If you’re looking for the best video poker game out there, there’s nothing better than Jacks or Better. Besides the fantastic gameplay, it has a 99.54% RTP and has built a solid level of popularity among players in the Philippines and other parts of the globe.
Before you start learning a strategy for winning this game, here is an overview of Jacks or Better. Dive deep into the game and set your goal of taking one of the biggest online poker wins here at BC.GAME.
Understanding the game of Jacks or Better
Jacks or Better is the simplest variant of any video poker game, so it’s a go-to option for beginners and veteran players. Its primary objective is creating the best hand by holding onto or discarding certain cards. Most poker games have the same gameplay, and Jacks or Better also stays true to the poker gameplay basics.
The rules are similar to what you see with other video poker games. Basically, try to get the best hand possible. Using the random number generator (RNG), you will be dealt five cards and must select which ones you want to keep or discard. You are dealt replacement cards then the final hand will decide the result and how much you won or lost.
But first, you need to set how much you’re betting for the round. Now, dive into the guide to learn some of the best strategies you can use for your gameplay.
Best strategies to use in Jacks or Better
Any Jacks or Better poker player should learn to analyse the game and find the best winning strategies. Remember that the gameplay stays the same regardless of which Jacks or Better video poker strategy or plan you use. The cards dealt are also shuffled at random.
There is a Jacks or Better strategy chart that can help illustrate the moves you make and the bet amount you placed. Here are the best strategies that can help make informed playing decisions:
Become familiar with poker hands and their ranking
You have to learn the poker hands to win your Jacks or Better gameplay. Here are the hands you’ll have to get, ranked from lowest to highest value:
- High card – This is when you do not have a good hand, so you just send in your highest-value card.
- Single pair – Two cards of the same number/rank. (i.e. two 3 cards).
- Two pairs – Two different pairs of cards that have the same number or rank. (i.e. two 5 cards).
- Three of a kind – Three cards that have the same number or rank (i.e. three 4 cards).
- Straight – This has five cards in a sequence but not the same suit. (i.e. 1-5 of any suit).
- Flush – Any five cards of the same suit in a hand, even if they are not in a sequence. (3, 5, 7, 8, and 9 in the same suit).
- Full house – This goes back to three of a kind, but there has to be a pair. (i.e. three 5 cards, then there is a pair like two Jacks).
- Four of a kind – All the four cards in your hand should have the same rank (i.e. four cards of 7 between clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds).
- Straight Flush – Five cards in a sequence all in one suit (i.e. 3-7 of hearts).
- Royal Flush – This is when Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 are all in the same suit.
Passage of Play
The Passage of Play is the normal way to play Jacks or Better. Adjust your gameplay whenever you see fit because being more knowledgeable about the game can help you make the best decisions. Here are the steps to follow for this strategy:
- Select the bet you want to place: Choose between all the options regarding how much you want to spend for your wager. If you’re new to the game, it’s best to stick to minimum bet amounts and see how the round goes.
- Click on Deal: This is to get the first five cards.
- Evaluate your hand: This is where you use your knowledge of possible hands in poker to know what kind of hands are possible with the first five cards.
- Decide if you want to be safe or risk it: Look at what you have in your hand and choose which ones to hold or discard because that will affect the hand you get when you’re given the replacement cards. Confident players will take the risk and go for the best hands possible, but you can also play it safe with the lesser hands.
This is the logical way to approach Jacks or Better, but if you want more of a technical approach to the game, look for the video poker cheat sheet and proceed from there.
Try to follow the Jacks or Better cheat sheet
You can maximise your hands in Jacks or Better by referring to this cheat sheet. This will help you know how many cards you should keep or discard.
| Your Hand | Keep | Discard | Your Hand | Keep | Discard |
| Royal Flush | 5 | 0 | High Pair | 2 | 3 |
| Straight Flush | 5 | 0 | Three to a Royal Flush | 3 | 2 |
| Four of a King | 5 | 0 | Four to a Flush | 4 | 1 |
| Full House | 5 | 0 | Low Pair | 2 | 3 |
| Four to a Royal Flush | 4 | 1 | Four to a Straight Flush | 4 | 1 |
| Flush | 5 | 0 | Three to a Straight Flush | 3 | 2 |
| Three of a kind | 3 | 2 | Two to a Royal Flush | 2 | 3 |
| Straight | 5 | 0 | Two High Cards | 2 | 3 |
| Four to a Straight Flush | 4 | 1 | One High Card | 1 | 4 |
| Two Pair | 4 | 1 | Nothing of value | 0 | 5 |
Learn how many cards you should discard when you do not have a favourable hand to maximise your chances of winning. Of course, this is not a catch-all move, but it will help you make smarter decisions than before.
