As you already know, video poker is based on the classic five-card draw poker and although there are many variants of the casino game, the most popular is Jacks or Better. Since it is the original game, based on five-card draw poker, many fans of the classic game enjoy playing Jacks or Better.
About Jacks or Better Poker. If you like poker and slot machines, put them together and you've got Jacks or Better Poker! Unlike slots, there is some degree of strategy and skill involved in this free online video poker game, making Jacks or Better a fun game both for. 8/5 Jacks or Better - 97.30%. 8/5 Jacks or Better is a very common variation of Jacks or Better that reduces the payout percentage to 97.30% - 2.24% worse than a full pay machine. Payouts for Full Houses and Flushes are reduced to 8x and 5x. Here's he 8/5 Jacks or Better pay table. Jacks or Better is was the first variant of video poker to be produced, which is why its play closely resembles the original Draw Poker game. As in most online video poker games, a hand of Jacks or Better begins with the player’s bet. He is then dealt five cards which he may keep or discard in search of a better hand at his choice.
Another reason why Jacks or Better is preferred by many casino devotees is the huge advantage one can gain when using the right type of strategy. Video poker is definitely with a higher RTP, compared to many other casino variations and Jacks or Better is definitely the type of game that can promise a generous expected return.
Bonus Amount
- Bonus$300
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While it is true that Jacks or Better provides wonderful opportunities for a fruitful play, you should be able to recognize which variations of the game are worth playing and which ones you better avoid. For this, you will need to check the payouts for winning hands and use the right strategy that can be applied to the exact game you are playing.
How to Play Jacks or Better
Whenever you wish to play a thrilling and rewarding game, you can always resort to making real-money bets on Jacks or Better. If you are familiar with the rules of five-card draw poker, then you will have no issue playing this variation of video poker. However, there is the difference of not betting against other players and the lack of bluffing or raising your bet.
The main goal in order to enjoy a successful game of Jacks or Better is to have at least a pair of Jacks in order to be paid out. The great thing about all versions of video poker is that even if you are not dealt a winning hand on the initial draw, you have the chance to replace some or all of your cards and form an entirely new hand which offer a better payout. The same applies for Jacks or Better and if you come across a high-paying variation and know how to use an ultimate strategy, you can enjoy very fruitful gameplay.
How to Play Jacks or Better Additional TipsYou start the game by deciding how many coins to wager. Usually, the maximum amount you can bet is 5 credits and their denomination can be ¢25, $1 or sometimes even more. Usually, players are advised to always bet the maximum amount of coins as this is the only way to be eligible to receive the best possible payout for Royal Flush.
Once you are dealt your initial hand, you will have to decide which cards to hold and which ones to discard. After that, the cards you have decided to change, will be replaced by other randomly chosen cards from the deck. In order to enjoy a better payout, you have to form the best hand possible, for this purpose, you will need to know the hand ranking in Jacks or Better and also check the payouts for each hand.
Variations of Jacks or Better and Their Paytables
If you are interested in playing Jacks or Better, you should know that there are actually several variations of the game but you can easily distinguish them thanks to their different payouts. This way, you will be able to select the game which offers the best winning odds and will ensure you profitable gambling.
Full-Pay Jacks or Better
Just like with other video poker variations, Jacks or Better will give you the biggest advantage if you play a full-pay version. This is also known as 9/6 Jacks or Better thanks to the payouts of 9 to 1 for a Full House and 6 to 1 for a Flush. Those two hands will show you whether the version you have come across is a full-pay one. If any of these two hands pay less, there is no doubt that you have found a short-pay option. If you use optimal strategy on a full-pay version of Jacks or Better, you can enjoy an expected return of 99.54%.
