flush.

For each variant of Jacks or Better, combining a Royal Flush with 4 coins will pay 1,000 coins. However, when matching the exact hand with 5 coins, a Royal Flush will pay 4,000 coins. This jump in payout is astronomical. Thus, if you want to claim the highest payback, you ought to place the maximum number of coins and hope for a Royal Flush.

Three Examples of Disposing Cards

1^st Example: If a player is dealt the King of Diamonds, 5 of Spades, 4 of Clubs, 7 of Hearts and 9 of Hearts, they only have one high card. In this scenario, the player should dispose of all cards except the King of Diamonds.
2^nd Example: If a player is dealt a 6 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs, 7 of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts and 7 of Hearts, they already have a three of a kind. In this scenario, the player should dispose of the 6 and Q, holding onto their 3 of a kind and hope for the fourth 7 of Spades to land.
3^rd Example: If a player is dealt a 3 of Diamonds, 5 of Clubs, 7 of Hearts, 10 of Clubs and 4 of Diamonds, they have four cards to an inside straight – namely, 3, 4, 5 and 7. The player should dispose of the 10 and hope to draw a 6.