Jacks or Better

Rules

The rules of Jacks or Better are as followed: at the beginning of each round players receive fife cards each. Players may change cards (up to all fife) one time, to create the best possible hand. After a winner is determined cards are dealt again and a new round commences.

Payout Table

After the cards have been exchanged they are turned face up, and the payout for each hand is allocated. A typical pay table starts with a minimum hand of a pair of jacks (hence the name of the game), which pays even money. All the other hand combinations in video poker are the same as in table poker refer to the list below for average payouts:
Hand Payout
Royal Flush 800x
Straight Flush 50x
Four of a Kind 25x
Full House 9x
Flush 6x
Straight 4x
Three of a Kind 3x
Two Pair 2x
JJ, QQ, KK, AA 1x
None of the above None

Strategies

With a little training, it is possible to learn which possible combinations exist to make the best hand out of fife cards. Only in rare instances will it be necessary to exchange all 5 cards, as a trained player will be able to identify the chances of a dealt hand. Some important guidelines are: to keep a 10 if you want to exchange all other 4 cards is not recommended as a pair of 10s is excluded from winning. You should never exchange all 5 cards if you hold a Jack or higher.
Should you be dealt a straight or higher the first round, you should not exchange any cards. Should you have an open straight draw, or two pairs you should exchange one card. You should exchange two cards should you have a three-of-a-kind or an open straight flush draw. Holding a pair or two high cards should prompt you to exchange 3 cards, if you have only one high card you should exchange four cards. Should all fife of your cards be undesirable, we recommend either keeping the highest ones or three of the same suite, in case the guidelines above to no apply.

Game Play

The most important thing during a game is having fun! With some training, you will be able to develop your own game strategies, which you can apply successfully. Especially when facing real opponents it becomes fundamental not to apply transparent tactics.
Jacks or Better is especially appealing for novice players as the rules are fairly easy to learn. Traditionally the game is played with live opponents, but in the 70s a computerized version, the so-called video poker came into existence. Using video poker especially for training purposes can be a powerful tool, as you have to play your best possible hand, rather than your opponents. Video poker is also popular in casinos, as a success is not dependent on other players.
Please note, that even if Jacks or Better is a popular game among novice players, it is not a beginner’s game per se. With the development of strategies and profit generating tactics, this can be a very interesting game for pros.

History

Poker has become the most popular online card game, it has established itself as a sport, with frequent big international tournaments such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the World Poker Tour (WPT), or the European Poker Tour (EPT), etc.
The theories of how the game came into being are diverse, undisputed is that “poquer” as it used to be called, has its origins on the East Cost of the US, being played during the US civil war in the late 19th century. Over time multiple versions of poker were created to render the game more interesting.