The paytable for 9/6 looks like this:
Hand | Paytable |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 to 1 up to 4,000 coins for betting 5 coins |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 |
Full House | 9 to 1 |
Flush | 6 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
8/5 Jacks or Better
![Progressive Progressive](https://cdnassets.hw.net/1e/37/68ec4291436f8bf03cccf7dbb5ea/tmpd858-2etmp-tcm122-2047195.jpg)
While it is true that video poker aficionados will benefit the most from playing a full-pay version of Jacks or Better, sometimes it is difficult to find such an option. This is why players can often opt for an 8/5 version. This is a variation which can be easily spotted as the payouts for Full House and Flush have been lowered to respectively 8 to 1 and 5 to 1. While you cannot achieve the same high advantage as with the full-pay version, when using an optimal strategy, you can enjoy odds of 97.30%.
The paytable for 8/5 looks like this:
Hand | Paytable |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 to 1 up to 4,000 coins for betting 5 coins |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
Four of a Kind | 25 to 1 |
Full House | 8 to 1 |
Flush | 5 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 2 to 1 |
Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
While 8/5 Jacks or Better is a less advantageous version, there are actually many variants of the game which incorporate a progressive jackpot. As we have mentioned in the article about progressive video poker, options which offer a cumulative jackpot do not have a fixed house edge. This is why a Jacks or Better variation with a progressive jackpot can be a great game as it can offer the same expected return as the full-pay version.
Bonus Poker Deluxe Jacks or Better 8/5
In addition to progressive jackpots, there are also other ways to enjoy fruitful gambling on an 8/5 Jacks or Better variant. If you come across a game that offers bonus payouts for certain special winning hands, then you can definitely revel in lucrative gameplay. One of those variants is Bonus Poker Deluxe Jacks or Better 8/5. If you use the right type of strategy, you can gain an advantage of 97.40% which is definitely a better option than the standard 8/5 version of Jacks or Better.
The paytable for Bonus Poker Deluxe Jacks or Better 8/5 looks like this:
Hand | Paytable |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 to 1 up to 4,000 coins for betting 5 coins |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
Four of a Kind | 80 to 1 |
Full House | 8 to 1 |
Flush | 5 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, with this version, you have a much higher payout for Four of a Kind which awards 80 to 1, rather than the typical 25 to 1. This special payout gives players better chances for lucrative gambling. If you happen to find a version of Bonus Poker Deluxe Jacks or Better with an 8/6 payout, you will be able to gain a bigger advantage of 98.49% and if you are lucky enough to come across a 9/6 version, you will be playing with the odds of 99.64% which are even better than the ones of the full-pay Jacks or Better variant.
Double Bonus Jacks or Better 9/6
This is yet another interesting variant of Jacks or Better. While some hands offer better payouts, there is a change in the lowest-valued hand that will result in a payout. This is why players have to form at least Three of a Kind in order to be paid out while playing Double Bonus Jacks or Better. If you utilize an ultimate strategy, you will be able to enjoy an expected return of 98.98% which indicates that this is one of the best options you can play at a casino.
The paytable for Double Bonus Jacks or Better 9/6 looks like this:
Hand | Paytable |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 to 1 up to 4,000 coins for betting 5 coins |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
Four Aces | 160 to 1 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 80 to 1 |
Four 5s – Kings | 50 to 1 |
Full House | 9 to 1 |
Flush | 6 to 1 |
Straight | 4 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, making any Four of a Kind hand on this variation of Jacks or Better will be very rewarding. This is why many video poker devotees take pleasure in playing this game and enjoy a fruitful experience when they use the right strategy.
Double Bonus Jacks or Better 10/7
Another more popular variation of Double Bonus that you can often see is the 10/7 one. This payout indicates that you will receive 10 credits for 1 on a Full house, while a Flush will pay 7 to 1. This Jacks or Better variant offers great payouts for several hands but it also introduces some changes to the paytable. Even though you cannot surpass 100% of an expected return, you will still enjoy great odds when using an optimal strategy. The odds on Double Bonus Jacks or Better 10/7 when playing with a perfect strategy are estimated at 99.71%.
