Video Poker Strategy Guide: Charts & Cards for Jacks or Better
One of the games trending today, as quickly as possible is a video poker. It is what makes this game stand out. It is possible to win big if an appropriate strategy stands behind a player’s wager. The strategy will be the best friend in the most popular variety of video poker, Jacks or Better, and ensure that the game might otherwise be a great time to play and become profitable. We will take you down to the ground level of Jacks or Better, introduce you to video poker strategy cards and charts, and give you some improvement tips on playing.
What is Jack or Better?
Jacks or Better is one of the most popular video poker games in online and offline casinos. It is a five-card hand founded on the standard 52-card deck, and the object of this game is to make the best possible poker hand. The most common name for this game is “Jacks or Better” because the least money-paying hand it contains is a pair of Jacks. You must at least form a pair of Jacks or better to win the game. Therefore, the more high-ranking hands you create, the more your payout will increase.
The Payout Table
With the general outline and the table of payers at your hand, we will give you some more video poker strategy tips and guidelines. Each machine has its payout table; however, to make things easy for you, here is the usual Jacks or Better payout schedule for a full-pay machine:
- Pair of Jacks or Better: 1 to 1
- Two Pairs: 2 to 1
- Three of a Kind: 3 to 1
- Straight: 4 to 1
- Flush: 6 to 1
- Whole House: 9 to 1
- Four of a Kind: 25 to 1
- Straight Flush: 50 to 1
- Royal Flush: 250 to 1
Jacks or Better aims to make as many high-paying hands as possible based on the following pay table. How do you improve your odds of making the hands above? That is where video poker strategy charts and strategy cards become very useful.
Video Poker Strategy – The Do’s and Don’ts
Importance of a Video Poker Strategy
Video poker may appear wholly random or as if it only revolves around luck. But no, it’s not a game that’s only ruled by luck. It calls for many skillful deals at the table—decisions on which card to hold and which to discard give differences concerning winning possibilities. A proper video poker strategy can keep low advantages with options for a good hand.
What Is a Video Poker Strategy Chart?
A video poker strategy chart guides you in determining what you should hold and discard in every possible hand combination you might end up with. That’s how it makes the best play for you, based on your current hand, to be used to maximize your chances of hitting a winning hand. This is probably one of the most valuable tools available for both novices and veterans to learn in what circumstances the best moves are made.
For Jacks or Better, a strategy chart will tell you what to hold and what to discard with hands from one pair through to the potential Royal Flush. So your play will depend on whether you have a high pair, if you can make a possible straight, or whether it is time to shoot for a whole house or flush.
Using a Video Poker Strategy Card
A video poker strategy card is an abbreviated version of the strategy chart you can print out to carry in your pocket. Using it this way means taking it to the table while playing and referencing it as needed to make the best possible move on the fly. The strategy card should be designed as a simple layout for rows and columns to tell what kind of hand to use, such as pairs, flushes, and straights. The columns will indicate whether or not to hold or discard some cards.
For example, if you have a hand with two 10s, the strategy card will tell you to hold all of them and let go of the other three. But if you have the hand 9-10 of hearts and the rest of your cards are of low value, it could well ask you to let go of two low ones to hang on to the 9-10 of hearts so you can hope for a flush or a straight.
Here is a quick recap of how you can go about reading video poker strategy cards:
Find Your Hand: See what five cards you have been dealt.
Look at the Strategy Card: Cross-reference your hand with the strategy card’s recommendations.
Hold or Discard: The card will let you know which you should hold and discard.
Using a strategy card keeps you away from the mistakes an experienced player can make with or without a clear guide in making their decision.
Video Poker Jacks or Better Strategy Tips
Although a strategy chart and a strategy card give you a soundly solid starting point when playing video poker, here are some extra tips for improving your video poker Jacks or Better strategy:
1. Always Play Max Coins
Some video poker games offer a bonus payout if you get a Royal Flush when you are betting the most significant amount possible ( usually five). So, it will be more critical if you play maximums and bet the highest amount allowed – so you want to play maximums to get the larger cash payout of a Royal Flush.
2. Do Not Pursue a Royal Flush
A Royal Flush is the highest-ranking hand of Jacks or Better, but it is also quite rare. Chasing a Royal Flush at the expense of other hands usually does not make for a good strategy. Instead, you can use the video poker strategy chart to direct your choices toward attaining those more achievable hands of pairs, three-of-a-kinds, or straights.
3. Know When to Hold a High Pair
Strategy The right play often is to hold over a pair of Jacks or better, but there are occasions in which you might want to lay down the pair to aim for something bigger. For example, when holding a pair of Jacks with three low cards that will make you straight or flush, the Jacks or Better strategy may jump the pair and aim for something bigger.
4. Consider a Flush Draw
If you have four to the flush, you usually must keep those four and fold the other one. You’re going to hit that last card often enough to give you the flush, but you sure aren’t going to hit a good hand to save your life. For example, if you receive four hearts and a low card, your video poker strategy chart should tell you to hold four hearts and fold the low card for the best possible odds of hitting a flush.
5. Know When to Hit for a Full House
If you are dealt a pair and three-of-a-kind, you also will have the chance to hit for a Full House. In most situations, the video poker Jacks or Better strategy would be holding the three-of-a-kind and discarding the other two hands to get the Full House, as it pays out more than the simple pair.
6. Learn How to Change Your Strategy
Depending on the Pay Tables Not all machines give out the same credits, nor do all machines pay the same for Royal Flushes or Full Houses. There might be one credit for a Royal Flush in that machine but two credits in the next. So make sure you look at the payout table before playing. For instance, if it pays less for the Royal Flush than some other machines you might play, you’ll have to be willing to mix up your betting patterns to adapt to these differences.
Making Use of Video Poker Strategy Cards to Your Advantage
Nothing is more efficient in dominating Jacks or better than video poker strategy cards. They break every possible scenario down and tell you just what to do with each hand in an applicable way. They keep you from making impulsive decisions, thus ensuring optimal plays and increasing your chances of winning.
Conclusion
Well, it may not be so overnight with proper tools such as a video poker strategy chart or video poker strategy cards, but with this, it is sure to change your chances dramatically. Jacks or Better, for example, stands out as one of the video poker games that is accessible enough so you can enjoy the game even with an applied winning strategy. Whether playing for entertainment or hoping to win the enormous jackpot, playing with a good plan will ensure you get the most out of playing video poker. So get that strategy card in your pocket or purse, head to the machine, and start playing smart.
