Jacks or Better is a popular video slot game, here we review the strategies, game rules and functionality. Play online for free without risking funds.
5-Hand Jacks or Better
To expand the game’s possibilities some of the more notable providers introduced the 5-hand version of Jacks or Better and gave a new dimension to the well-known Jacks or Better video poker gameplay. You can find 5-hand formats of Jacks or Better at casino sites powered by NetEnt and Betsoft, among others. The instant-play game is dynamic and lucrative, offering more than the regular version, and that makes it a true gem for video poker lovers.
How to Play
As the games is based on standard Jacks or Better, the win is only granted when the player has a pair of Jacks or a high value card. With the 5-hand format, the key is in going through more hands more quickly. You can expect fewer wins, but bigger in value. So, 5-Hand Jacks or Better allows you to play 5 hands at a time. The video draw poker game starts when the player chooses a coin size and a number of coins to bet. Then, he or she will receive five cards dealt face-up. The player is required to mark all the cards he/she wants to keep/hold. Click on the ones you want to hold on to and then click on Deal again.
The software will replenish your hand to a five card poker hand from a fresh 52-card deck. Your cards will then be compared to the paytable and the winning hands will receive their ranks as well as corresponding payouts. The potential winning ranks are Jacks or Better, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush and Royal Flush. This is also the order of payout values; you can earn the least with a Jacks or Better hand, and hit the top payout with a Royal Flush.
The game also offers an opportunity to bet the payout on the turn of a card. This gamble feature will double your win if you’re lucky and deprive you of it if you fail to choose a higher card than the one dealt face-up in the mini-game. You can always click on Collect and add the win to your total without risking it. The gamble feature is available up to a maximum of four times.
What More is There to Know About 5-Hand Jacks or Better?
5-Hand Jacks or Better is played with 5 decks in total (one deck per hand), which are reshuffled after each game. Some of the in-game options include an Auto Hold button and the Bet Max button, as well as Fast Play and sound adjustments.
As with any poker game, the objective is to set up the best poker hand one possibly can. There isn’t a dealer, so you can’t be beaten by one; your winnings emanate from how good of a hand you hold in reference to the paytable offered by the game. 5-Hand Jacks or Better video poker is deemed to have an RTP of 99.54%.
Jacks or Better Video Poker
The main twist to this poker game is, as the name suggests, in the fact you get a win if you have at least a pair of Jacks. Or Better. The game is similar to, but has slightly different payouts and required tactics to games like Deuces Wild.
The birth of Video Poker
Interestingly enough, the first poker machine appeared much sooner that most of us could even imagine. In the late 19th century, a drum operated mechanism was created by Sittman &Pit and the players would pull the lever to generate a card combination. The machine evolved in early 20th century when a “hold” feature was added, allowing the players to freeze certain cards for the next spin – much like Sticky Wilds in the modern day slots. In the 70s, a Video Poker machine as we know it today was born and by the 80s, Video Poker was offered throughout casinos and bars across the globe.
How to play Jacks or Better Video Poker?
The edge of Jacks or Better Video Poker is taken off by the fact that you are playing against a machine and not an actual dealer, avoiding any additional pressure. The game follows the same set of basic rules as the five card draw variation, starting with five cards dealt to the players after the bets are submitted. The players then selects the cards that they would like to hold on to and draw again. In this particular version, at least one pair of Jacks is needed for a payout to be awarded.
Ranking of hands in Jacks or Better Video Poker
Although playing Video Poker will eliminate the need of memorising the names and values of poker hands since the machine will automatically display the results on the screen, knowing how the hands are ranked is the absolute basis of playing any poker variation.
Video Poker Jacks Or Better
- * High card in this case would be a Jack or any other card that exceeds Jack in value – King, Queen and Ace.
- * One Pair – two same value cards, such as a pair of Aces
- * Two Pair – two sets of different pairs, for example two Kings and two Queens
- * Three of a Kind – hand with three cards of the same rank
- * Straight – five sequential cards, regardless of the suit
- * Flush – any five suited cards
- * Full House – three of a kind with a pair
- * Four of a Kind – four cards of the same rank
- * Straight Flush – five suited sequential cards
- * Royal Flush – suited Ace, 10, Jack, Queen and King
Free Poker Slots Jacks Or Better
Is there a way of reducing the house edge in Jacks or Better?
Jacks Or Better Free Casino
Video poker comes with a high return to player percentage as it is, but if you are looking for the variant with the lowest house edge, you will hardly find a Video Poker machine that pays more than Full Pay Jacks or Better, also known as Draw Poker or 9/6 Jacks or Better
To further improve your odds, make sure to always hold your pairs. Each hand should be regarded in terms of its combinative potential and discarding any cards that can form a pair is far from a wise strategic move.
Where to play Jacks or Better
Not the easiest game to find, but venues such as Boyd Gaming and Plaza Las Vegas are famous for their over 100% RTP Video Poker machines, including Full Pay Jacks or Better variant.
Here, we have a totally free version of Jacks or Better. You do not need to download any software, or sign-up to play. Even better, this is the exact same version that you would find in Las Vegas casinos, like MGM Grand and Bellagio.
If you have been to Las Vegas and played video poker, you will certainly have seen Jacks or Better as one of the options to play. The most popular version (by a mile) is made by a company called Game King and we have the free version here!