Learn when to hold onto high pairs or low pairs
It is quite a challenge when Jacks or Better players must choose between high or low pairs. For most situations, most people should keep them both. High pairs are more of a no-brainer because if the hand is higher-value with a pair than the other hand in the game, the reward can still be better.
However, you can stray away from the pairs if you can win in a Royal or Straight Flush because that will undoubtedly give you bigger rewards. Break the pair to take a shot at those higher payouts by discarding three cards you feel won’t contribute to the Flush.
Hold High Cards
Players with high cards will always have a chance to at least form a pair in the next draw. Remember that those high cards can be a King, Queen, or Jack, which can help you get more winning hands.
They are the key to a Royal Flush, so it would be a disservice to all possible hands to ignore the highest-value cards in the game. There are low Jacks or Better odds to get all the needed parts of a Flush, but holding the high cards is the easiest way to win.
The ‘Optimal’ Strategy
Most veteran Jacks or Better players believe the Optimal Strategy is the best way to maximise the expected return by making mathematically-optimal decisions for each hand dealt. This involves learning the probability and payouts you can get for each hand present on the cheat sheet. However, this will also involve some key principles you should remember when playing:
- Always hold a winning hand like a high pair of high cards.
- Hold onto any four cards that can result in a Royal Flush or a Straight Flush.
- If you have three components of a Royal Flush, do not discard them.
- Four cards to a Flush should not be discarded.
- Hold any low pair, which are tens or lower, if you no longer have any options.
- If there is an open-ended Straight like 5,6,7,8, keep hold of the four cards over any low pair.
- Two-suited high cards are quite valuable compared to any low pair.
- Getting three cards nearer to a Straight Flush means you should hold onto them and discard the rest.
- Hold any pair of Jacks or better-valued cards with all three-suited cards.
- Discard the cards if you do not envision a good result since you are missing out on any of the potential combinations or hands.
Tips when playing Jacks or Better
The best tips for Jacks or Better video can help you down the right path and potentially win rewards. Some might seem like common knowledge, but people become short-sighted when money is involved with their wagers. Now, you can improve your approach when you learn more tips and get insights into why people get to succeed with these Jack or Better tips.
Maintain a good bankroll
Control your bankroll and maintain it to the best level possible. Start slow with your wagers when you’re still trying to get the hang of the game, but you should make bigger wagers as you grow with it. Any player should know that Jacks or Better is not an automatic win whenever they play, so they have to be careful when deciding the wager amount. Find the right balance between profitability and your wager to maintain a good bankroll.
Remember that a Royal Flush is always the goal
Every player has possible hands when they’re playing Jacks or Better. The best of those hands is the Royal Flush which involves a hand with an Ace, a 10, Jack, Queen, and King. If there is a chance that you can get a Royal Flush, you should always swing for the fences for maximum rewards.
Keep the cheat sheet close
The cheat sheet is the ultimate tool you can use for your gameplay because you just have to look at it when you need it. No rules prevent you from doing this since they are just guidelines to help you with your gameplay.
Using the sheet helps you distinguish between the best hands and the lacklustre ones. You can still with certain hands like a Three-of-a-kind, but there is room for improvement. Get the best results by looking at the cheat sheet; there might be a time when you’ve memorised it.
Practise playing Jacks or Better
There is a free play mode for Jacks or Better which can help you practise for your gameplay. This can help you learn how the game works and practise scenarios you will likely encounter in the real game.
Pair this with the cheat sheet, and you can get familiar with most situations and prepare for the real game session. You can transition easily to playing with real money with what you have learned from the free-play mode. You can also try other poker variants to get more into the online poker betting scene.
Do progressive betting
Good bankroll management does not always mean you should only make small bets. Whenever you have an extra amount in your budget, or you win a few rounds in Jacks or Better, you can try to increase your wagers bit by bit.
These are factors you need to consider whenever you make progressive bets for Jacks or Better:
- Make sure to determine your initial bet
- Set up the increments you can progress with your wagers
- Bet higher after wins and bet lower after losses
- Make sure to set a cap for your maximum bets
Additionally, you should also check BC.GAME’s ongoing promotions or special events to see if you can claim a few rewards from being one of the site’s players. You might be able to use these rewards on your next Jacks or Better game.
Stay focused on the game
The Jacks or Better game needs you to stay focused and in tune. You need to combine your strategies with a good mindset because it helps reduce mistakes and builds good habits for future sessions.