The paytable for Double Bonus Jacks or Better 10/7 looks like this:
Hand | Paytable |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 to 1 and an increase to 4,000 coins for betting 5 coins |
Straight Flush | 50 to 1 |
Four Aces | 160 to 1 |
Four 2s, 3s or 4s | 80 to 1 |
Four 5s – Kings | 50 to 1 |
Full House | 10 to 1 |
Flush | 7 to 1 |
Straight | 5 to 1 |
Three of a Kind | 3 to 1 |
Two Pair | 1 to 1 |
Pair of Jacks or Better | 1 to 1 |
As you can see, you have higher payouts for Full House, Flush and Straight. However, in the 10/7 variant of Double Bonus, there are some changes when making a maximum bet. When staking 5 coins, you will win only 239 credits on Straight Flush, instead of 250.
Jacks or Better Strategy
While video poker does allow players to enjoy a very lucrative casino adventure due to an extremely low house edge, the one way to really gain a bigger advantage is to use a Basic Strategy. In order to be able to experience the best possible outcome on Jacks or Better, you have to know the specific strategy that will allow you to stack up great payouts.
Before you start playing with a strategy, however, make sure that you have chosen the video poker game which will provide the highest payouts. This way you will be able to boost your gaming budget significantly. You can easily print out strategy charts and use them at both land-based and virtual casinos.
The Basic Strategy for Jacks or Better helps you decide which cards are worth holding when you are dealt a specific hand.
If you are holding Royal Flush, Four of a Kind or Straight Flush, you should keep all of your cards. If you have 4 cards to a Straight Flush, then you should only discard the 5th card, even if it helps to form a lower-paying hand.
Jacks or Better Additional Strategy TipsYou should keep several hands whenever they are dealt on the first draw. Those include Two Pair, a Pair of Jacks or better, 3 cards to a Royal Flush, 4 cards to a Flush, a low Pair of 10s or lower, 4 cards to an Open Straight, two cards of the same suit whenever they are Jacks or better, 3 cards to a Straight Flush. You should also hold any two cards that are accompanied by a Jack or a higher card. If you have more than two cards in the same type of hand, then you should hold the two lowest cards as this will maximize your chances of landing a Straight.
Whenever you are dealt suited J-Q-K, then you should hold that hand. One card, Jack or better are also worth holding. If you are dealt a hand which has none of the mentioned combinations, then you should discard all five cards and draw new ones from the deck.
Tips to Improve Your Jacks or Better Play
Video poker is a very entertaining casino game in general but those who know how to play it and make the most of it, will end up enjoying a very fruitful casino experience. In order to be able to boost your winnings on Jacks or Better, you should follow several tips that will elevate your gameplay.
One of the most important things you should always keep in mind is the variation of video poker you are about to play for real money. Take a look at the paytable carefully of each Jacks or Better variant you encounter and settle for the option that provides the most lucrative outcome. This will guarantee you better winning odds and a better outcome even if you do not form the highest-paying hand. While full-pay variants are the best, they are difficult to find which would mean that you might have to pick a game with slightly lower payouts.
Use the right strategy which will help you to make the best decision every time. Since you are playing Jacks or Better, do not resort to a strategy that applies to a different variation of video poker. What is more, some Jacks or Better machines do have higher payouts for certain hands which means that the strategy may switch in favor of forming these hands more frequently.
Last but not least, you should set the time you are willing to spend playing and also choose the budget you are willing to stake. If you cannot afford to bet huge amounts, choose video poker games that have a lower denomination of the coins. This way, you will be able to make maximum bets but stake a lower amount. If you happen to be on a losing streak, forget about chasing your losses. Once you have reached your spending limit, stop playing. If you keep in mind these simple tips, you can definitely enjoy a fun and rewarding Jacks or Better experience.
If you’ve made it through the wilds of the internet to find your way here, you probably know all about basic strategy for Jacks or Better video poker already.
With basic strategy guidelines out of the way, many Jacks or Better players mistakenly believe that their tutelage on video poker’s foundational game has come to an end. While it is true that learning basic strategy is an essential first step in a quality Jacks or Better education, it is just that – a first step.
