6 Tips for Playing Video Poker, Jacks or Better
Video Poker is a Slot Machine version of Poker. Jacks or Better is a version of Video Poker. It is called thus because only Jack or higher One Pairs return money to the player. Here are some tips for playing Video Poker.
TIPS FOR PLAYING VIDEO POKER GAME
- In general, if you already have a hand, you should keep the cards that make the hand and throw away the unmatched ones. The only exception to this is if there's a chance you can make a superior hand than the one you have. For example, you may be assured Straight, but if four out of five of those cards are of the same suit, you have a shot at a Straight Flush. It's up to you to take the risk or not.
- When faced with two possible hands, you should go for the higher paying one. Look to the payout schedule to see the hand rankings and how much they return.
- Since in Jacks or Better, you get paid for a Jack Pair or higher (Ten Pair and lower don't pay), you should retain a face card even when there is no match yet. Say, the draw yields a no-hand with one Jack in it. You can choose to keep the Jack and drop everything else, and hope that at least one out of the four new cards will turn up a match for it.
- Be careful about retaining too many cards. If you have a no-hand, don't retain more than two cards. And they should preferably be high cards, like a Queen and an Ace. That way even if you get only a One Pair for either of those cards, you get your money back.
- Once you make a monster hand (Flush, Four of a Kind etc.), bet small on the next draw. Why? Because you can almost guarantee that the next draw won't have the same hand. Yes, sometimes you get a back-to-back Three of a Kind. Yes, a One Pair can appear three consecutive times. But those are rare and the higher the hand type, the more unlikely that will happen.
- After a big win, and you're betting small, you will notice a losing streak. Even if you win, don't be too sorry that you bet small. After a losing streak or repeated no-hand draws, you will feel in your gut that it is time for a bigger stake. You may win, or you may lose. If you win, the win will be big and will easily cover your earlier small loses. If you lose, increase your next bet. It won't be long before you win. Just don't make the raise too big.