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Improve Your Returns In Jacks Or Better Video Poker

 

Jacks or Better is the most popular video poker variant at online casinos. If you wager on this game using optimum strategy you will end up with average returns of over 99%. However, if you do not hold on to the correct cards you will have to settle for considerably lower returns. This article outlines the basic Jacks or Better strategy, ideal for new players. It is simple to understand, remember and implement.

The first thing you need to check is whether you have an “unmade hand”. This is a dealt hand that has no winning combinations according to the Jacks or Better payout table. You will have to memorize a list of hand rankings given below. The advantage of playing video poker online is that you can keep this list in front of you. The list in descending order is four cards to a royal flush, four cards to a straight flush, three cards to a royal flush, four cards to a flush, low pairs, four cards to a straight, three cards to a straight flush, two cards to a royal flush, two unpaired cards higher than jack and one card higher than jack. In the basic Jacks or Better strategy, low pairs are defined as a pair of tens or lower. You will then have to select those cards to hold, which give you the highest possible hand ranking in the list. If your dealt hand is such that you cannot make any of the hand rankings in the list, you should replace all five cards.

If your dealt hand has a winning combination then you should follow this rule: never break a winning combination, except in the following two cases. You should break a jacks or better pair if you can retain four cards to a straight flush. If you hold four cards to a royal flush then you must discard the fifth card even if it makes a winning combination.

Actually there is a thing you must check before you start playing Jacks or Better. Look at the payout table and confirm that the payout for full house is 9 to 1 and the payout for flush is 6 to 1. In video poker jargon this payout table is referred to as 9-6 version. Some online casinos offer 8-6 and even 8-5 versions. These must be avoided at all costs. The online casinos recommended by WinnerCasino.com all offer the 9-6 version of Jacks or Better.

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