Jacks-or- Better

Jacks-or-Better is a popular version of video poker where the lowest winning hand is a pair of Jacks. It's a straightforward game that's easy to understand, making it a good choice for beginners.

What is Jacks-or-Better?

Jacks-or-Better is a type of video poker game that is widely available in both online and land-based casinos. The name comes from the fact that the lowest (or least valuable) hand that can win a payout is a pair of Jacks. Any hand that is a pair of lower value (tens or lower) doesn't win anything.

In Jacks-or-Better, players are dealt five cards and can choose to discard any number of them to draw new cards, aiming to make the best possible hand. The stronger the hand, the more the player wins.

Understanding Jacks-or-Better

Jacks-or-Better is a game of both chance and strategy. Players must decide which cards to keep and which to discard to build the best possible hand. The strategy comes in knowing the probabilities of drawing certain hands and understanding the payout structure.

For instance, in a standard Jacks-or-Better game, a full house pays 9 times the original bet, while a flush pays 6 times. This payout structure is often referred to as "9/6 Jacks-or-Better". Naturally, the payouts for elite hands like royal flushes and straight flushes are often very high. Many find that the enjoyment of the game comes in trying to achieve these rare, elite hands, where the reward is extremely lucrative.

Playing Jacks-or-Better

To play Jacks-or-Better, you first choose how many coins to bet (typically between 1 and 5). You're then dealt five cards. You can choose to hold or discard any number of cards. New cards are then dealt to replace the discarded ones. If your final hand is a pair of Jacks or better, you win a payout according to the game's paytable.

Example of "Jacks-or-Better"

You're playing Jacks-or-Better and your initial hand is Jack of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts, 7 of Clubs, and 2 of Spades. You decide to hold the pair of Jacks and the Queen, and discard the other two cards. You draw a Queen of Diamonds and a King of Hearts, giving you two pairs and a winning hand.

• "I was playing Jacks-or-Better and ended up with a full house."
• "She drew a pair of Queens in her Jacks-or-Better game, winning her bet."
• "He managed to draw a royal flush in his game of Jacks-or-Better, winning the maximum payout."