This article is about the Jacks or Better a Video Poker Game. Also read our jacks or better tips and jacks or better strategy for better odds and payouts.
How to Play Jacks or Better?
Jacks or Better is one of the oldest video poker games that make up the slot games known as video poker.
The game is played similar to the way a poker game is dealt as the player can only see the hand or hands they are dealt.
The number or value of coins played per spin determines the amount of winning payoffs based on the value of the hand or hands dealt. Each hand dealt has a value in the game of poker.
Some are worthless and some have a very high value.
The higher the hand value the bigger the multiplier times the coin value bet on the spin. A max bet on the spin would pay out a total of 4000 coins times the coin value on a non-progressive game.
The game does allow some skill to be introduced to the Zodiac Casino game and thereby making the house edge on the game as low as it can be depending on the version of the Jacks or Better game being played.
Based on the dealt cards, the game is played after making a bet.
The selection of the best cards to draw to follows and that is based on hand possibilities that are available for the dealt cards.
This sets up the result of the game and this is the most important factor after deciding how much to play the game for in coin value.
When a player plays Jacks or Better they have to make a decision about how they will play the game, in particular the way they will decide how to play the draws for cards that come up.
The decision has to be made whether to play the draws in a conservative manner and in a bold manner that tries to capture the bigger prizes.
How does a player play any pair that comes up before the draw when there are two or three cards to a Royal Flush in the five dealt cards? When to pass on the Royal and when to go for it is a decision that can be played the same every time or played by feel.
When the decision is between a sure winner and a possible big winner on the draw, the player is faced with a decision that usually shows their mindset.
Try for the gusto or except the sure thing. Both methods are right and both can be wrong at different times. The published cards that are available online that suggest certain ways to play are correct mathematically and wrong on feeling.
Playing like a robot or computer may be the correct way for many players, but also would bore the devil out of many players that are used to playing hunches and the way the situation hits them in that mysterious place called feel. Each player must come to terms with how to play and when to gamble on the draw.
Playing any game that depends on the turn of a card is gambling, but how and when to take a bigger chance is the difference between a conservative play and a bold play.
Both are right at different times based on the final result.
9/6 Variant of Jacks or Better
There are several versions of this popular slot game from the genre of video poker slots. The best version of all is the 9/6 game. In this version a full house is paid off at nine to one. A flush is paid off at six to one. In poorer versions of the same game, the full house is paid at eight to one or seven to one. A flush is paid off at five to ore or four to one.
On some machines the payoffs are lower when the max bet is not made.
The version is easily discerned by just looking at the pay off schedule for these two poker hands. All of the other payoffs are the same no matter which version is being played.
For those payers that are not poker players a full house poker hand is three cards of one kind and two of another kind. A flush is five cards of the same suit.
The difference in payouts is significant which makes the long-term percentage payout over a number of hands range from over 99% down to just over 95%.
This can make a big difference over 1000 spins at a maximum bet.
Every video poker game has a schedule of payoffs for different hands posted on the website game.
Use a search engine to find which online sites offer the best version of Jacks or Better.
Royal Flush with Jacks or Better Video Poker
The Royal Flush poker hand is the dream spin of every player who takes the risk of a spin on the Jacks or Better video poker slot game. This hand pays a maximum of 4000 coins at whatever value the coins were set at before the spin.
A Royal Flush is a five-card poker hand that consists of cards that are all of the same suit and have a value of Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten. This is a rare hand in poker and it is also rare on a video poker game.
On some games this hand a progressive jackpot and can pay far more than 4000 coins. Many players who play this game will take a shot at this hand every time they have two or more of the cards that make up a Royal Flush.
The idea is that hitting the big prize is worth the risk even at a low odds draw. This play is not one that is recommended by any of the strategy cards.
These strategy cards are written to take advantage of the high payout that is seen when playing this form of video poker.
Jacks or Better game have higher payouts ?
Another given in playing Jacks or Better is play on sites that have excellent pay our percentages and games that are set up at 9/6 rather than some of the lover payoffs.
