Jacks or Better Video Poker Strategy

The game of Jacks or Better video poker is a great game to play as there are many ways to win. It’s also a rather easy game to understand in that you need a pair of jacks or something better to win. However, you need to watch for a few considerations if you’re going to try and win at this game.

Consider the Inside Straight

The inside straight is where you have a straight with one missing card. This card will be located in the middle of the set. For instance, you might have a 5, 6, 8 and 9. This is different from an outside straight that features four cards that are all together

While this could provide you with a good chance to get a straight, it is often rather difficult for you to actually pull it off. If you have any high cards, which in this case is a jack or higher, then you should hold onto those cards and discard anything else. This is regardless of the straights that you are using.

What About the Outside?

You should only go for the outside straight if your straight is filled with high cards. That is, if you have a jack, queen, king and ten in your hand then you should hold onto those cards. The potential for you to at least get a jacks or better will be high so you can keep from losing anything. Again, you should drop the straight if there are three or more low-value cards in your hand at large.

Always Keep the Flush

While the flush may not be as worth as much as some other hands, you may want to keep the flush in the event that you get on during a game. This is due to how your potential to get one or more of the same suit again may not be as great as it could be. This can be tough to do but you must do this to keep your winnings intact.

Look For Pairs

You have to be aware of the pairs that you might get when you start a hand. If you get a pair of cards at ten or below then you need to hold them and any high card if you come across any. If you have a pair of cards and no high cards to go with them then you might want to avoid trying to go after the pair. There is not much of a guarantee that you will actually get three of a kind at this point.