What is Jacks or Better?
Jacks or Better is known as being the first variation of video poker games. The goal in the game is to get the card Jacks or a card higher in rank than Jacks. The game combines both strategy and chance, which makes it an ideal game to play for a wide range of casino players.
Jacks or Better Rules
Jacks or Better is usually played with 2 rounds. The 1st round allows you to hold cards. The 2nd round is called the “showdown” where the results of the cards will be shown.
Before the first round can begin, you must place an ante. After the ante is placed, the dealer deals out 5 cards. Your task is to choose which cards to discards and which cards to keep.
The actual 1st game round begins, once you have managed to present a Jacks. If you don’t have a Jacks, you must muck your hand.Once you have mucked your hand, the machine deals 5 cards again.
In round 2, you must present a pair of Queens or better, before you make a bet. If you can’t present a pair of Queens or better, you need to muck your cards.
Once you have mucked your cards, you must place an ante. Once the ante is placed, you get 5 new cards from the dealer. As long as you remain in the round, you can draw up to a maximum of 5 cards per round. Each round always ends with a showdown, where you have to present your combination of cards.
To win, you need to get at least the card Jacks, or a card higher in ranks than Jacks in your combination of 5 cards.
Gameplay
To play Jacks or Better at an online casino, simply follow the steps below:
- Choose an online casino that offers Jacks or Better. You find examples of such casinos in our toplist above.
- Go to the section with games and find the category called “Video Poker”
- Open the Jacks or Better game
- Adjust the bet size with the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons on the bottom panel of the screen
- Press the button called “deal”
- You are presented with 5 different cards on the screen
- Choose the cards you want to use to create the best possible combination of hand. If you do not want to change any card, simply click “Hold”. “Hold” will keep the cards that you select and give you 5 new cards.
- Click on the button “deal”
- If you are lucky and you have got Jacks or a card higher in ranks than Jacks, you win and will receive a payout according to the paytable in the game
- To cash out your winnings, visit the cashier section in your casino and go to the payments sections.
Payout Table
| Hand | Payout |
| Royal Flush | 800 coins |
| Straight Flush | 50 coins |
| Four of a Kind | 25 coins |
| Full House | 9 coins |
| Flush | 6 coins |
| Straight | 4 coins |
| Three of a Kind | 3 coins |
| Two Pair | 2 coins |
| Jacks or Better | 1 coins |
Jacks or Better Winning Hands
Below you will find a table of the winning hands in Jacks or Better, from the highest hand to the lowest hand.
| Card | Explanation |
| High | A Jacks or higher. Example: Jack, Queen, King, Ace. 1 pairs = 2 cards with the same number. Example: 2 Kings. |
| Pair | 2 cards that have the same number. Example: 2 Kings. |
| 2 Pair | 2 pairs of cards with the same number. Example: two 3s and two 6s. |
| Three of a Kind | 3 cards with the same number. Example: three 8s. |
| Straight | Like Straight Flush, but with 5 cards that do not have the same suit. The cards need to be in a row. |
| Four to a Straight Flush | 4 cards needed to complete a straight flush of 5 cards. |
| Flush | 5 cards with the same suit. |
| Full House | A hand with 3 of a kind + a pair. Example: 3 Aces and two 5s. |
| Four of a Kind | 4 cards with the same number. Example: 4 Queens or four 10s. |
| Straight Flush | 5 cards in the same suit in a row. Example: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 suited hearts |
| 3 to a Royal Flush | 3 cards to complete a Royal Flush |
| 4 to a Flush | 4 cards in the same suit |
| 4 to a Straight | 4 cards in a row |
| 3 to a Straight Flush | 3 cards in a row with the same suit |
| 2 to a Royal Flush | 2 cards from completing a Royal Flush |
| Royal Flush | The strongest and highest hand with 5 cards in the same suit, in order from 10 to Ace. Example: 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace in suited heart. |
Strategies to Win at Jacks or Better
Play with the maximum amount of coins
Make sure to bet 5 coins per hand to maximize your chances to get a royal flush. When you bet with max coins you also decrease the house edge.