The effort on finding these sites is again a winning idea as the end result will be more bang for each dollar risked in play on the site. There are many sites that list the payout percentages of slot websites and the individual payouts by the type of slot game.
These list on the web are easily found by using a good search engine and just asking the questions that need answers in order to make playing decisions about which site to signup on and play for real money.
Signup bonuses are important for a new player, but they should be used only after the site payouts are noted and compared by site.
Added features are sites that keep the payouts at the high end of the range at all times. Be careful of games that vary the payouts when the player plays a less than max bet. Do not fall for odds that are quoted at five for one instead of five to one.
That is a serious difference in winnings when the payout is made. Sites that retreat to these types of betting tricks are only trying to take advantage of the lack of knowledge of the new players.
High payouts and correct odds on all payoffs are the only sites that a new payer should consider when looking for a site to play on. Lesser sites are harder to beat in the long run over an extended number of sessions.
Who plays video slot Jacks or Better game?
Video slot players have been a growing number of players since the fist games were featured in the 1970s. Players like the odds of the playing slots and also the fun of having a decision to make each spin.
The video poker games have a growing number of fans and sites are well aware of this popularity growth. Many sites bring new versions of the video poker games out each month or so.
They want to take advantage of this growing player love of video poker. These slot games are more fun for most players to play.
The way they are played with a decision necessary each spin is exciting and keeps the interest up in each game.
The other factor that keeps players coming back is the prize money is excellent for games whether they are regular games or progressive jackpot games. Small wins over time add up and a winning session can easily generate a few hundred dollars of winnings. With the advent of multi-line games which allow a player to play many hands at the same time, the lovers of the game have another reason to play even more.
Many of the newer multi-line games have the big progressive jackpots attached to them. This added attraction for this video poker game is an added reason to give these games more play.
Winning a big jackpot is always just a spin away and some player has to capture the winning spin.
The age group and sex of the players that play Jacks or Better is not favored in that way at all. Poker players come in all sizes, ages and sexes.
This is a natural game for poker players to trek too. The game enjoys the popularity of a game that all can play once they are aware of what cards to draw to for the best payoff chances.
The style of play can be aggressive to conservative and both styles can be a winning style over several sessions.
Slot games come in all manner of themes and ease of play. Video poker is not a simple game to play and does take some thought to play well. However the learning curve is not that difficult to climb and is worth the effort as the ability to win in a session is not that hard to do.
The game engenders excitement and fun for the player. This accounts for the growing number of players that prefer this form or slot play over what use to be called one armed bandits.
Now a button is pushed to start a spin and the handle pull has long since been thrown to the dustbin.
Is Jacks or Better a game of Skill ?
Slot gambling and skill are not usually mentioned in the same sentence. When discussing video poker however there is ample reason to discuss the skill level that is brought to this game to play it well.
Keeping the right cards after the initial deal is a big part of winning in the long run.
Great draws can only be paid off if the video poker player chose the kept cards correctly.
This takes a skill level and an understanding that experienced poker players bring to the game about keeping cards to draw too over many hands.
Other slot games just depend on luck of the spin. Video poker combines luck and skill to make a winning hand.
Players with skill at choosing cards to keep will need less luck to win. Less skillful players will have to depend on more luck to win over time.
One of the least understood elements of video poker is when to draw for the Royal Flush and when to skip an opportunity.
This hand pays the biggest prizes available when playing Jacks or Bette video poker. The obvious draws are hands that have nothing in them except four or three of the cards that will help make a Royal Flush.
The more difficult decision is when the two other cards are a big pair or even make trips before the draw. This is a matter of feel for some players or even a no brainier for those players that only play for Royal Flushes.
When a hand only has two of the needed Royal Flush cards, the player is less likely to draw for it if the other cards offer a better draw.
Players will have to come to terms with this area of what to do and when to keep certain cards.
The longer a player plays this form of slot game, the more likely they will develop a set of personal rules for how they are willing to play the game.
The result of many hours of play will over time convert bad players to better players or they will quit as they will be tired of losing. Knowledge, reading and risk tolerance are all part of becoming a winner in Jacks or Better.
The skill level has to improve over time or the player will continue to make the same mistakes in their decisions.