Stay calm in most situations to avoid being over-emotional with your decisions and becoming short-sighted. Sometimes, players can get too engrossed in the game and miss out on valuable hands and informed decisions. Staying on the ground and avoiding impulsive decisions are key to success in this game. Don’t chase your previous losses as well. Try to play one round at a time.
Try to bet the maximum amount to earn bonuses
Try to bet the maximum amount whenever you’re playing with valuable experience to get the most out of your money or wager. Jacks or Better is quite an affordable game, as the max wager is around $1.25 while the minimum wager is $0.25.
This kind of wager is profitable because you can win the game with a 99.5% RTP. Depending on the hand you win the game with, you can win fantastic rewards. Here is the payout structure you get with Jacks or Better hands in the 9/6 format where 9 is the full house payout, and the 6 is for the flush prize:
| Hand | 1 coin | 2 coins | 3 coins | 4 coins | 5 coins |
| Royal Flush | 250 | 500 | 750 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Straight Flush | 50 | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
| Four-of-a-kind | 25 | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 |
| Full house | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 45 |
| Flush | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 39 |
| Straight | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 29 |
| Three-of-a-kind | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Two pairs | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Jacks or Better | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Avoid chasing losses
Know when to walk away when you are on a losing streak. An attempt to make more bets after losing can cause you to lose even, or worse, it can cost you your entire bankroll. As a result, you might feel worse after losing, leaving you in a bad mood.
Chasing losses is not recommended for Jacks or Better because there is always a better time or a chance of winning. Remember that it is a game of chance, so not taking losses too seriously can help you realise that luck can be or not be on your side at any given time.
Capitalise on promotions and bonuses
Most online casinos provide players with bonuses and promotions. Those are meant to help players get the best out of their wagers and not have to struggle with getting small winnings. Using the bonuses boosts your rewards to the max, giving you a better experience because you are rewarded for your patience and skills.
Stop playing and take a break at times
You can play Jacks or Better for a long time, but do not let it consume every bit of your time. Casino games are mentally stimulating, so it’s best for you to rest and recharge. You can prevent mental fatigue and improve your brain activity with every game session.
Breaks can also give you valuable time for reflection and analysis for your Jacks or Better gameplay. This kind of introspection can improve your gameplay and make you more responsible for the long-term future of your time with the game.
Play and win Jacks or Better Video Poker at BC.GAME
Play Jacks or Better at BC.GAME for a worthwhile gaming experience. This superb online casino offers many profitable promotions that can boost your gameplay. The site allows you to use cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Tether (USDT) as your payment method for instant transactions.
Before you start with the game, learn the process for account creation on this website first. Here are the steps you should take:
- Register using your email address or phone number.
- You can also enter a referral or promo code to get a bonus as soon as you start playing.
- Aside from using your email or number, you log in directly with your accounts from Google, Telegram, MetaMask, WalletConnect, and Whatsapp.
- Click the Deposit button on top of the page to deposit cryptocurrencies into your on-site wallet. You can also use fiat for your gameplay via e-wallet or bank transfer.
- Find the Jacks or Better game you love the most because there are multiple versions from various providers on BC.GAME.
- Play it and then reap the rewards when you get a favourable result from your bet.
As soon as you win in the game, you can withdraw the rewards by clicking the Withdraw button at the top. Cryptocurrency users need to attach their crypto wallet address to push through with the transaction.
Start playing Jacks or Better at BC.GAME!
If you are looking for a table game packed with excitement and winning possibilities, look no further than the exciting Jacks or Better video poker game. Here at BC.GAME, you can enjoy the game and use all the Jacks or Better strategies you learned.
You can use a bonus that can result in some excellent payouts. You can even claim a huge bonus for your first BC.GAME deposit or even look into the benefits of a VIP gambling experience for your Jacks or Better sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jacks or Better?
Jacks or Better is a video poker game where you are looking for the best hands possible to win rewards. With an RTP of 99.54%, there is a solid chance of winning rewards from this game.
How to play Jacks or Better video poker?
To play Jacks or Better on BC.GAME, you have to go to the casino section of the site. Use the search bar present and search for ‘Jacks or Better’, and you are met with multiple options for your gameplay. Just click the game you want to play, and you’re good to go.
How to win Jacks or Better?
To win in Jacks or Better, you need to get a high-value hand that can outbid almost every player in the game. If you can get a Royal Flush, you are the top player at that time, and your rewards will reflect that.
What is the best strategy for Jacks or Better?
There are many strategies you can use when playing Jacks or Better. You can use the cheat sheet, which is a useful tactic because it can help you be more detailed with your moves. Knowing that will help you earn some good rewards because you have a reliable tool to assist you.