Once you’ve mastered the ins and outs of playing your five-card draws with optimal precision, you’re definitely in business and there’s no doubt about that.
Nonetheless, the best Jacks or Better players out there – world-renowned professionals like Bob Dancer who consistently beat the house by playing at an expert level – never rest on their laurels.
I don’t believe Jacks or Better enthusiasts should ever limit themselves to the confines of basic strategy. Learn it, by all means, but always follow through by enhancing your basic strategy knowledge with supplementary skills and strategies designed to extract every possible edge from Jacks or Better’s basic rules and gameplay. Best sports betting forums.
To that end, the list below highlights four rules and strategies for Jacks or Better video poker that most players simply don’t know enough about.
1 – Betting the Maximum of 5 Coins Is the Only Way to Score Premium Payouts on a Royal
If you’ve been spending time in video poker parlors or you’ve gambled on online video poker sites, you’ve probably heard regulars admonishing rookies who don’t bet all five coins:
“Hey, whaddya doin’ there guy? You’re only helpin’ the casino out by bettin’ less than the max.”
Unfortunately, while these self-styled mentors are quick to dole advice like that out, they seldom back it up with a real explanation as to exactly why maximum bets are the best play. 4 winds hotel.
8/5 Jacks Or Better
I’ve got you covered though, so scan at the standard 9/6 full pay Jacks or Better pay table show below:
Jacks or Better Full Pay Table (by Coins Bets)
HAND | 1 COIN | 2 COINS | 3 COINS | 4 COINS | 5 COINS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 4000 |
Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
4 of a Kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
Full House | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
3 of a Kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
Two Pair | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Payback | 98.3% | 98.3% | 98.3% | 98.3% | 99.54% |
This pay table can be fund flashing in yellow print from hundreds of thousands of Game King machines found in casinos all over the world.
I want you to focus on how the payouts for each hand, except the best hand, escalate according to a steady pattern. No matter the size of your bet, making two pair is always good for a 2 to 1 payout in terms of coins. In other words, bet 1 coin and get 2 back for two pair; bet 2 coins and get 4 back, etc.
This pattern holds up even for a straight flush, which pays out at 50 to 1 for each coin wagered. You can bet 4 coins and get 200 back for a straight flush, or 5 coins for 250 back, but it all boils down to the same 50 to 1 payout.
But get a load of that Royal Flush payout, which starts at 250 to 1 for a 1-coin bet. Royal payouts climb according to the same pattern for 1-4 coins bet, until you hit that 5-coin max bet level. There, landing a Royal Flush is good for a whopping 4,000 to 1 payout.
This “jackpot” element is crucial to Jacks or Better strategy, because as the table’s bottom column clearly shows, even a 9/6 full pay game won’t offer the 99.54 percent payback rate that makes this game so great for players.
Simply put, when you bet anything less than 5 coins per hand, you’re doing the casino a massive favor. Not only does the house’s liability drop severely on Royal Flushes, but every hand you play suddenly changes from 99.54 percent payback to 98.30 percent.
Fortunately, the Game King machine – and the top-rated online casinos offering Jacks or Better – lets players choose their coin denomination. Spin palace review. So if betting 5 coins at $1 per is too rich for your blood (and bankroll), just dial it back to the $0.25 coin denomination and max-bet for $1.25 per hand.
2 – Hunting for the 9/6 Full Pay Machines and Never Settling for Less
That 99.54 percent payback rate is what brings so many sharp gamblers out of the woodwork to play Jacks or Better.
Expressed in terms of house edge, the game only lends the casino a 0.46 percent advantage, putting Jacks or Better on par with blackjack and other popular casino games.
But that’s only when you play against the 9/6 full pay table shown below:
Jacks or Better Full Pay Table
HAND | PAYOUT |
---|---|
Royal Flush | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 |
Full House | 9 |
Flush | 6 |
Straight | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 |
Jacks or Better | 1 |
All Other | 0 |
As you might have noticed by now, many video poker games out there today don’t actually offer the 9/6 full pay table.