Another benefit of playing with max coins is that you increase your chances to reach the full payback percentage of 99.54%.
Don’t play too fast
It is easy to play more when you win more. When you play more you also lose track of time. This means that you will lose more money. The key is to start betting in small sizes and gradually increase your bet amounts.
For example, if you play 100 hands in 1 hour, you might only lose $2.50. Compared to if you bet $5 per hand and play 200 hands in 1 hour.
Learn and develop your own strategy
It’s a good start to read the strategies listed here. But in the long run, a plus is if you also learn your own strategies and what works for you. You can always use existing strategies and customize them according to your playing style.
Be careful of the Progressive versions
Jacks or Better slots do not have high payouts for progressive jackpots. Progressive jackpots can reduce the house edge to 0, but it happens very rarely.
If you want to play progressive Jacks or Better video poker, it is better that you choose for example a variation with a payout of 9 / 6 rather than a version with a payout of 8 / 5.
Make sure to play a variant with the highest pay table
There are many different variants of Jacks or Better. But the most common variant of Jacks or Better offers a payout structure of 9 / 6. The variant of 9/6 pays you 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush.
Jacks or Better Cheat Sheet
| Hand | Fold |
| Royal Flush or Straight Flush | 0 cards |
| Four of a kind | 1 card |
| Four card to a royal flush | 1 card |
| Full house, flush, straight | 0 card |
| Three of a kind | 2 cards |
| 4 cards to a straight flush | 1 card |
| 2 pair | 1 card |
| High pair (Jacks or Better) | 3 cards |
| 3 Cards to a Royal Flush | 2 cards |
| 4 cards to a flush | 1 card |
| Low pair (tens or lower) | 3 cards |
| 4 cards to a straight | 1 card |
| 2 cards to a Royal Flush | 3 cards |
| 3 cards to a Straight flush | 2 cards |
| Ace, King, Queen & Jack (not suited) | 1 card |
| Kind, Queen & Jack (not suited) | 2 cards |
| 2 High Cards, fold an Ace if needed | 3 cards |
| High Card and a 10 (suited) | 3 cards |
| 1 High card | 4 cards |
| All 5 cards unsuited and unranked | 5 cards |
Play Jacks or Better with Real Money or For Fun
Most online casinos that offer Jacks or Better also offer you to play the game for free. You don’t have to deposit any money to try out the game. On the other hand you don’t get to keep your winnings if you play for free.
To play Jacks or Better with real money:
- Choose an online casino from our list of top online casinos on this page
- Find the section with games, visit the category named “video poker” and open “Jacks or Better
- Choose the “real money” mode
To play Jacks or Better with fun money:
- Choose a casino from ou list of top casinos on this page
- Visit the section of games and open Jacks or Better
- Choose “play for fun” or “fun money” mode
Play Jacks or Better on Your Mobile
When you play Jacks or Better on mobile, the game works in the same way as playing it on desktop. Some casinos offer dedicated casino apps for iOS or Android that you can download to play Jacks or Better on your mobile.
Alternatively, you can also play the game instantly in your browser, such as Firefox or Chrome.
To play Jacks or Better on mobile, simply follow the following steps:
- Choose an online casino from our list of top casinos on this page
- Find the section with games, visit the category named “video poker” and open “Jacks or Better
- Click on the game to start playing it from your mobile device
FAQ
Is it Legal to Play Jacks or Better in India?
Yes, it is legal to play Jacks or Better in India.
What Does Jacks or Better Mean?
It means that you need to get the card Jacks to win. Or a card better than Jacks.
What is the Best Site to Play Jacks or Better?
How Much Money Can I Win Playing Jacks or Better?
The highest payout in Jacks or Better, is when you get a Royal Flush, which gives you a win of 800 coins.
What is Full Pay Jacks or Better?
A full pay Jacks or Better is called 9/6 Jacks or Better. This means that when you get a full house, you win 9 times your bet. The payout for a flush is 6 times your bet.
What are the Odds of Winning on Jacks or Better?
If you stick to a winning strategy, the odds for winning on Jacks or Better is 99.5%, which is higher than that of Joker Poker.