Instead, the casinos try to get one over on players by offering machines that use one of the inferior pay tables shown below:
Inferior Jacks or Better Pay Tables (by Payback Percentage)
HAND | 9/5 | 8/6 | 8/5 | 7/5 | 6/5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Flush | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 |
Straight Flush | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Four of a Kind | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Full House | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
Flush | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Straight | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Three of a Kind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Two Pair | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Jacks or Better | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Payback Percentage | 98.44% | 98.39% | 97.29% | 96.14% | 94.99% |
These pay tables are, pardon my French, pure B.S. By tweaking just a single payout downward, casinos can turn Jacks or Better into a sucker game on par with slots.
Here’s how Bob Dancer, known in the gambling world as the “King of Video Poker,” described the creeping shift away from 9/6 full pay machines:
“The machines at Station have been getting a lot tighter. Most players think there will be no 100 percent games by the end of the year at Station Casinos.
They have 100 percent machines, but they have more at the middle of the spectrum and a whole lot near the bottom. Station appears to be catering to the less-knowledgeable player.
But no one should play at a machine that pays less than 99 percent. There are too many 99 percent machines around town.”
3 – Knowing the Odds Against Making Every Possible Paying Hand
Everyone knows a full house beats a flush or a straight in poker, so naturally, it pays out more than those hands in Jacks or Better.
But did you know it’s actually slightly more difficult to make a flush or a straight in Jacks or Better than it is a full house?
Well, that’s a fact, as the table below shows off quite clearly:
Probabilities and Odds Against for Paying Hands in Jacks or Better
8/5 Jacks Or Better Video Poker Strategy
HAND | PROBABILITY | ODDS |
---|---|---|
Royal Flush | 0.003% | 1 in 40,391 |
Straight Flush | 0.012% | 1 in 9,148 |
Four of a Kind | 0.236% | 1 in 423 |
Full House | 1.151% | 1 in 87 |
Flush | 1.119% | 1 in 91 |
Straight | 1.104% | 1 in 89 |
Three of a Kind | 7.439% | 1 in 13 |
Two Pair | 12.921% | 1 in 7.7 |
Jacks or Better | 21.370% | 1 in 4.7 |
Nothing | 54.647% | 1 in 1.8 |
Total | 100.000% |
As you can see, the odds against making a full house, flush, and straight are almost identical. Knowing this, when you have starting hands that allow for multiple draws to these hands, always opt for the full house and it’s juiced up payout.
4 – Playing Faster to Make Long Odds More Attainable
In that table above, you can see that landing a Royal in Jacks or Better is a huge longshot at 1 in 40,391 odds against.
Playing through more than 40,000 hands to realize those odds may seem like an impossible task, but it doesn’t have to be.
Just ask “Dr. Antonius,” a video poker speed-runner who holds the world record for fastest Jacks or Better session ever recorded. You can watch the good doctor do his thing down below:
8/5 Jacks Or Better Strategy
But here’s the scoop. Using perfect basic strategy, Dr. Antonius completed 2,262 hands in a single hour. Thus, it would only take him 17 hours or so of grinding to reach the 40,391-hand threshold.
Obviously, you don’t have to play at world-record pace to improve your odds of a Royal. But playing faster is the best way to churn out enough hands to realize those longshot odds.
Conclusion
Jacks or Better basic strategy is like a key that opens a treasure chest stuffed with gold and jewels. In theory, when wielded in the right hands, using the hard and fast rules for discard / draw decisions can turn Jacks or Better into one of the best games in the house. But that advantage remains entirely theoretical when players don’t know about the other rules and strategies found above.
8/5 Jacks Or Better Progressive
The folks who don’t bet all 5 coins per hand, sit down at inferior non-full pay tables, or play too quickly or slowly for their personal bankroll requirements instantly sacrifice all of the extra equity basic strategy provides. Knowing this, you should never put a penny in a Jacks or Better machine until you’ve checked all four rules and strategies found here off your to-do list.